# Ethel Reed

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**Ethel Reed** (March 13, 1874 – March 1, 1912) was an American [graphic artist](/source/Graphic_art).[1][2] In the 1890s, her works received critical acclaim in America and Europe. In 2016, they were on exhibit in the [Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art) and [Museum of Modern Art](/source/Museum_of_Modern_Art) in [New York](/source/New_York_City), the [National Museum of American History](/source/National_Museum_of_American_History) in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington,_D.C.), the [Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco](/source/Fine_Arts_Museums_of_San_Francisco), the [Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum](/source/Weisman_Art_Museum) of the [University of Minnesota](/source/University_of_Minnesota) in [Minneapolis](/source/Minneapolis), and the [Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art](/source/Nelson-Atkins_Museum_of_Art) in [Kansas City](/source/Kansas_City,_Missouri).

## Early life and career

Reed was born in [Newburyport](/source/Newburyport), [Massachusetts](/source/Massachusetts) on March 13, 1874. She was the daughter of a local photographer Edgar Eugene Reed and Mary Elizabeth Mahoney, an immigrant from [County Cork](/source/County_Cork), Ireland. Her father died of [tuberculosis](/source/Tuberculosis) in 1892,[3] and Reed and her mother consequently suffered hardship. After they moved to [Boston](/source/Boston) in 1890, she studied briefly at the [Cowles Art School](/source/Cowles_Art_School) in 1893, and after 1894 began to receive public notice for her illustrations. Reed's youthful beauty and cleverness caught the attention of a Newburyport artist [Laura Hills](/source/Laura_Coombs_Hills), who became a mentor.[4] During her time in Boston, she achieved national fame as a poster artist while still in her early 20s. She did many series of posters and book illustrations during a span of less than two years.[5] In the mid-1890s she was engaged to fellow artist [Philip Leslie Hale](/source/Philip_Leslie_Hale), whose father [Edward Everett Hale](/source/Edward_Everett_Hale) was a prominent Bostonian. However, the engagement was broken off. In 1896, she traveled Europe with her mother. In 1897, they settled in [London](/source/London) where Reed worked as an illustrator, in particular for *[The Yellow Book](/source/The_Yellow_Book)*, a quarterly literary periodical which was co-founded by [Aubrey Beardsley](/source/Aubrey_Beardsley). She had two children with different lovers.[6]

Reed was acquainted with important literary and artistic figures of her day, including the writer [Richard le Gallienne](/source/Richard_le_Gallienne), the architects [Bertram Goodhue](/source/Bertram_Goodhue) and [Ralph Adams Cram](/source/Ralph_Adams_Cram), and the photographer [Fred Holland Day](/source/Fred_Holland_Day). She was the model for Day's photographs *Chloe* and *The Gainsborough Hat*. She also modeled at least three times for portraits by [Frances Benjamin Johnston](/source/Frances_Benjamin_Johnston).[7]

In her short career, Reed achieved recognition as one of the preeminent illustrator artists of her time.[5][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

## Later life and death

Reed was unable to find work after moving to Europe; she turned to drugs and alcohol after years of disappointment.[6] Her circumstances in England are difficult to trace, and certain records of her final years have yet to surface.[15] However, according to research, she died in her sleep in 1912.[2] Her biographer has asserted that alcoholism and the use of sleeping medications contributed to her death.[16]

## Recognition after death

In March 2022, [Poster House](/source/Poster_House) opened *Ethel Reed: I Am My Own Person*, a show featuring poster and magazine cover illustrations Reed designed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[17][18]

## Works illustrated

- *Boston Sunday Herald* (1895)[19]
- *Boston Illustrated* (1895)[20]
- Lily Lewis Rood, *Pierre Puvis de Chavannes: A Sketch* (Boston: L. Prang & Co., 1895)[21]
- Albert Morris Bagby, *Miss Träumerei: A Weimar Idyl* (Boston: Lamson, Wolffe & Co., 1895)[22]
- Gertrude Smith, *The Arabella and Araminta Stories* (Boston: Copeland & Day, 1895)[23]
- [Julia Ward Howe](/source/Julia_Ward_Howe), *Is Polite Society Polite?* (Boston: Lamson, Wolffe & Co., 1895)[24]
- Charles Knowles Bolton, *The Love Story of Ursula Wolcott* (Boston: Lamson, Wolffe, & Co., 1896)
- [Mabel Fuller Blodgett](/source/Mabel_Fuller_Blodgett), *Fairy Tales* (Boston: Lamson, Wolffe, & Co., 1896)
- [Louise Chandler Moulton](/source/Louise_Chandler_Moulton), *In Childhood's Country* (Boston: Copeland & Day, 1896)[25]
- *Time and the Hour*, (1896)[26]
- [Richard Le Gallienne](/source/Richard_Le_Gallienne), *The Quest of the Golden Girl: A Romance* (London: John Lane, 1897)[27]
- *The Yellow Book,* Volumes XII (January 1897) and XIII (April 1897)
- [Agnes Lee](/source/Agnes_Lee), *The Round Rabbit and Other Child Verse* (Boston: Copeland & Day, 1898).
- *The Sketch*, Volume 21 (April 6, 1898)

## References

1. ["Ethel Reed, The Beautiful Poster Lady Who Disappeared"](http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/ethel-reed-the-beautiful-poster-lady-who-disappeared/). *New England Historical Society*. 2018. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221002073048/http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/ethel-reed-the-beautiful-poster-lady-who-disappeared/) October 2, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 10, 2023.

1. Peterson, William S. (2013a). *The Beautiful Poster Lady: A Life of Ethel Reed*. Oak Knoll Press. ISBN 978-1-58456-317-4.

1. Peterson 2013a, pp. 2–5.

1. Barrie, J. M. (1895). ["A Chat with Miss Ethel Reed"](https://archive.org/details/sim_bookman-a-review-of-books-and-life_1895-12_2_4/page/276/mode/2up?q=ethel+reed). *The Bookman*. **2** (4): 277–281. – via [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

1. Wright, Helena E. (March 23, 2015). ["Ethel Reed and the poster craze"](https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/ethel-reed). *[National Museum of American History](/source/National_Museum_of_American_History)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221120072016/https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/ethel-reed) November 20, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 31, 2022.

1. Townsend, Sloane (April 8, 2019). ["Ethel Reed"](https://go.distance.ncsu.edu/gd203/?p=28159). *History of Graphical Design*. NC State University. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20191010041726/https://go.distance.ncsu.edu/gd203/?p=28159) October 10, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 23, 2019.

1. Ranson, Sadi (2001). ["Redefining Fine Art: Sarah Sears, Laura Hills, and Ethel Reed"](http://archive.org/details/studioofherownwo00hirs). *A Studio of Her Own: Women Artists in Boston, 1870-1940*. Boston: Museum of Fine Arts. pp. 55–74. ISBN 978-0-87846-482-1. – via [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

1. ["Ethel Reed"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210116181803/https://www.worldofartglobal.com/collections/ethel-reed). *World of Art Global Limited*. Archived from [the original](https://www.worldofartglobal.com/collections/ethel-reed) on January 16, 2021.

1. Hills, Patricia (1977). [*Turn-of-the-Century America: Paintings, Graphics, Photographs, 1890-1910*](http://archive.org/details/turnofthecentury00hill). New York: [Whitney Museum of American Art](/source/Whitney_Museum_of_American_Art). pp. 59–60; 63. – via [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

1. Keay, Carolyn (1975). [*American Posters of the Turn of the Century*](http://archive.org/details/americanposterso0000keay). New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 17–18; 30–31; 93. ISBN 978-0-85670-207-5. – via [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

1. Kiehl, David W. (1987). ["American Art Posters of the 1890s"](http://archive.org/details/americanartposters1890s). *American Art Posters of the 1890s in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, including the Leonard A. Lauder Collection*. New York: [The Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art). pp. 15–20; 40–41. ISBN 0-87099-501-4. – via [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

1. Finlay, Nancy (1987). ["American Posters and Publishing in the 1890s"](http://archive.org/details/americanartposters1890s). *American Art Posters of the 1890s in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, including the Leonard A. Lauder Collection*. New York: [The Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art). pp. 50–51; 55. ISBN 0-87099-501-4. – via [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

1. Cate, Philip Dennis (1987). ["The French Posters 1868-1900"](http://archive.org/details/americanartposters1890s). *American Art Posters of the 1890s in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, including the Leonard A. Lauder Collection*. New York: [The Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art). pp. 86; 88; 118. ISBN 0-87099-501-4. – via [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

1. Kiehl, David W. (1987). ["A Catalogue of American Art Posters of the 1890s"](http://archive.org/details/americanartposters1890s). *American Art Posters of the 1890s in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, including the Leonard A. Lauder Collection*. New York: [The Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art). pp. 164–168. ISBN 0-87099-501-4. – via [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

1. McAllister, Jim (March 1, 2010). ["Essex County Chronicles: Local artist's life still shrouded in mystery"](https://www.salemnews.com/archives/essex-county-chronicles-local-artists-life-still-shrouded-in-mystery/article_a563023d-c478-52a5-886a-c0a132b332fb.html). *[The Salem News](/source/The_Salem_News)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20131109072710/http://www.salemnews.com/opinion/x1690088719/Essex-County-Chronicles-Local-artists-life-still-shrouded-in-mystery?keyword=secondarystory) November 9, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 11, 2023.

1. Peterson, William (May 30, 2013b). ["Vanished in the Fog: Ethel Reed, the Beautiful Poster Lady"](https://www.loc.gov/item/2021689133/). *[Library of Congress](/source/Library_of_Congress)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230211091703/https://www.loc.gov/item/2021689133/) February 11, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 11, 2023.

1. Heller, Stephen (March 17, 2022). ["The Daily Heller: Ethel Reed, Poster Woman"](https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/the-daily-heller-ethel-reed/). *Print*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240507030410/https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/the-daily-heller-ethel-reed/) May 7, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 25, 2024.

1. Escalante-De Mattei, Shanti (February 28, 2022). ["The Daily Heller: Ethel Reed, Poster Woman"](https://www.artnews.com/feature/ethel-reed-poster-house-1234620259/). *ArtNews*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230603090454/https://www.artnews.com/feature/ethel-reed-poster-house-1234620259/) June 3, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 25, 2024.

1. ["The Boston Herald: Fashion Supplement, March 24 \[1895\]"](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339238?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=12). *[The Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230212034114/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339238?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=12) February 12, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 11, 2023.

1. ["The Best Guide to Boston \[1895\]"](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339239). *[The Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20191223070705/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339239) December 23, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 23, 2019.

1. ["Pierre Puvis de Chavannes: A Sketch \[1895\]"](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339247?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=4). *[The Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230212034523/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339247?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=4) February 12, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 11, 2023.

1. ["Miss Träumerei \[1895\]"](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339581?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=7). *[The Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230212034925/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339581?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=7) February 12, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 23, 2019.

1. ["Arabella and Araminta Stories \[1895\]"](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339241?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=20&rpp=20&pos=22). *[The Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230212035136/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339241?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=20&rpp=20&pos=22) February 12, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 11, 2023.

1. ["Is Polite Society Polite? \[1895\]"](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339243?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=10). *[The Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230212035317/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339243?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=10) February 12, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 23, 2019.

1. ["In Childhood's Country \[1896\]"](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339248). *[The Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220214185248/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339248) February 14, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 23, 2019.

1. ["Time and the Hour \[1896\]"](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339249?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=14). *[The Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230212035711/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339249?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=14) February 12, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 23, 2019.

1. ["The Quest of the Golden Girl \[1897\]"](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/362657?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=17). *[The Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230212040231/https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/362657?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Ethel+reed&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=17) February 12, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 23, 2019.

## External links

- [Ethel Reed](https://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=Ethel+Reed&sp=1) in Prints & Photographs Online Catalog of the Library of Congress
- [Ethel Reed](http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?word=ethel+reed&c=212&sScope=Collection+Guide&sLabel=Turn%2520of%2520the%2520Century%2520Posters)[dead link] in New York Public Library Digital Collection
- [Ethel Reed](http://www.askart.com/AskART/R/Ethel_Reed/Ethel_Reed.aspx?searchtype=SUMMARY&artist=67593) in Ask Art
- [Featured Book Artist: The Evanescent Miss Ethel Reed](https://web.archive.org/web/20131109084357/http://universitypressbooks.com/rare-books/) on University Press Books (archived from the [original](http://universitypressbooks.com/rare-books/))
- [Ethel Reed](http://ethelreed.wordpress.com/) Information about her life and artistic career on WordPress
- [The Beautiful Poster Lady](http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/fine_books_blog/2013/07/the-beautiful-poster-lady-an-interview-with-william-s-peterson-about-ethel-reed.phtml) An Interview with William S. Peterson, Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Maryland *Fine Books Magazine*
- [Ethel Reed, The Beautiful Poster Lady.](https://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6170) Webcast from the Rare Book and Special Collections Division at the [Library of Congress](/source/Library_of_Congress)
- [Ethel Reed: I Am My Own Property](https://posterhouse.org/exhibition/ethel-reed-i-am-my-own-property/) 2022 exhibition at the Poster House

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ethel Reed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_Reed) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_Reed?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.