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“The Inland Printer,” a leading graphic arts journal of its time, devoted the cover of its January, 1898 issue, and several interior pages, to the art of Beatrice Tonnesen. The magazine, which described itself as “a technical journal devoted to the art of printing,” was based in Chicago. In researching the publication, I came across the website MagazineArt.org, which describes its impact as follows:

The magazine was an extremely important influence in popularizing Art Nouveau and a general improvement in the artistic quality and design of printed materials in the United States, beginning in the 1890’s.

(Actually, I found other online references to its existence ranging from 1883 to 1974.)

In an article titled “Photography for Advertising Uses,” the editors opined that the time had come for professional photographers to try new ideas and to “throw more art into (their) calling.” And they hailed Beatrice Tonnesen’s recent introduction of photographic art into advertising as an example of just such an achievement. To demonstrate their point, they included illustrations and half-tones of several of her art photos, as well as several of her advertising suggestions – sample ads built around photographs created for commercial purposes. I’ve found examples of Tonnesen’s art photos, as well as ads run by the Tonnesen Sisters touting their own advertising work, in other issues of “The Inland Printer.” But, I’ve never found such an extensive presentation of her advertising art. I feel very lucky to have been able to acquire this issue, and am happy to be able to share its feature story and the very rare images that accompany it, via the slideshow at right. (Note: For easier reading of the feature story, see the reprinted text below.)

Copyright 2013 Lois Emerson
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Year after year, calendar art chronicles the life of the American people – their changing interests, fashions, experiences and current events. During World War I (1914-1918) and the years immediately following, with the country immersed in the war effort, art publishers turned to related themes. Beatrice Tonnesen was among the many prominent artists who provided poignant scenes of soldiers departing for or returning from war, families waiting for news of their loved ones, and stirring scenes of heightened patriotism. The slideshow at right shows several examples of WWI era calendar and wall art created from photos by Tonnesen.

1. 1. “Keep the Home Fires Burning.” Calendar print circa 1918, from an original photo in the Tonnesen archive of the Winneconne (WI) Historical Society.

1. 1. “Daddy Is Home Again.” Sheet music, copyright 1919, Chas. A. Roat Music Co. Mom, who wears one of Tonnesen’s dresses, and Dad were frequent Tonnesen models. The chair, table and foot stool were Tonnesen props.

1. 1. “When They Meet Again.” Note the soldier is the same model seen in the previous image. Other models are Janie Berghauer (1916-1994) and a model identified on other images as “Jean Blackwell,” about whom I have no information. The props are Tonnesen’s.

1. 1. “The Waiting Welcome.” Postcard copyrighted in 1915 by Gartner Bender. Tonnesen models appear in this scene with Tonnesen’s props.

1. 1. “A Child’s Prayer at Twilight” Copyright 1919, Chas. Gustrine, Chicago. Gustrine (1870-1966) was an illustrator and publisher of patriotic themed images from about 1900 until the 1940’s. This image contains furnishings from Tonnesen’s studio. Mom wears a dress seen often in Tonnesen’s photos.

1. 1. “Her Boy’s Coming Home. ” Another 1919 print by Gustrine. I’m not 100% sure that this originated as a Tonnesen photo, but I’d be very surprised if it didn’t. The boy is Tonnesen model William Redmond (1908-1992) and the woman wears a costume that, though quite generic, appears to be one used in other scenes by Tonnesen.

1. 1. Untitled, circa 1918. This is typical of the popular “Lady Liberty” themed prints, featuring beautiful women draped in the American flag and/or surrounded by patriotic symbols, that were used for recruitment or other promotion of the war effort. In this scene, the woman wears the same dress as shown in “A child’s Prayer at Twilight.”

Other WWI images by Tonnesen appear in this site’s Tonnesen Catalog, in Albums #4 and #15. Also see the post titled “Seven Tonnesen Models Gather for One WWI Photo.”

Copyright 2013 Lois Emerson

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Two new additions to my Tonnesen collection, both original photos copyrighted by the Tonnesen sisters, feature notations that appear to be the handwriting of Beatrice Tonnesen. I’m showing the photographic images and the notations found on the back of each in the slideshow at right. You can compare the handwriting for yourself, by clicking on the link to “Beatrice Tonnesen’s Restored Scrapbook” near the bottom left of this page, and browsing through the many pages that contain dates and other information written by BT herself.

The first photo shown at right is titled “Have A Taste.” I purchased it from Christopher Wahren Fine Photographs of New Haven, CT. Mr. Wahren states that it is a “gelatin-silver print … perhaps with platinum admixture.” The word “print” in this context refers to a photo made from the original negative. The photos marked “Tonnesen Sisters” originated early in Beatrice Tonnesen’s career, before she used “T-numbers” – a capital “T” followed by a number – to identify her works chronologically. The few numbers I’ve found on other photos by Tonnesen Sisters have not appeared to be chronological. So I am unsure as to what the “114” found on “Have a Taste,” which was copyrighted in 1902, represents. The images marked “Tonnesen Sisters” were produced between approximately 1896 and 1903.

The second image showing the beautiful young girl holding bunnies in her apron, is a hand-colored photo. Brush strokes can be seen in some areas, and the lines on her blouse appear to have been added with a silver-tinged paint. There is no publisher listed, and it does not appear to ever have been part of a published calendar. So, believing it possible that it might have come directly from Tonnesen, I removed it from its frame and discovered the numbers “93” and “4” handwritten on the back. I could be wrong, but these look like Tonnesen’s handwriting to me. She is known to have been in the habit of making several photos for her own use from each negative at its time of creation. My guess would be that the “4” designates this as “Number 4” among those photos.

It’s exciting to find these little glimpses into the long-ago creation of these works of art! A good winter-time project for me might be to remove a few more of my treasures from their frames and see what hidden bits of information I might find.

Copyright 2012 Lois Emerson

With the arrival of the Golden Age of Illustration, the period between roughly 1900 and 1940 when calendar art was at its height of popularity, calendar publishers and the artists they employed scrambled to meet public demand. The technique of photo illustration, blending a photographic subject with a painted background, was used by prominent artists to help them turn out the most desirable images of popular subjects of the day. Photos of beautiful maidens, charming family groups, and exotically-costumed strangers could be blended and finished by the artist’s paintbrush. As both artist and photographer, Beatrice Tonnesen was uniquely poised for success in the field. Not only did she sell her raw photographic images to publishers and artists for their use, she sometimes painted from her own photographs to create the finished product herself.

Recently, I acquired a lovely scene of a young woman in a rural, outdoor setting, titled “Listening to the Birds.” I suspected it came from a photo by Tonnesen because I recognized the woman as a Tonnesen model, circa 1900. But something else looked familiar. It remained a mystery until, packing up my collection for a long-distance move, I spotted the rural scene I’d seen in “Listening to the Birds.” But the print was an indoor scene. And the outdoor rural setting I had recognized was shown as a mural on a parlor wall, in a family-themed print titled “A Difficult Step.” So, somehow, this piece of interior home decor in one image became an entire outdoor setting in another. I’m no photographic expert, so I have no idea how this was accomplished. But I think it’s an amazingly clever device, by an amazingly clever artist. Also of note: It appears that the musician in the “Difficult Step” is the same young woman shown in “Listening to the Birds,” and I think she’s wearing the same dress. The slideshow at right shows both prints.

(c) 2012 Lois Emerson