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Home > Artists > Edmund F. Ward

Edmund F. Ward

Born: January 3, 1892 | Died: December 14, 1990

Edmund F. Ward

Biography

Edmund Franklin Ward (1892-1990) was an accomplished painter, visual storyteller, and exceptional draughtsman who enjoyed a successful career as an illustrator. His art ranged in style and subject matter from dark tonalist in oils to humorous in wash and watercolor. Born in White Plains, New York, Ward began his career before turning age twenty with The Saturday Evening Post and continued to work for the publication for many years, illustrating the “Alexander Botts” and “Assistant District Attorney Doowinkle” stories.

A contemporary of Norman Rockwell, Ward studied at the Art Students League under teachers Thomas Fogarty, Edward Dufner, and George Bridgman. As young artists, he and Rockwell shared a studio together in the attic of a Manhattan brownstone. He later moved to the Manhattan suburb of New Rochelle, a well-known artist colony which, at the time, was the home of many of the top commercial illustrators of the day, including his friend, Norman Rockwell. Rockwell included experiences he and Ward shared in his autobiography, My Adventures as an Illustrator.

His emotional, richly detailed art earned Ward recognition as a talented visual storyteller. Besides The Saturday Evening Post, publications featuring his illustrations included Youth’s Companion, Liberty, Ladies’ Home Journal, Redbook, Pictorial Review, McCall’s, Country Home, Country Gentleman, Woman’s Home Companion, and American Collier’s. Ward spent his illustration career in White Plains where he was commissioned to paint a mural for the Federal Building. Among his professional affiliations were the Salmagundi Club, the Guild of Freelance Artists, and the Society of Illustrators. 

Profile image: Edmund F. Ward, Fear of God's Wrath (detail), ca.1930

 

This artist's biography was written by Phyllis Geraghty, a writer with professional experience in the public relations, education, health, and non-profit sectors.

Illustrations by Edmund F. Ward

The Church GatheringUnknownhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/the-church-gathering
Untitled (Canadian Soldier with Seated Woman)Unknownhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/untitled-canadian-soldier-with-seated-woman
The Prairie ChildPublic Domainhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/the-prairie-child
The EngagementPublic Domainhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/the-engagement
Untitled (Nude)Unknownhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/untitled-nude-2
Untitled (Nude)Unknownhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/untitled-nude
BoxersUnknownhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/boxers
Singing RevelersUnknownhttps://www.illustrationhistory.org/illustrations/singing-revelers

Additional Resources

Bibliography

Pitz, Henry C. 200 Years of American Illustration. New York: Random House, 1977.

Reed, Walt. The Illustrator in America, 1860-2000. New York: Society of Illustrators, 2001.

Rockwell, Norman and Thomas Rockwell. Norman Rockwell: My Adventures as an Illustrator. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1960.

Zimmer, Daniel. The Golden Age: Masterworks from the Golden Age of Illustration. St. Louis, MO: The Illustrated Press, 2015.

Genres
  • Advertising
    • Corporate
    • Political and Public Service
    • Product
    • Self-Promotion
  • Books
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    • Political and Editorial
    • Sports
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      • Manga
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  • Fantasy
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    • Mythology
  • Fashion
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  • Graphic Novels
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  • Internet Illustration
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  • Moving Image
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  • Newspaper
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    • Film
    • Political
    • Propaganda
    • Travel
  • Product Illustration
    • Album/CD
    • Calendars
    • DVD/VHS/Videogame
    • Greeting Cards
    • Packaging
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    • Archaeological
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    • Horticulture
    • Mechanical
    • Natural History
Global Perspectives
  • North America
  • Europe
  • Asia
RELATED ARTISTS
  • George B. Bridgman George B. Bridgman
  • Thomas Fogarty Thomas Fogarty
  • Norman Rockwell Norman Rockwell
Related Time Periods
  • The Decade 1910-1920 The Decade 1910-1920
  • The Decade 1920-1930 The Decade 1920-1930
  • The Decade 1930-1940 The Decade 1930-1940
  • The Decade 1940-1950 The Decade 1940-1950
  • The Decade 1950-1960 The Decade 1950-1960
  • The Decade 1960-1970 The Decade 1960-1970
  • The Decade 1970-1980 The Decade 1970-1980
  • The Decade 1980-1990 The Decade 1980-1990
  • The Decade 1990-2000 The Decade 1990-2000

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"The great band of illustrators have shown us to ourselves and I am proud to be among their company."
- Norman Rockwell

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