Nipper Has His Day

On Sunday, Nov. 1 Drayton Hall celebrated the launch of author Amey Lewis and illustrator Gerry McElroys’ classic tale about friendship and discovery. Nipper of Drayton Hall is the almost-true story of Charlotta Drayton and his energetic little dog Nipper, and his friend 8-year-old Richmond Bowens and the day they spent traveling between the Charleston Battery to Drayton Hall in the spring of 1916.
Author Amey Lewis is a former teacher living with her husband on Wadmalaw Island. She holds dear her 40-year association with Drayton Hall and the Drayton family. A mother of three and grandmother of seven, Lewis has a lifelong love of reading and teaching, which led her to write Nipper of Drayton Hall, her first book.
Artist Gerry McElroy is a graduate of the Parsons School of Design and a former New York fashion designer. A freelance artist and art instructor, McElroy is the mother of three and now lives in Edisto.
Lewis’ story and McElroy’s watercolor illustrations give readers an informative and engaging look into the past of Drayton Hall.
Both Lewis and McElroy were on hand to sign copies of the books.
There were also 20-minute Nipper-themed mini house tours given throughout the day as well as a Nipper lookalike contest, with a jumbo stuffed Nipper toy awarded to the dog who looks the most like Nipper. There was also a Nipper-themed raffle and kids colored Nipper-themed coloring pages created by McElroy.