Dorothy Hope Smith

Smith's famous Gerber Baby drawing came about through a contest. In 1928, Gerber invited artists to submit drawings of babies for a contest.^[1] Dorothy submitted a preliminary charcoal sketch. The sketch was created from a snapshot of Ann Turner, the child of a family friend.^[4] Dorothy's unfinished submission was intended more as an inquiry as to what the age of the baby should be and what the ad size would be.^[5] Dorothy intended to finish the sketch if accepted.^[3] The Gerber Company judges, however, preferred the simplicity of the illustration when compared to other more elaborate entries.^[1] Smith won $300 in the contest, selling the rights of her drawing to Gerber.^[6] Due to its popularity, Gerber officially trademarked the drawing in 1931.^[7]

Smith worked regularly from the 1920s until her death in 1955, serving as a successful commercial illustrator for many products.^{[citation needed]}

Smith's husband, Perry Barlow, whom she married on February 22, 1922, was a cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine, drawing 135 covers over the years in addition to many cartoons. He also contributed work to Collier's, The Saturday Evening Post and others. Because Perry was partially colorblind, Smith helped with the color process of his work. Smith and Perry had two sons, Collins and Peter. Peter's child is Smith's only granddaughter. Dorrie carries her namesake, Dorothy "Dorrie" Barlow Thomas.^[2] After Dorothy's death in 1955, their son Peter continued the color treatments to Perry's work.^{[citation needed]}