Ellen Clapsaddle Postcards

Born Jan. 8, 1865 in South Columbia, New York, Ellen Hattie Clapsaddle was a prolific illustrator of greeting cards and postcards, particularly those with holiday themes. Having found success with the International Art Publishing Company, Ellen spent considerable time in Germany to work closely with the engravers/printers that produced the postcards, and it was in that country that she found herself trapped following the outbreak of World War I. Displaced and alone, the horrors of war and personal hardships took a toll on her mind and body, and it wasn’t until after the war that Ellen was found, living on the streets, and brought back to the U.S. She died penniless in 1934.