HARPER’S | FOR | MARCH

[Poster for Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Mar 1893]. Woman standing in wind, holding bonnet and Harper’s. Three-color lithograph: pale brown, red-brown and black. New York: Harper & Brothers, published Feb 1893. Unsigned. 11 7/16" w. x 16 1/2" h.

Sometimes cited as his first poster for Harper's, this work was actually the first design submitted to Harper & Brothers for approval of the poster series.¹

Unsigned, it may not be Penfield's, as two years later he stated his first poster was for the April Harper's.² This poster was probably printed in small numbers as a test with very narrow distribution—which explains its rarity today.

Ref: DFP, 320; Margolin, pg 32.

HARPER’S | FOR | APRIL

HARPER’S | NEW MONTHLY | MAGAZINE | APRIL  [Text on magazine cover]

[Poster for Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Apr 1893]. Man in green coat, standing in rain, reading Harper's. Three-color lithograph on salmon-colored paper: red, green and black. New York: Harper & Brothers, published Mar 1893. Initialed lower center: EP, enclosed in box. 11 15/16" w. x 18 5/8" h.

"My first decorative poster was done for Harper & Brothers for their April, 'Magazine,' 1893. It was only an experiment and was done long before I ever heard of Lautrec or Steinlen as poster designers." (EP to John Hilliard)

Penfield’s first poster published in the series was well received by the public and critics alike. "The poster was distinctly successful; it was theoretically as well as practically good. The artist had attained his ends by the suppresion of details: there were no un-necessary lines..." (Stone, Chap-Book)

Ref: Johnson, 231.

HARPER’S | for | MAY

[Poster for Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, May 1893]. Girl in white Spring dress, standing by Maypole with Harper’s. Four-color lithograph: blue, yellow, light brown and red. New York: Harper & Brothers, published Apr 1893. Unsigned. 13" w. x 18 7/8" h.

In this poster, Penfield was visibly influenced by the painterly style of overlapping background colors in Jules Cheret's recent work. His inspiration came from Richard Harding Davis, managing editor of Harper's Weekly, who had freshly returned from an extended European trip.⁵ Davis was often "sent abroad on numerous reportorial missions, some of which made up his six nonfiction titles catalogued in 1900." ⁶

"Richard Harding Davis asked me to make a poster for his book 'Our English Cousins,' and showed me about a dozen French posters, which were the first I had seen."⁷

Ref: Union, 82; Bolton, pg 11; MCMA, 218; Whitehead, pg 36; Echo, 326; DFP, 322; Hawkes, pg 7; Lauder, 139.

HARPER’S | for | JUNE

[Poster for Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Jun 1893]. Woman picking roses, with Harper’s in-hand. Four-color lithograph on brown paper: blue, light brown, red and green. New York: Harper & Brothers, published May 1893. Signed lower center: EDWARD | PENFIELD. 12 9/16" w. x 18 5/16" h.

Ref: Union, 84; MCMA, 219; Whitehead, pg 36; DFP, 323; Lauder, 140.

HARPER’S JULY

[Poster for Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Jul 1893]. No poster, or not by Penfield?

HARPER’S | AUGUST

[Poster for Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Aug 1893]. Well dressed man at World’s Columbian Exhibition, standing with Harper’s. Four-color lithograph: light brown, blue, green and red-brown. New York: Harper & Brothers, published Jul 1893. Signed bottom left: EDWARD | PENFIELD. 13 1/2" w. x 19 1/4" h.

Ref: Union, 87; MCMA, 221; Whitehead, pg 36; DFP, 324; Lauder, 141.

HARPER’S | SEPT.

[Poster for Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Sep 1893]. Woman on porch stairs with Harper’s. Three-color lithograph: light brown, red and blue. New York: Harper & Brothers, published Aug 1893. Signed bottom left: EDWARD | PENFIELD. 12 1/16" w. x 18 7/16" h.

Ref: Union, 89; MCMA, 222; Whitehead, pg 36; DFP, 325; Lauder, 142.

HARPER’S | OCTOBER

[Poster for Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Oct 1893]. Woman traveller with tennis racket case, carrying her pet dog. Four-color lithograph: blue, light brown, yellow and red. New York: Harper & Brothers, published Sep 1893. Signed lower center: EDWARD | PENFIELD. 11 7/16" w. x 16 5/8" h.

Ref: Union, 92; Quincy, 157; MCMA, 223; Whitehead, pg 36; DFP, 326; Lauder, 143.

HARPER’S | NOVEMBER

[Poster for Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Nov 1893]. Woman in cab, buying Harper’s from newsboy. Four-color lithograph: grey, yellow, blue and red. New York: Harper & Brothers, published Oct 1893. Signed lower right: EDWARD | PENFIELD. 13 1/2" w. x 19 1/2" h.

First use of multiple models in the series, as well as first appearance of the horse and coach — an important theme to come. The New York Horse Show occurred every November, thus Penfield featured horses in the subject matter of nearly every November poster in the series.

Ref: Union, 94; La Plume, pg 444; MCMA, 224; Whitehead, pg 36; DFP, 327; Lauder, 144.

HARPER’S | CONTENTS | [contents] | CHRISTMAS NUMBER

[Poster for Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Dec 1893]. Woman in front of fireplace at left, table of December’s contents at right. Four-color lithograph and letterpress: grey, yellow, red and black. New York: Harper & Brothers, published Nov 1893. Initialed lower center: E.P. 12" w. x 18 1/2" h.

This poster returns to a more painterly style, closer to that which Penfield used when illustrating stories in Harper’s Weekly during 1892-1893.

Ref: MCMA, 225; Whitehead, pg 36; Echo, 327; Lauder, 145.