Lester Ralph (1876 or 1877 – 1927) was an artist who illustrated for several publications.

Personal life

Ralph was the son of author and journalist Julian Ralph. In 1904, Ralph married war correspondent Elsie Reasoner, who became a famous model and sculptor. In 1913, she died of

phlebitis Phlebitis (or Venitis) is inflammation of a vein, usually in the legs. It most commonly occurs in superficial veins. Phlebitis often occurs in conjunction with thrombosis and is then called thrombophlebitis or superficial thrombophlebitis. Unlik ...

in Lloyd, Florida, and was buried at the Ralph family plot in New Jersey. On September 24th , 1913, Lester married Pauline Rohl. Together they had three daughters: Pauline Ralph, born March 30th, 1915, Jean Ralph, born April 19th, 1917, and Eileen Ralph, born March 1st 1919. Ralph survived

typhoid Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...

but died of

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a r ...

at the age of 48.

Work

Ralph painted war scenes of the

Greco-Turkish War of 1897 The Greco-Turkish War of 1897 or the Ottoman-Greek War of 1897 ( or ), also called the Thirty Days' War and known in Greece as the Black '97 (, ''Mauro '97'') or the Unfortunate War ( el, Ατυχής πόλεμος, Atychis polemos), was a w ...

and

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

and

Second Anglo-Boer war The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

s. His classic

Girl Scout Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...

poster is part of the

Pritzker Military Museum & Library The Pritzker Military Museum & Library (formerly Pritzker Military Library) is a non-profit museum and a research library for the study of military history on Michigan Avenue (Chicago), Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The institution was fo ...

collection. The face from the poster was also used for Girl Scout pins. He and

W. B. Wollen William Barnes Wollen (6 October 1857 – 28 March 1936) was an English painter mostly known for his paintings of battle and historical scenes and sporting events. Career Born in Leipzig on 6 October 1857, he was educated at University Col ...

designed special menu cards for a dinner of dignitaries. He illustrated his father's account "In the Wake of the War" from the Turkish side of the war with Greece. Ralph also covered the

Anglo-Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

. He provided illustrations for

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

's "

Eve's Diary "Eve's Diary" is a comic short story by Mark Twain. It was first published in the 1905 Christmas issue of the magazine '' Harper's Bazaar'', in book format as one contribution to a volume entitled "Their Husband's Wives" and then in June 1906 a ...

" in ''Harper's''. When a

Charlton, Massachusetts Charlton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,315 at the 2020 census. History Charlton was first settled in 1735. It was established as a District separated from Oxford on January 10, 1755, and b ...

library expelled the book due to nude depictions by Ralph, Twain commented amusedly on the irony of making the Bible freely available. Ralph illustrated stories in ''

Scribner's Magazine ''Scribner's Magazine'' was an American periodical published by the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons from January 1887 to May 1939. ''Scribner's Magazine'' was the second magazine out of the Scribner's firm, after the publication of ...

'' and ''

Collier's ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter F. Collier, Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened i ...

'', as well as

Owen Wister Owen Wister (July 14, 1860 – July 21, 1938) was an American writer and historian, considered the "father" of western fiction. He is best remembered for writing '' The Virginian'' and a biography of Ulysses S. Grant. Biography Early lif ...

's 1906 novel ''Lady Baltimore''. His illustrations of people dancing, including ''The One Step'', featured on postcards and he also illustrated a Walk-Over shoe company catalog in 1916. Ralph was one of the artists whose illustrations were included in the gift book ''A Book of Sweethearts'' marketed as having each picture a "climax of charm and color".

Bibliography

*''Lady Baltimore'' by

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ralph, Lester 1870s births Year of birth uncertain 1927 deaths 19th-century war artists American illustrators