In late November 2007, the Daily Intelligencer of Bucks and Montgomery counties (Pennsylvania) announced that Joseph Crilley at age 88 had worked at his easel in his Nova Scotia summer home and was in the process of mounting a new exhibit.
Crilley was not well known except in the northeast where he was a local hero and much-loved character who represented his hometown in a superlative way. His success as an artist, photographer, and writer was widely admired. Born in Philadelphia on January 8, 1920, he was the son of James and Anna Crilley. His father was a Philadelphia police officer who lived in a stylish rowhome on North 6th Street. Mr. Crilley was the son of an immigrant trying to escape the Irish potato famine.
Joseph took to art very early in life, soon after training as a glass grinder, a skill he learned from his Irish grandfather. He loved to use vibrant colors, but he mastered the art of pen and ink too.
Crilley studied art in night classes until World War II interrupted his planned career. He enlisted in the service at age 22 and was happy about his assignment to Europe as a paratrooper. During the war he familiarized himself with places he would return to after the war when he created hundreds of detailed pen and ink drawings of the great cathedrals. The post-war drawings were the basis for him becoming known for his realistic images of towns and street scenes. With his attention to detail, in some of his earlier work he employed the tromp l’oeil (fool the eye) style, depicting objects in such lifelike detail that someone once tried to pick up his painting of a one-dollar bill that he did on a Bucks County sidewalk.
Crilley moved to New Hope in 1948, where he began painting in earnest and taught art at the New Hope-Solebury High School. He left teaching to become a photographer, continuing to paint and exhibit while pursuing a very active photography career. In addition to his professional assignments, he produced a book of his photographs and drafted articles for local papers accompanied by his photos. An avid fisherman, Crilley authored articles on the sport for the Lambertville (New Jersey) Beacon and illustrated the subject for several magazines.
Joseph James Crilley died on December 4, 2008, at his home in Carversville, Pennsylvania.
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From the best available information, we suspect there is but one set of Crilley postcards. It is a twelve card set published circa 1952 by the Huffnagle Press of New Hope, Pennsylvania. The issues are printed on ecru colored stock. The soft and understated color embodies the elegance of Crilley’s art. This neutral hue is a favorite for creating serene, balanced images. Ecru pairs effortlessly with a variety of colors, including browns, blacks, and deep blues. The cards are slightly oversized at 3¾” x 5 9/16”.
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New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is north of Philadelphia and bounded by the Delaware River to the southeast. Nearby Washington Crossing Historic Park marks the point where George Washington’s army crossed the river to engage the British during the Revolutionary War. Throughout the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the village developed a reputation as a welcoming art center and vibrant marketplace.
Joseph Crilley returned to Philadelphia after his service in Europe during the World War of 1939-1945 but relocated to the suburban tranquility of eastern Pennsylvania in 1948. Some of the early pen and ink drawings he did shortly after his move are likely seen in the cards of this magnificent set.
THE NEW HOPE SET BY HUFFNAGLE PRESS
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New Hope is for everyone! From the young adventurer to the most experienced traveler, there is always something new for you in New Hope.
We need to nurture the people like Joseph Crilley who live among us. I have similar lovely cards by NYC postcard artists.
Lovely cards, lovely drawings