1908 1908
Artist: Howard Pyle, 1853-1911
Lithographer: Theodore Leonhardt & Son
Funds raised: $135,000

Often called the "Father of American Illustration," Howard Pyle established an extraordinarily influential art school in 1903. Located in Wilmington, Delaware, and Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, it is known today as the Brandywine School. There, Pyle taught dozens of artists, including well-known illustrators such as N.C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish and
Jessie Willcox Smith. Pyle was instrumental in promoting his students' work to his publishers to start them on long and productive careers. Many of the works he illustrated were books he wrote himself, such as The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. Most of his illustrations were in his distinctive pen and ink style comparable to the wood-engraved images that were common during his childhood. When color was added to his compositions, he used rich earth tones against bright primaries with areas of deep shade and bright light. His work was highly prized by his publishers such as Century, Everybody's and Harpers. The Brandywine Conservancy and the Delaware Art Museum are two institutions that maintain and exhibit his works.

Although Pyle's seal is similar in style to the 1907 seal by Emily Bissell, there are many differences. Pyle's design is a more disciplined green and red rendering of the wreath with an opening at the top. The seal is somewhat larger to allow for the words "American Red Cross" and "1908" along its perimeter. In 1908, the Red Cross used this seal in its first coast-to-coast campaign.