Nellie Caroll (1923-2005) was a California-based artist known for her studio greeting cards.
Caroll was born as Jean Dobrin on April 3, 1923 in Zillah, Washington. She attended the Mar-Ken School in the Los Angeles area, a school for children in show business, and she also studied at the Art Center School. Caroll moved to New York City and opened an art gallery but later returned to Los Angeles.
Nellie started the Nellie Card Company to produce the studio cards, an emerging type of greeting cards. In the 1950s, Caroll was hired by Box Cards which was headed by Bill Box and Bill Kennedy. Hallmark also used Caroll's greeting card designs. In addition to greeting cards, Caroll worked in commercial art, illustration and in television. Caroll also created several panel cartoons. Her Lady Chatter panel was distributed by the Los Angeles Time Syndicate from 1965 to 1966. Her cartoons and caricatures frequently focused on women.
In 1968 Caroll filed for bankruptcy. She died on May 18, 2005.
From the guide to the Nellie Caroll Papers, 1923-2001, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)
