Nell Brinkley (1886-1944) was a newspaper and magazine illustrator. Her work focused on independent, exuberant young working women, and she was a proponent of suffrage for women. Her archetypal character quickly became known as the "Brinkley girl" in her time.
I hadn't seen Brinkley's work until recently, when I heard about a new book about her work, written by Trina Robbins and published by Fantagraphics. I'm hoping to get my hands on a copy soon.
The energy and richness of this line work is just wonderful. Some of the historical vignettes remind me of Barry Windsor Smith's work- I wonder if she was an influence for him.
See more on the Fantagraphics Flickr page