clara elsene peck

I'm always thrilled to find illustrations done by women (like Elenore Abbott), but these are not only done by a woman, but done to illustrate books written by a woman.  Yay girls!  The books are Shake-speares Sweetheart and A Lady of King Arthur's Court by Sara Hawks Sterling (about which I could find no information), published in 1905 and 1907, respectively.  They were illustrated by Clara Elsene Peck in a delightfully Art Nouveau-ish manner.

I love the text on that last one.  "'Let us go,' she said.  'Life is before us.'"  I'd love to put that very thing on the inside of a wedding band, wouldn't you?

Scans from Golden Age Comic Book Stories