Howard Pyle and the Brandywine School are synonymous with the golden age of American illustration at the end of the nineteenth century. Pyle has been called the "Father of Modern Illustration," not only for the thousands of illustrations he executed during his career but also for his role as a teacher and mentor. In addition to a broad selection of works by Pyle, the exhibition includes popular examples by his most talented students: Ethel Franklin Betts, Elizabeth Shippen Green, Maxfield Parrish, Frank E. Schoonover, and Jessie Wilcox Smith.

Artists of the Brandywine School, under the leadership of Howard Pyle, applied formal standards of composition and draftsmanship to their work, which earned them the designation of "artist-illustrator." The work of these highly skilled artists and illustrators entertained the readers of such popular periodicals as Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Century Magazine, Scribner's Magazine, and McClure's Magazine. Their illustrations also appeared in popular novels, children's books, and advertisements. Among the most widely read books represented by illustrations in the exhibition are Fairy Tales from Grimm, Knickerbocker's History of New York, To Have and to Hold, and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

The Federal Reserve Board Fine Arts Program welcomes the opportunity to showcase the rich resources of the Free Library of Philadelphia, which is the primary lender. Additional loans from the Kelly Collection of American Illustration (Great Falls, Virginia) of a painting by Howard Pyle and the book To Have and to Hold (1900) by Mary Johnston have been matched with Pyle's Pirate Poster. The poster is based on the painting and was designed to be an advertisement for the book.