C. B. Falls
| Charles Buckles Falls | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 10, 1874 Fort Wayne, Indiana |
| Died | April 15, 1960 (aged 85) New York City, New York |
| Known for | Drawing, painting, writing, advertising, stage design |
| Awards | The Benjamin West Clinedinst Memorial Medal |
Charles Buckles Falls, also known as C.B. Falls (December 10, 1874 – April 15, 1960), was an American artist, most known for his illustrations and writings. He is the author and illustrator of several books, including The ABC Book. He is also known for his World War I poster advertisements, such as Books Wanted.
Charles Buckles Falls was born on December 10, 1874, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In his early twenties he moved to Chicago, where he began his career as an architect's assistant and as a sketch artist for the Chicago Tribune. While working as an architect's assistant, he taught himself how to draft and ultimately became a freelance artist. Unhappy with his salary, Falls left the Chicago Tribune and moved to New York City around 1900. While in New York, he struggled to find work until he met the artist and author Joseph Pennell.
On March 15, 1917, he married Bedelia M. Croly, with whom he had a daughter, Bedelia Jane. Many of his books were dedicated to his daughter, including The ABC Book, which he created to help her learn the alphabet.
Falls died on April 15, 1960, at the age of 85.
Falls illustrated many different books for various authors, as well as various magazines and posters. During World War I, he was a member of the Society of Illustrators, with whom he produced war propaganda for the Division of Pictorial Publicity. Falls illustrated posters throughout the war that promoted military recruitment as well as book drives to benefit soldiers overseas. This latter effort can be seen in his poster Books Wanted.
Books Wanted depicts a soldier carrying a stack of books. The caption reads: Books wanted for our men in camp and "over there". Take your gifts to the public library. This poster was considered to be a success and brought Falls recognition, even though he designed the poster in less than 24 hours.
In 1923, Falls teamed up with Doubleday editor May Massee to create The ABC Book. Falls wrote and illustrated the wood block book. It features wood block cuts of various animals that are used to help represent certain letters of the alphabet, and utilizes blue, green, orange, and yellow backgrounds to enhance the black-inked woodcuts. This color scheme differs from the earth tone colors that were used by most artists at that time. Falls' wood block design is believed to have been inspired by English author William Nicholson's The Square Book of Animals. Falls received good reviews for The ABC Book, which was used to show that American authors were able to create work on the same level as their English peers. With this success, Falls would go on to illustrate several other children's books.
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