Every book cover was designed and drawn by someone. In the past I have shown examples of the Decorative Designers work and a cover done by Rome Richardson.
Of course, since both of these covers were signed, it was pretty easy to identify the artists. Without a signature I have no chance.
I thought I would show today another designers' work. By and large, most juveniles from the 19th and 20th centuries do not have a designer's imprint. Here are a few of books that do. Notice the S overlaying the A and the M which are inconspicuously placed on the cover.
Amy M. Sacker's imprint is seen from time to time on juvenile books. Sacker (1872?-1965) designed book plates, literary posters and illustrated books as well as book covers. Her book plates must have been quite popular since a book of them was published in 1903. According to references she was one of the first female book plate designers.
She graduated from the Art School of the Boston Museum in 1893. Subsequently she taught and later opened up her own school, Miss Amy Sacker's School of Design. She designed books for numerous publishers including Dana Estes, Little, Brown and Page just to name a few.
Little by little I hope to identify all of the artists who can easily be identified by their cover monogram in juvenile books of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
For an excellent reference on Sacker, see: http://library.uncg.edu/depts/ref/staff/mark/documents/sacker.htm
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Thank you for the kind words referring to my site. You reference a couple of Butterworth titles about which I have read, but not seen. The entire Zigzag series, apparently, was reissued in the red series binding by Sacker.
ReplyDeleteWould you allow me to use the "Traveler Tales" image--with appropriate credit, of course!!--on my site? It is in fact a title of which I was unaware!
You might also enjoy our (recently released) site on trade bindings at
http://libcdm1.uncg.edu/atb.php we are in the process of scanning numerous titles from our Girls Books in Series collection, which will include, among other things, several Sacker covers from the "Little COlonel" series.
Thanks and be well. -mark
PS My contact info: m_schuma@uncg.edu
ReplyDeleteJust FYI . . . .
ReplyDeleteDue to a change in "server configurations" [or something!!], there is a new address for the Sacker site, one easier to remember in fact:
www.amysacker.net
Thanks!
-mark