Edmund Franklin Ward (1892-1990) was not as famous as some other illustrators during the 1890-1960 heyday of American magazine illustration. But he was competent and had his successes, especially in the 1920s.

Ward's brief Wikipedia entry is here and other links touching on his career are here and here.

As can be seen below, his 1920s style is similar to that of contemporary illustrators such as Dean Cornwell who painted in thick oils. As many other illustrators did, Ward altered his style and media to go along with changing illustration fashion. One result of this is that there is no distinctive Ward style.

Gallery

[Image]Dean Cornwell illustration - 1919
Compare the 1920s illustrations by Ward below to this Cornwell.

[Image]Trouble on the Trail - 1923

[Image]The Stowaway - The Kelly Collection - 1924

[Image]We Mean Business - Kelly Collection - 1924

[Image]Egyptian vignette - 1923
Vignette format illustration was common for secondary story illustrations. The lead illustration might have conventional rectangular borders, but others in the same magazine piece or illustrations in later issues containing other parts of the same, continuing story might be vignetted.

[Image]Vignette - story illustration

[Image]Vignette- story illustration

[Image]Vignette - Saturday Evening Post story illustration

[Image]Caught in the Act
This possibly unfinished illustration or study was made around the mid-1930s. Note that the green hat in the mirror is not that same shape as the one in the foreground.

[Image]Thunder on the Plains - This Week magazine, February 1936
Here we see a change to watercolor or perhaps colored inks.

[Image]GE Lamps advertisement - 1946
An example of Ward's postwar work.