Bernhardt Wall  (1872 - 1956)

Etcher. Born in Buffalo, NY on Dec. 30, 1872.



After studying at the Buffalo Art League, Bernhardt Wall began a career in lithography in 1889.  He soon became known as the "Postcard King" and designed over 5,000 comic cards.  He served in the Spanish American War in Cuba.



About 1915, he decided to make etching his vocation.  He then had studios in NYC, Houston (TX), Lime Rock (CT), and Sierra Madre (CA).  He died in Sawtelle, CA on Feb. 9, 1956.



As an historian, he specialized in famous people and historical events.  He was the illustrator and author of Odyssey of the Etcher of Books, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson. Member: Sierra Madre Art Guild; Chicago Society of Etchers.



Exh: San Antonio AA, 1894 (medal); Fort Worth Museum, 1929, 1935 (solos); Witte Museum (San Antonio), 1936, 1955 (solos); Laguna Beach AA, 1945-46. In: Huntington Art Gallery; Grosvenor Library (Buffalo); British Museum; Lincoln Library (Shippensburg, PA); Library of Congress; New York Historical Society; Southwest Museum (LA); Newark (NJ) Public Library; Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Iowa State Universities. WWAA 1936-53; Pasadena Star-News, 2-14-1956 (obit).


Edan Hughes, "Artists in California, 1786-1940"


Nearly 20,000 biographies can be found in Artists in California 1786-1940 by Edan Hughes and is available for sale ($150). For a full book description and order information please click here.