The 1920s saw a significant rise in the circulation of newspapers, along with a surge in the popularity of comics. Artist Nell Brinkley, whose illustrations had been appearing in nationally syndicated newspapers since 1907, paved the way for other women cartoonists like Ethel Hays and Gladys Parker.
Nell Brinkley (1886-1944) Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) The Adventures of Prudence Prim, from American Weekly, December 15, 1925 Helen Farr Sloan Library & Archives, Delaware Art Museum
In 1925 Nell Brinkley, already a successful cartoonist, teamed up with novelist Carolyn Wells to produce full-page cartoons for the cover of American Weekly. Prudence Prim embodies the flapper lifestyle, despite the watchful eyes of her spinster aunts. Here, Prudence sneaks out to the beach in a bathing costume meant for fashion, not function, only to find herself in the water with a handsome suitor.
Click on the image for an enlarged view.
Nell Brinkley (1886-1944) Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) The Adventures of Prudence Prim, from American Weekly, January 10, 1926 Helen Farr Sloan Library & Archives, Delaware Art Museum
Prudence’s adventures—both good and bad— always begin with her disregarding the warnings of her old-fashioned aunts. In this installment, poor Prudence finds herself in yet another predicament, this time in her scanty flapper pajamas.
Click on the image for an enlarged view.
Nell Brinkley (1886-1944) Carolyn Wells (1862-1942) The Adventures of Prudence Prim, from American Weekly, February 21, 1926 Helen Farr Sloan Library & Archives, Delaware Art Museum
In the final installment, Prudence meets handsome bachelor Dicky Dare at a musicale and they fall in love within an hour. Dicky suggests they elope, and in our last sighting of Prudence she is writing her new name on the window of a car being driven by Cupid.
Click on the image for an enlarged view.
Ethel Hays (1892-1989) Scrapbook of “Flapper Fanny Says” Comics Helen Farr Sloan Library & Archives, Delaware Art Museum
Debuting on January 26, 1925, "Flapper Fanny Says" was a daily cartoon series that showcased a flapper illustration and a witticism. The comic gained widespread distribution almost from the start, appearing daily in nearly 500 papers within its first year.
In 1930, after the birth of her second child, Ethel Hays passed Flapper Fanny on to another cartoonist, Gladys Parker. Here, someone has collected several years’ worth of cartoons by both Hays and Parker and assembled them into a scrapbook.
space
space
space
space
Click on the image below to view the entire scrapbook.
