1895 book poster promoting "Arabella And Araminta." Recognition of the poster as an art form developed in France in the 1880s and, while not a new format, the American art poster of the 1890s achieved a level of significance that influenced the growth of modern advertising in the 20th century. Ethel Reed's lively images contributed to this success. She produced book illustrations, cover designs, and more than 25 posters, mostly in just two years, 1895 and 1896. Her creative burst earned her international recognition and she traveled to Europe and completed a few commissions for British publications through about 1898. Then she disappeared from the historical record. Ethel Reed (1874-?) was a book illustrator and self-taught artist from Boston emerged as one of the leading poster designers of the late nineteenth century.