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Page 34 The Antique Shoppe February, 2018
THE DELIGHTFUL VALENTINES OF ELLEN CLAPSADDLE
by Roy Nuhn
“My heart is like a It has been
child.” These words, taken conservatively estimated
from a poem she once that the total printing of all
wrote to her mother, best her designs exceeded 250
describe Ellen Clapsaddle. million copies. In addition,
Born a little over 150 she also painted glass and
years ago, this shy and pottery as a sideline.
delicate woman painted, She concentrated most
drew and illustrated with of her energy, though,
such an innocence and on illustrating holiday
joy of life that a sense of greeting cards, both
childlike happiness flows postcards and general.
from her creations. She Along with Christmas, her
was, at heart, a Victorian most inspired work and
sentimentalist. greatest output was for
One of the most Valentine’s day.
successful artists ever It is not certain just
to work in the American how many valentines
greeting card industry, Clapsaddle drew, so
her career spanned few having fallen into
several decades. During collector’s hands. But,
this time she produced Lovely lady buying hearts from cupid vendor we do have thousands of Young boy, with dog at side, penning a loving
large numbers of every (embossed postcard) copies of the countless valentine to his intended (postcard)
imaginable kind of valentine postcards she
novelty ephemera - designed that survived
postcards, calendars, wedding and baby books, and today these form the basis of many beautiful
decorated fans, and greeting cards. collections. Continued >
WANTED: OLD FLORIDA LICENSE PLATES
Motor Cycle Tags
County & City Porcelain Tags Metal Tags Small 1943 Tags from Glades & Union Co.
(undated + 1911-1917) 1918-1957 License Plate Tabs starting with ‘60 and ‘63
JEFF FRANCIS, COLLECTOR
(the former ‘Piccadilly Guy’)
727-424-1576 • gobucs13@aol.com
PO Box 41381, St. Petersburg, FL 33743
www.floridalicenseplates.com
Also buying accumulations and collections of license plates
from other states. Email or call me with what you have.
TOP DOLLAR PAID
