Elizabeth Shippen Green Kodak advertisement (1906): a rare, beautifully framed antique
$275.00
Advertisement: Kodak Cameras
By Elizabeth Shippen Green
By Elizabeth Shippen Green
For the Eastman Kodak Co.
The ad appeared in a 1906 issue of Country Life in America
IMAGE INFORMATION
Image Size: H 13.00” x W 9.50”
Matted & Framed: H 17.50” x W 13.50”
Framed Price: $275.00
Whiteglove packaging and shipping approximately $35.00
Image Size: H 13.00” x W 9.50”
Matted & Framed: H 17.50” x W 13.50”
Framed Price: $275.00
Whiteglove packaging and shipping approximately $35.00
-
Elizabeth Shippen Green began her spectacular career prior to the turn of the century. During her first seven years, she created illustrations for the leading magazines of the day, including The Saturday Evening Post, St. Nicholas, The Woman’s Home Companion, and The Ladies’ Home Journal. By 1902, however, her reputation was strong enough for Harper’s Magazine to recruit her as its first female staff artist. It seems she remained with Harper’s through her retirement in 1925. Her contract prevented her from creating illustrations for Harper’s competitors, but it did not prevent her from creating advertisements for commercial products or illustrations for books. This Kodak ad reportedly appeared in a 1906 issue of Country Life in America. It was the second and last one she did for the camera maker. It seems odd that a manufacturer of cameras would commission an artist to advertise its products. But inspection of ESG’s charming scene settles the matter - no camera could duplicate the warmth or the intimacy the artist conveys with her artistry. EGS builds these psychologically powerful marketing sentiments on a Howard Pyle-like storytelling composition, which she enhances with her graphics and brilliant coloring. Not long after this, however, Eastman Kodak abandoned artist imaging in its advertisements and replaced it with photography.