Edward Penfield (1866 – 1925) was an American illustrator in the era known as the "Golden Age of American Illustration" and he is considered the father of the American poster. His work has been included in almost every major book on American Illustration or the history of the poster. He is also a major figure in the evolution of graphic design. Penfield utilized simple shapes and a limited palette of colors that lent themselves to the primitive methods of reproduction of the era.