St. Patrick is undoubtedly globally the most popular patron saint of one country. Ireland has somehow managed to ensure that St. Patrick’s Day is at least known, if not celebrated, in virtually every country. Every 17th March is colored green, shamrocks always find their way into decor, and millions of non-Irish folk stop for a few minutes to grab a pint of beer.
While sending postcards on holidays has fallen out of fashion, and Saint Paddy’s Day greeting cards are no exception, numerous collectors still enjoy vintage ephemera. For everybody in love with vintage art, we made a selection of vintage St. Patrick’s Day cards by some of the greatest postcard artists in history. They are all in the public domain, so feel free to download a few and send them to your friends!
Julius Bien (1826-1909)
Julius Bien was an American lithographer of Jewish origin. He was born in Germany, where he acquired initial artistic and technical knowledge. After fighting in the 1848 revolution (Springtime of the Peoples), he moved to New York and started a lithography studio. His business was successful, but the specific contributors to projects like greeting card production remain unknown. Some of the featured vintage St. Patrick’s cards may be based on his original plates, though this is uncertain. The St. Patrick’s postcards in this post are attributed to Julius Bien Studio and published around 1910, placing them in the public domain.
Frances Brundage (1854-1937)
Frances Brundage was an extremely productive illustrator and designer. Her postcards were sold in millions, but her success started only after her work was recognized in Germany. Only then did American publishers employ her. Her signature style soon became characterized by children with dreamy eyes, plump cheeks, and curly hair. On this occasion, we decided to present also a few different Saint Patrick’s cards showcasing another of her characteristics – humour. All the featured graphic designs were made for Raphael Tuck, a legendary British greeting card printer and seller.
Ellen Clapsaddle (1865-1934)
Ellen Hattie Clapsaddle was undoubtedly the most successful greeting card illustrator and designer for over a decade. She established her own studio, where she worked independently, while the Wolfe brothers from Germany handled the business side of the production. Her cards were renowned for their exceptional quality, which was achieved through state-of-the-art technology. To stay a step ahead of the competition, connections and investments in Germany with the highest printing quality were necessary. Unfortunately, the beginning of World War I took Clapsaddle and the Wolfe brothers off guard, and they lost everything. Their business never recovered, but we can still enjoy her old-fashioned St. Patrick’s cards.
H. B. Griggs (c. 1870-1940)
H. B. Griggs, usually signing as HBG, is one of the most mysterious postcard artists. Details such as the artist’s full name, gender, and whether Griggs is a real last name remain unknown. There is only documentation confirming work for Leubrie & Elkus, a New York City-based company with equally little background available. What is established is that both HBG and L&E were active in the early 20th century. Despite these uncertainties, we can still enjoy H. B. Griggs’ Art Nouveau-influenced vintage greeting card designs for Saint Patrick’s Day.
Samuel L. Schmucker (1879-1921)
Samuel Loren Schmucker is probably the most collectible postcard artist in this post. He not only creates astonishing designs with numerous aesthetic details, but he has also illustrated several series of greeting cards aimed at collectors from the very beginning. Schmucker’s St. Patrick’s postcards were closer to mainstream, but we can easily recognize his most signature characteristics, from using his wife as a model to decorative borders and cream-colored backgrounds to rich symbolism and decorative letters.
Conrad ‘Cobb’ X Shinn (1887-1951)
Cobb Shinn was another versatile artist. He began designing postcards while still a student at Herron Art Institute in Indianapolis. After graduation, he already designed over four hundred greeting cards for various occasions per year. The majority of his designs were part of a series, which were extremely popular around 1910, but the postcard euphoria waned with the outbreak of World War I. Shinn participated in the US Army in France as a camouflage artist, creating realistic landscapes and camouflage canvases. After returning, he focused on newspaper cartoons and picture books. Later, he created electrotypes and stock cuts for printers. He spent his final years on the ranch near Greenwood.
This is the end of our not-so-small selection of vintage St. Patrick’s greeting cards. We may add a few in the future, so bookmark this page, and see you around!