The Storied Past

In an era when long-standing social and artistic traditions constrained most women artists to certain types of subjects, Elizabeth Shippen Green was contracted to illustrate a wide variety of stories. Concentrating solely on the story at hand, she sought to create images that captured the most dramatic moments of the story, as she has done in this scene, one of the few oil paintings she created. Green's ability to depict this "masculine" subject in vivid colors attests to her confidence and success in fulfilling her artistic vision.

Once more the herald set
the trumpet to his lips, ca. 1910
Oil and watercolor on board
Published in Harper's Magazine,
May 1911
Prints & Photographs Division
LC-USZ62-54786 ; LC-USZC4-614 (14)

Once more the herald set the trumpet
to his lips and blew
In Richard Le Gallienne.
The Maker of Rainbows and other
Fairy Tales and Fables.
New York and London: Harper
and Brothers, 1912
General Collections
LC-USZ62-128612 ; LC-USZC4-9404 (17)

The Maker of Rainbows and Other Fairy Tales and Fables by Richard Le Gallienne incorporated this illustration by Green in 1912. This reproduction allows one to view Green's illustrations as they were most commonly experienced by the public--in published books and magazines alongside stories.

Examples of Green's late work, the illustrations for this special edition of a work about Shakespeare's plays, highlight her versatility as an illustrator who conscientiously reconstructs details of period dress, as seen in the frontispiece. The ornamental title page underscores her gifts as a decorative designer. She creates a pleasing harmony between boldly outlined figures that allude to tragedy and comedy, for example, and finely drawn decorative details.

"The Presentation of the Book"
(frontispiece) and ornamented title page
In Charles and Mary Lamb.
Tales from Shakespeare.
Philadelphia: David Mackay, 1922
General Collections
LC-USZ62-128607 ; LC-USZC4-9403 (16)

Nonsense verse for letter K and
ornamental letter K
In Huger Elliott and
Elizabeth Shippen Green Elliott.
An Alliterative Alphabet Aimed at
Adult Abecedarians.
Philadelphia: David McKay, 1947
General Collections
LC-USZ62-128608 ; LC-USZC4-9405 (18)

Late in her career, Green and her husband Huger Elliott collaborated on an abecedarius, for which he composed nonsense verses and she created fanciful illustrations. Friends observed that each of the couple possessed a lively, witty sense of humor and love of wordplay. In the pages for the initial K, East meets West in verse and image as Kublai Khan greets the popular British actress Fanny Kemble.