Edward Penfield (June 2, 1866 – February 8, 1925) was an American in the era known as the "Golden Age of American Illustration" and he is considered the father of the American poster. His work has been included in almost every major book on American Illustration or the history of the poster. He is also a major figure in the evolution of graphic design.
He was born June 2, 1866 in Brooklyn, New York to Ellen Lock Moore and Josiah B. Penfield. He first studied at New York's Art Students League. He worked under George de Forest Brush, who was known for his romantic scenes of American Indian life. He first worked for Harper's Weekly and later became art director. He developed his own unique style of simplified figures with bold outlines in settings free of extraneous detail. He believed, "A design that needs study is not a poster, no matter how well executed." He wrote and published a book titled Holland Sketches, which was published by Scribner's in 1907. ~ Wikipedia
Illustration from Holland Sketches
Title: Bring your Vacation Home in a Kodak
Date: 1905
Company: Kodak
Publication: Outing Magazine
Artist: Illustrator--Edward Penfield
Digital Collection: Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850-1920
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