In
1912, S. Bergman of New York put out a series
of cards that were illustrated by
Bernhardt Wall.
They are all black and white, watercolor-style
images of large-eyed
children.
Bernhardt Wall (1872-1956) was a prolific artist who
worked for over fifteen different
publishers. He is
best known for his Sunbonnet Girls, Little Breeches,
and other series.
Wall did not always sign his
work and his style could vary dramatically. That said,
there are several series of Leap Year cards that
imitate Wall's style in these Bergman cards, including those by Samson Bros.
and Taylor Platt& Co.
It is possible that these
imitations are, in fact, unsigned Wall artwork. When breaking contracts, or
doing work
under the table, a well-known artist might not sign his or her work.
Although artist-signed cards usually command higher prices, Wall
cards are readily
available and prices
tend to be low. I
do not know how many cards are in the series.
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