With magnifying glass in hand I peered intently at the pond’s surface and made out the neat cursive script: Ellen H. Clapsaddle.  This is a CLAPSADDLE CARD!

Copyrighted, painting only, by S. Garre, 1909

Born in 1866 New York, Ellen Clapsaddle was trained as an artist and was one of the few women who actually found a commercial outlet for her talent. Hired by the Wolf Brothers, a subsidiary of International Art Publishing Company, Ms. Clapsaddle was a prolific postcard artist, with over 3000 designs patented in her name.  And my seven year old grandfather, Donald C. Minor, was a lucky little boy to receive this gorgeous Christmas greeting on December 24, 1909.