Lighting the way
This little card is a postcard greeting, published by the J. Raymond Howe Company of Chicago, IL. In my research I discovered this company was active between 1904-1914 or so, and is considered one of the early arts & crafts card publishers. Arts & crafts publishers used images influenced by the arts & crafts movement, employing simplicity of imagery and payed homage to craftsmanship, authenticity and romantic or folk ornamentations. This movement flourished between 1880-1910, and continued to influence art and artists until the 1930s.
J. Raymond Howe Company used the publisher initials of JHR and also Howe with a stylized H. This particular postcard was not mailed and the text in the stamp box is still visible. It reads “United States & Canada one cent, Foreign two cents.”
Who Were They? 
John Raymond Howe (Dec. 7, 1879 in Illinois – Aug. 9, 1962 in Los Angeles : Find A Grave Memorial# 65290247) Howe studied at the AIC and Otis Art Institute. He was a resident of Alhambra, CA by the 1920s.
He and My Great Uncle, George E. Mousley were both stationary dealers and made cardboard dolls that one could make paper clothes (cut out and color) . I think they knew each other.
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Wow Iggy that is really interesting. How funny that across time and the internet, paper dolls and this website would connect you to one of the subjects.
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Also, more on JRH on a future post. Stay tuned.
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Good example of less is more. Love all the Christmas ones!
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