@TDE,
I read somewhere well before access to the internet that Jason Freixas (that name and spelling) was Canadian-American. Postcard publication began with 1909 "Winsch" postcards (before the 1910-15 design copyright cards and the only American artist with the Winschback postcards before 1910), with the 1910-15 "Winsch" copyright postcards, and with the c.1920-c.1925 "Winsch" postcards without copyright imprints. During the WWI hiatus in Winsch publication 1916-c.1919, Freixas postcards were issued by Gottschalk-Dreyfus-&Davis, Fairman (Pink of Perfection), and Gibson. There's a set or two of Stecher postcards during the 1910-15 years that appear to be Freixas (quite different style from the 1909-1915 Winsch Freixas images) and a set or 2 1909 Whitney that might or might not be Freixas (rather doubtful). There are a few German-market Freixas postcards, images same as Winsch postcards but different design presentation, with GOM logo (Gebrueder Obpacher, Muenchen). Obpacher Brothers, Munich, was the actual publisher of the U.S. Winsch postcards. John Winsch was only manager of Obpacher's U.S. operations. Person name copyright imprints with most American postcard groups indicate only managers or operatives of the publishing company. As with much publication history, there are few details known, much unknown, much misinterpretation or misunderstanding. For example, 1907-1909 Winsch postcards are almost all images from Victorian UK artists (mostly unidentified or uncertain identification except several Helena Maguire animal images and one identifiable Harriett M. Bennett image, with several more probable). and considerable UK artist presence with 1910-15 Winsch postcards. Some of the Maguire and Bennett images occur with Obpacher German-market postcards and with its French market postcards (no publisher imprint) and UK market postcards distributed by Wildt & Kray. Some of the UK artist Winsch images date back to 1890s UK greeting card original publication. Moreover, some of the UK artist Winsch images occur with earlier U.S. publication--early 1900s greeting booklets with imprint "Art Lithographic Publishing Co., New York...printed in Munich...Lithographic Artistic Company, London." ALPCo and LAC were the Obpacher corporate U.S. & UK corporate names corresponding to Obpacher's German corporate name Lithographische Artistische Anstalt (not sure about spelling--operating from memory).
Obpacher dates back at least to 1882 in UK and American-market art publication. Obpacher's key part in the histoory of international art publication is difficult to trace because of the lack of publisher imprints with most of its products--true also of W. Hagelberg, Berlin, Albrecht and Meister, Berlin, and our own International Art Publishing Co., New York. That there has been little or no awareness of four of the six key international art publishing operations (the other two, Tuck and Nister, imprinted product consistently and their publication history is fairly clear, with exception of some of their Euro associate publisher products) is an indication of the general lack of information and understanding in art publication history.
The same lack of identification, specific information, and understanding prevails regarding artist publication history. The bulk of postcard images are unidentified artists and specific information about identified artists is mostly unavailable or unknown or mistaken. For example, when I accidentally discovered Harriett M. Bennett 5 or 6 years ago through a Winsch postcard image I was trying to make out as from Frances Brundage, I had no idea what the artist's name was and it took a year to find related images in 1887 Nister children books with the illustrator's name stated--and then no one I consulted knew of this artist by name--except Sarah Steier, who knew her book illustration work, and a collector in Australia who had identified her postcard publication before I did. Subsequent searching found extensive publication 1882-early 1920s, including the first international art publication 1885, that places Bennett in the narrow circle of the 5 key artists in art publication as measured by amount, extent, and years in international art publication...yet not on the radar of collectors. Another example is Ellen Clapsaddle, whose 1907-1920s signed postcard publication is well known and places her as the largest artist presence in American publication, but unknown to most collectors is her extensive unsigned U.S. ephemera publication 1899-1907. Nor are collectors aware of the extent of her Euro (and UK) publication 1899-1929 that made her the largest single artist presence in Euro postcards. While her international publication has no imprint from the Wolf-International Art Publishing Co., all that publication was from Wolf-IAPCo associate publishers or distributors. Thus, IAPCo was, as its name states, international--in fact the largest international art publishing operation in the 1900s--ranking with Hagelberg, Obpacher, Tuck, and Nister (plus perhaps A&MB) as the key publishers in international art publication history as measured by amount, extent, and years. Many other international publishers but by comparison small scale and short time. In regard to mistaken knowledge, Clapsaddle's personal history has been twisted by a garbled account by a later generation of the Wolf family about how she was stranded in Germany at the outbreak of WWI and was hysterical when rescued by Peter Wolf, so traumatized that she never did any art afterwards. Not true. Much artwork afterwards. Moreover, she was in Germany alone specifically on company publishing business. Moreover, she returned to Germany after the war on company business and was not only company artist but investor in company operations in German postcards in the 1920s. The record shows she was not of character to be hysterical or traumatized. Specifics regarding her 3 business stays in Germany, early, 1910s, and 1920s will be detailed in an upcoming Clapsaddle book on Clapsaddle by Judith Toll-Booher.
It may seem I know much otherwise unknown about artists and publishers, but I assure you I know very little--and what I have found has been entirely accidental and lucky coincidence in trying to trace Brundage side publication--not exactly research but searching. ha.
Returning to the subject of Freixas, besides postcards there are a few 1910s Freixas diecut Winsch valentines and many 1920s miniature booklet and diecut Winsch valentines (no publisher imprints), plus many large diecut 1920s valentines of less fine printing from an undetermined publisher. Only a few of the Winsch, Gibson, and Fairman postcards are signed--signed only "Freixas," no first name or initial.
I hope these observations will be helpful and reassure you that you are not alone in frustration with lack of available specific information about artists. Specific information simply isn't available in most cases. I have seen various different spelling of Freixas, for example, by noted dealers...Frexis, Frexias, etc. I myself have at times misspelled the name as Frexias. ha.
Regards, Jon Hatfield
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