Artist William H. Barribal and his postcards

William H. Barribal (1873 - 1956) was a London artist who began his career as a lithographer before going on to study at the Paris Academie Julien.

Becoming an accomplished painter and designer by the first quarter of the 20th century, Barribal created such memorable images as posters for the Schweppes advertising campaign and the Waddingtons playing cards series, which are avidly collected today. He is also well-known for the bold Art Deco posters designed in 1920s and 1930s for the London North Eastern Railway.

Barribal also worked for various magazines, including the fashion champion Vogue, and between 1919 and 1938 regularly exhibited his work. His images of exquisite and fashionable Edwardian women have become classics and the work of many a modern fashion artist shows traces of the unmistakable "Barribal style".

It is only natural that late 1910s-1930s postcard publishers ranging from the famed M. Munk and Bruder Kohn of Vienna to London's Inter-Art Publishing Co. and Valentine's took pride in issuing postcards that featured Barribal's Art Deco images of beautiful women. Today these postcards are highly collectable and are considered to represent some of the finest examples of artist-signed glamour postcards.

Judging by the 2007 auction sales, a typical Barribal watercolor like the one shown below would sell for around $ 950 including buyer's premium:

Yet Barribal postcards are much more convenient for a collector - these small masterpieces demand much less place and are far more affordable. The price range for vintage Barribal postcards is between $ 17.50 to $ 30.00, depending on the image and condition. The image of the bathing belle above and those below are among some fine Barribal cards which have recently arrived in our store.