An Artist’s Scrapbook – Florence Starr Taylor


Posted on by Dr. James McMahon

By Payton Becker, Curatorial Intern

My name is Payton Becker, and I am a doctoral pre-candidate in the American Studies program at Penn State Harrisburg. I grew up in Lancaster County and graduated from Lancaster Country Day School and Franklin and Marshall College with a B.A. in Classical Studies. I received my M.A. in Textile, Fashion Merchandising, and Design from the University of Rhode Island, where I focused on dress and textile history and conservation. My areas of interest are historical dress, archaeological textiles, and museum studies. Because of my background in clothing and textiles, I am particularly interested in the many dress and costume sketches and images in the Florence Starr Taylor Collection, donated by Ron and Virginia Ettelman.

Two Scrapbooks of Published Works

Typically, one would expect a scrapbook to be filled with photographs of family and ephemera from life events. However, in local artist Florence Starr Taylor’s scrapbooks, endless illustrations, advertisements, and articles filled its pages, chronicling Florence’s many artistic activities. LancasterHistory holds two such scrapbooks: one black and red, one green. The red and black scrapbook appears to be the earlier of the two, as it primarily contains her work done for the Intelligencer Journal. She was employed at the Intelligencer from 1926 to 1928 as the first female staff illustrator and reporter.

Additionally, some dated work shows this scrapbook, including illustrations dating from 1937. The green scrapbook contains examples from her freelance work and those dated from 1928 to 1968. Florence was not concerned with chronology but wanted to ensure she documented her work through these scrapbooks, perhaps using them as portfolios. Let’s look inside each scrapbook to see what she drew and what she saved.

The Red and Black Scrapbook

Articles and illustrations accompanied by “as the artist saw…” or “artist visits…” reveal Florence’s ability to quickly sketch and record what she saw for the Intelligencer Journal. This skill was invaluable during her time at the Intelligencer, but she was also a proficient journalist, covering everything from sports to schools. The scrapbook contains sketches alongside finished publications, hinting at Florence’s artistic process.

Drawing of a standing man addressing a group of seated men.
Newspaper clipping, undated. The speaker appears to be Reverend Henry Whitaker (1843-1927), who served in the Civil War as a Corporal in Company C of the 205th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. LancasterHistory.

 

In addition to the newspaper clippings, Florence also tucked other examples of her work into the scrapbook. From a 1930 Shippen, Inc. Shop Advertisement to an Allegheny Title and Trust Company Advertisement Booklet, Florence was a busy illustrator working in color and black and white. Some work was placed in the scrapbook without accompanying information, leaving us with mysterious illustrations.

Three drawings: silhouette of a man, woman at beach, and person in a spider web
Three unlabeled drawings include a silhouette of a man, a woman at the beach, and a person in a spider web. LancasterHistory,

While mostly featuring professional art, the red-and-black scrapbook also had more personal art pasted to its pages, like a Lino-cut Christmas card.

Christmas Card with verse with drawing of church in snow scene
A Lino-cut Christmas card with Florence W. Taylor in its design, indicating it was created before her marriage in 1934. Linocut printing involves carving a design into a sheet of linoleum, inking it, and pressing it onto paper to transfer the image. LancasterHistory.

The Green Scrapbook

The green scrapbook encompassed her time at Hamilton Watch Company (1928-1933) and her freelance work, resulting in a more varied collection of artistic work. Florence mostly worked with Pennsylvania companies during her freelance years. She had some repetition in her freelance work, creating a series of advertisements for Armstrong Cork Company, Union Trust Company, Pennsylvania Electric Association Advertisements, and Fred F. Groff, Inc. Funeral Home.

In addition to advertisements, Florence created and kept the covers of F&M Paper, a series of publications from Franklin & Marshall College during 1936 and 1937. Florence married Harry Humphreys in 1934, taking the name Florence Taylor Humphreys. After their divorce in 1945, Florence changed her name to Florence Starr Taylor. Several Christmas cards, including a Lino-cut Christmas card for the Powden family that mimics the format of her card from the black and red scrapbook, show she had success marketing herself as a Christmas card artist. She also did a series of prints for the Girl Scouts of Lancaster.

Drawing of a library with trees in foreground
A cover from a Franklin and Marshall College publication, September 1937. Notice the name Florence Taylor Humphreys in the lower right corner. LancasterHistory.

The list of companies she created freelance art for goes on and on, collected to varying degrees within the green scrapbook. Interestingly, this scrapbook includes very few sketches. Perhaps that is because it is a more official portfolio she utilized during her freelance years to market herself, while the red and black scrapbook was a personal record at the Intelligencer Journal.

These two scrapbooks give a good idea of Florence Taylor’s artistic skills, alluding to her breadth and depth during her early career. They illuminate her abilities beyond what is typically associated with Florence (i.e., portraiture and sketches of the Amish) and show her productivity as a corporate worker and freelance artist.

 

From Object Lessons