Christmas with the Postcard Artists 1898-1940

About the Book

On March 1, 2007, the United States picture postcard with a message space was 100 years old. From 1898 through the 1930s, there were millions of postcards sent back and forth across the Atlantic, admired, and saved in albums. Little was known about many of the artists. The purpose of this book was to design a literary work about the artists who documented an era when pen, paint, and brush ruled in the recording of daily scenes and events. Christmas folklore was chosen because it provided a wider representation of artists from around the world. There are samples of Art Nouveau, Art Deco, woodblock, silhouette and illustrations of the customs and Christmas figures. Postcard artists and illustrators have never received the same respect as those who created fine art. This book includes 300 artists’ biographies of varying lengths and documents their lives and illustrations along with their accomplishments in fine art.

About the Author

The author was born in Pennsylvania and graduated from the School of Nursing, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and from Colorado State University with an M.A. in Political Science. She has worked in both health care and business. Her love of Christmas has existed from her childhood with memories of Santa’s visits, and lighted trains and villages under the tree. From the first Christmas with her own family, there have been all kinds of decorations and ‘treasures’ unpacked for each annual ritual of decorating. A chance visit to an antique show over twenty years ago was the beginning of a love affair with the early Christmas postcards. But, it was the artists’ identities that challenged her curiosity and motivated her to start a writing career. Her articles on postcards have been published in the Postcard Collector in Iowa and the Picture PostCard Monthly in England.