1909 Halloween card by artist Ellen H. Clapsaddle |
Halloween 1909--more sweet than spooky! This card was sent to my Mom, Arlene Noyes when she was four years old, from a cousin, Mary Birdie Eales (19 July 1873 - 24 October 1952). Birdie's father was Benjamin Eales, a half-brother to my Grandma Daisy. Uncle Ben was an engineer for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. Birdie moved with her father and mother from Wisconsin to St. Paul sometime prior to 1895. Her mother died in 1903 and she continued to keep house for her father until his death in 1914. I have many, many greeting cards from Birdie to my grandparents and my mother. Birdie never married. While still at home, she was a sales lady for various dry goods and leather goods stores. Later she became a live-in maid. Though I would have been 12 when she died in 1952, I do not remember ever having met her.
Reverse of Ellen H. Clapsaddle card |
The Halloween card above is signed by Ellen H[attie] Clapsaddle (1863-1934), described by Collectors Weekly as "one of the most prolific American postcard artists of the era...[she] produced some of the most collectible Halloween cards today for Raphael Tuck and Sons...Her style is distinct, particularly her illustrations of children." There are about 3,000 Ellen H. Clapsaddle signed cards. The card below is a "TUCK'S POST CARD," produced by 'Raphael Tuck & Sons' "HALLOWE'EN" Post Cards Series 150, Art Publishers to their majesties The KING & QUEEN.' It was printed in Saxony. As adorable as it is, it does not appear to have an artist's signature, as the the one above by Ellen H. Clapsaddle.
1908 Halloween Post Card published by Raphael Tuck & Sons |
TUCK'S POST CARD reverse |
"The late 1800s also marked the beginning of the 'golden era' of postcards.... Turn-of-the-century Halloween postcards featured cute, fat jack o'lanterns topped with equally adorable chubby-cheeked children. Black cats, which used to be burned at Christian festivals for being "witches familiars," were also cuddly icons of these cards, while the witches were often depicted as very pretty ladies bringing messages of love." This trend of sending postcards lasted into World War I.
Here is another artist signed card. The "HBG" can be seen in the lady's skirt. To again quote Collectors Weekly, "H.B. Griggs is another highly collectible holiday postcard artist, although so little is known about Griggs it is unclear whether the illustrator was a man or woman. Griggs, using the signature H.B.G., published almost exclusively for Leubrie and Elkus of New York." He/she painted about 350 known cards. Griggs was known for his/her flair for caricature and humor. I'm not recognizing what the artist was depicting in this post card. No publisher is noted on this card, but it does say that the card was printed in Germany, as were most of the picture post cards of the era. I find the back of this card interesting because with little handwriting on it, the embossing of the card is visible. Each of these four cards is embossed, enhancing their being true works of art.
Later Halloween Post Card No year in Postmark |
Later Halloween Post Card Not as cute and cuddly as earlier cards. |
This fourth post card appears to be later than the others--certainly no chubby-cheeked children or cuddly black cats in this one! Though the reverse has a postmark, it only reads, "Whitewater Wis. Nov 1 2:30 PM" No year! There is no signature that I can find, and no publishers' identification other than "Halloween Series No 3." This one was sent to my Grandma Daisy from her older sister Lucy Jeannette Eales Brown. "Dear Daisy: Are you going to meet on Annie's birthday. Let me know if you are. I am about sick with a cold, hope this fines you all fine. Lovingly Nettie."
www.collectorsweekly.com/postcards/halloween
www.vintageimagecraft.com/griggs.html
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