His collection can be found at the Chapin Library of Williams College. ![]() įalls' artwork has been featured at many museums, including an exhibition of World War I posters at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. He was an honorary president of the Artists Guild. In 1960, Falls was recognized for his work with the Benjamin West Clinedinst Memorial Medal, which is awarded for exceptional artistic merit. This signature became so well known that eventually he was able to drop the initial from the box. On many of his illustrations, Falls drew a small box with his name or simply with the initial "F". įall's signature also features its own style. ![]() After moving to New York, he would be influenced by the work of Art Nouveau. While working in Chicago, it is believed that Fall's style was inspired by the work of Phil May and Edward Penfield. Unlike most woodblock artists of his time, Falls incorporated brighter colors of blue, green, orange, and yellow, to contrast his black-inked woodcuts. Nevertheless, Falls still produced work, such as his books The First 3000 Years and The Story of Christmas.Įxample of Falls' use of color and his famous, black square signatureįalls is known for his skill as a letter-illustrator, often using large, "eccentric" black letters. The dramatic, aggressive, and colorful style that had brought him success was no longer considered fashionable in the changing graphic art world. Īfter the 1930s, Falls began to receive fewer commissions. įalls also created designs and illustrations for various magazines, including Vogue, Redbook, Collier's, and Everybody's magazines, as well as various companies such as Dodd, Meade, & Co., Edison & Co., and Marshall Field & Co. In 1914, Falls wrote, directed, and starred in a play called "Perfectly Happy" that performed at the Berkeley Theatre. He was also involved in stage design, helping to design scenery and costumes for the American Society of Illustrators, as well as the Palace Theatre and Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York. He designed fabrics, furniture, and even trade bindings. While he is most commonly known for his illustrations of posters and books, Falls was also involved in many different art forms. ![]() With this success, Falls would go on to illustrate several other children's books. Falls received good reviews for The ABC Book, which was used to show that American authors were able to create work on the same level as their English peers. Falls' wood block design is believed to have been inspired by English author William Nicholson's The Square Book of Animals. This color scheme differs from the earth tone colors that were used by most artists at that time. It features wood block cuts of various animals that are used to help represent certain letters of the alphabet, and utilizes blue, green, orange, and yellow backgrounds to enhance the black-inked woodcuts. Falls wrote and illustrated the wood block book. In 1923, Falls teamed up with Doubleday editor May Massee to create The ABC Book. This poster was considered to be a success and brought Falls recognition, even though he designed the poster in less than 24 hours. The caption reads: Books wanted for our men in camp and "over there". This latter effort can be seen in his poster Books Wanted.īooks Wanted depicts a soldier carrying a stack of books. Falls illustrated posters throughout the war that promoted military recruitment as well as book drives to benefit soldiers overseas. During World War I, he was a member of the Society of Illustrators, with whom he produced war propaganda for the Committee on Public Information's Division of Pictorial Publicity. ![]() Career įalls illustrated many different books for various authors, as well as various magazines and posters. While in New York, he struggled to find work until he met the artist and author Joseph Pennell. Unhappy with his salary, Falls left the Chicago Tribune and moved to New York City around 1900. While working as an architect's assistant, he taught himself how to draft and ultimately became a freelance artist. In his early twenties he moved to Chicago, where he began his career as an architect's assistant and as a sketch artist for the Chicago Tribune. Bookplate for the "Books Wanted" campaignĬharles Buckles Falls was born on December 10, 1874, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
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