Bachmann, Elaine Rice Elaine Rice Bachmann is the Curator of the Maryland Commission on Artistic Property of the Maryland State Archives. In 2004, she oversaw the creation of a legacy desk for Maryland's governor made of wood from the Wye Oak. The tree also has been an inspiration for Elaine's book, While a Tree Grew: The Story of Maryland's Wye Oak.Elaine is the co-author of Designing Camelot: The Kennedy White House Restoration (John Wiley & Sons, 1997) and has authored numerous articles on antiques and interiors, including a weekly column in the Wilmington News Journal. She is a graduate of the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture at the University of Delaware. Elaine currently lives in Severna Park with her husband and two sons.Kim Harrell was born in Richmond, Virginia. She received a BS in biology and a BA in illustration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

A member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, Harrell found her science and art training came together when she began work as a freelance illustrator, specializing in interpreting natural science subjects. She has illustrated many books, including While a Tree Grew: The Story of Maryland's Wye Oak.Harrell does volunteer work for ARK, a wildlife rescue and rehab club in her hometown. She has traveled extensively in the U.S., Canada, West Indies, Europe, and Egypt.