Charles Buckles Falls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Buckles Falls
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C. B. Falls in 1918
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| Born | December 10, 1874 |
| Died | April 15, 1960 (aged 85) |
| Known for | Drawing, painting, writing, advertising, stage design |
| Awards | The Benjamin West Clinedinst Memorial Medal |
Charles Buckles Falls, also known as C. B. Falls (born December 10, 1874 – died April 15, 1960), was a talented American artist. He was famous for his amazing illustrations and books. You might know him from The ABC Book. He also designed many posters during World War I, like the well-known Books Wanted poster.
Contents
About Charles Buckles Falls
Early Life and Career Start
Charles Buckles Falls was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on December 10, 1874. When he was in his early twenties, he moved to Chicago. There, he started working as an assistant for an architect. He also drew sketches for the Chicago Tribune newspaper.
While working, he taught himself how to draw and design. Soon, he became a freelance artist, meaning he worked for himself. He wasn't happy with his pay at the Chicago Tribune. So, around 1900, Falls moved to New York City. It was tough to find work there at first. But then, he met another artist and writer named Joseph Pennell.
Creating Art for Everyone
Falls became a very busy artist. He drew pictures for many different books and magazines. He also designed lots of posters. During World War I, he joined a group called the Society of Illustrators. They created posters to help the war effort.
War Posters and "Books Wanted"
Falls designed posters that encouraged people to join the military. He also made posters for book drives. These drives collected books for soldiers fighting overseas. One of his most famous posters was Books Wanted.
The Books Wanted poster showed a soldier carrying a big stack of books. It asked people to take their book donations to the public library. This poster was a huge hit! Falls designed it in less than 24 hours, but it brought him a lot of fame.
The ABC Book
In 1923, Falls worked with May Massee, an editor from Doubleday. Together, they created The ABC Book. Falls wrote and illustrated this book using a special technique called woodblock printing.
The book featured woodblock pictures of different animals. Each animal helped represent a letter of the alphabet. Falls used bright backgrounds in blue, green, orange, and yellow. These colors made the black woodcuts stand out. This was different from most artists at the time, who used more earthy colors. The ABC Book was very popular. It showed that American artists could create amazing work, just like artists from England. After this success, Falls illustrated many more children's books.
More Than Just Illustrations
Even though he was known for his posters and book illustrations, Falls worked in many other art forms. He designed fabrics and furniture. He also created designs for theater stages, including scenery and costumes. He even wrote, directed, and starred in a play called "Perfectly Happy" in 1914.
Falls also made designs for popular magazines like Vogue, Redbook, and Collier's. He worked with companies like Dodd, Meade, & Co. and Marshall Field & Co.
After the 1930s, Falls started getting fewer art jobs. His bold and colorful style, which used to be very popular, was no longer in fashion. But he still kept creating art. He wrote books like The First 3000 Years and The Story of Christmas.
His Unique Art Style
Falls was great at drawing letters. He often used big, bold black letters in his designs. He was also famous for his woodblock prints. Unlike many other woodblock artists, Falls used bright colors like blue, green, orange, and yellow. These colors made his black-inked woodcuts really pop!
When he worked in Chicago, his style was influenced by artists like Phil May. Later, in New York, he was inspired by the Art Nouveau style.
Falls even had a special way of signing his artwork. On many of his illustrations, he drew a small black box. Inside the box, he would put his name or just the letter "F". This signature became so well known that he eventually just used the empty box!
Awards and Exhibitions
In 1960, Charles Buckles Falls received the Benjamin West Clinedinst Memorial Medal. This award is given for outstanding artistic talent. He was also an honorary president of the Artists Guild.
Falls' artwork has been shown in many museums. This includes an exhibition of World War I posters at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library. You can find a collection of his work at the Chapin Library of Williams College.
Family Life
On March 15, 1917, Charles married Bedelia M. Croly. They had a daughter named Bedelia Jane. Falls dedicated many of his books to his daughter. For example, he created The ABC Book to help her learn the alphabet.
Later Years
Charles Buckles Falls passed away on April 15, 1960. He was 85 years old.
Gallery
- Posters designed by C.B. Falls
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