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Carl Wingate, a pupil of renowned artist and teacher Walter Shirlaw, was a painter, illustrator, etcher and writer. Wingate's 1909 Christmas Seal design was the winner of a national competition sponsored by the American Red Cross. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, he spent much of his time in both Milton and Marblehead, Massachusetts. At the time of the 1909 Christmas Seal competition, he was living and working in New York City. Today, a collection of 14 of his drypoint etchings is owned by the Museum of the City of New York.
According to the July 1909 Red Cross Bulletin, more than 1,200 designs were received in response to the Christmas Seal design competition announcement, which far exceeded expectations. Requirements were for a simple design with distinctive lettering and the prominent use of the red cross. Many motifs were well executed and showed artistic merit but could not be considered because they would not work well when reduced to the size of a postage stamp. The Fine Arts Federation of New York set up a jury at the request of the American Red Cross. In addition to first place, twelve other prizes were awarded. All of the drawings were exhibited in May 1909 at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. |
