About the Authors
Donald D. Streeter
Donald D. Streeter (1905-1998) was an artist, illustrator, craftsman, blacksmith and author. He studied at the Philadelphia College of Art and at The Art Students League in New York City. After completing his studies, he went on to became a book illustrator for G.P Putnam’s Sons. During his time at G.P Putnam’s Sons, Donald carved woodcut blocks to illustrate books as well as his own drawings. However, it wasn’t until 1929 when Donald Streeter, inspired by the wondrous beauty of the Palisades, wrote and illustrated his own book, The Adventure of Tippy the Cat. With the onset of The Great Depression in 1929, businesses closed and many wonderful books went unpublished. In the 1930s, along with his brother Guy, Donald Streeter opened a blacksmith studio and a retail shop in Southern New Jersey, mid-way between Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore. Carloads of Jersey Shoregoers would stop each weekend on their way to and from the Shore to watch his demonstrations as he hand-forged hardware at the fire. They would purchase his hardware for their homes, and Donald Streeter’s hardware business flourished.
For the next 50 years, Donald Streeter created elegant hardware for restorations of historic buildings across America and Canada. He was commissioned to restore the hardware of many National Historic Sites and Landmarks to prepare for America’s 1976 Bicentennial celebration. Some of the sites that are now home to his work include Independence Hall and the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia. Mr. Streeter’s hardware business paused in the 1940s for his enlistment in the army during World War II.
Donald Streeter was the author of Professional Smithing (Scribner, 1980; Astragal Press 1995, 2008) a book about blacksmithing techniques for hardware for historic restoration projects. The Donald Streeter Collection (1950-1980), a compilation of Mr. Streeter’s book manuscripts, negatives, photographs and published articles, is housed at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library. Mr. Streeter is credited for being the inspiration of the blacksmith operation in Colonial Williamsburg. Click here to purchase the book.
Dina L. HoldeR
Dina Holder’s grandfather, Donald D. Streeter, gave her the original version of The Adventure of Tippy the Cat in 1997 to share with her young children. Dina edited and published this book to help ignite a sense of curiosity, adventure, artistry, history and joy within children and adults.
Dina was born in London, raised in New Jersey, and educated at Brown University and Harvard Business School. She lives with her family in South Orange, New Jersey.
