Charles Buckles Falls

Charles Buckles Falls, also known as C. B. Falls (December 10, 1874 – April 15, 1960), was an American artist and member of the Decorative Designers, 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.

Biography

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. Falls illustrated posters throughout the war that promoted military recruitment as well as book drives to benefit soldiers overseas. 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. In 1916, two years after election to the Salmagundi Club New York, he was among the 24 artists to participate in the 1914 annual (until 1924) auction of Artists Ceramics Mugs, inaugurated in 1899 to create a Library Fund. The mug is in the Permanent Collection of the club. In 1914, Falls wrote, directed, and starred in a play called "Perfectly Happy" that performed at the Berkeley Theatre.

Falls also created designs and illustrations for various magazines, including Vogue, Redbook, Collier's, and Everybody's magazines, as well as various companies such as Dodd, Meade, & Co., Edison & Co., and Marshall Field & Co. He is also known for his woodblocks. Unlike most woodblock artists of his time, Falls incorporated brighter colors of blue, green, orange, and yellow, to contrast his black-inked woodcuts. He was an honorary president of the Artists Guild. Many of his books were dedicated to his daughter, including The ABC Book, which he created to help her learn the alphabet.

Charles Buckles Falls died age 85 on April 15, 1960.

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