About Us
Our high-quality authentic reproductions of vintage ephemera and classic children’s books illustrations combine whimsical nostalgia with charming modern designs. We endeavor to preserve and share historic illustrations in the form of greeting cards, stationery, postcards, magnets, stickers, journals, art prints, and more.
Laughing Elephant began in 1993 and grew from the roots of Green Tiger Press, founded by Sandra and the late Harold Darling in 1969 in San Diego, California. Their son Chev Darling is honored to be the second generation to lead this small, independent publishing house as their family business.
Drawing on Sandra and Harold's collections of vintage books and ephemera that number in the tens of thousands, we design and print almost entirely in-house at 3645 Interlake Avenue North, in the friendly Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.
We humbly reproduce the work of classic children’s book illustrators, commercial illustrators, and fine artists such as Jessie Willcox Smith, Arthur Rackham, Alfonse Mucha, Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, and Erté. We also commission modern artists, such as Hooligan Ruth and Corey Steffen, and our collaboration with Random House and Diane Muldrow’s “Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Little Golden Book” allows us to offer items with images from beloved Little Golden Books. We even have collaborations with the New York Public Library, which allows us to utilize art their incredible archives!
Laughing Elephant is also the proud home of the Good Dog Carl books by Alexandra Day - in fact, the real Good Dog Carl is our family’s Rottweiler and one of two beloved office dogs!
Today, our staff consists of two Darlings and two dear friends. Our small but mighty team is dedicated to providing excellent customer service to our retail and wholesale customers alike, many of whom have come to feel like family.
You’re welcome to visit our Seattle showroom Monday through Friday between 10 am and 6 pm, or by appointment. If you have questions about our products or inventory availability, please don't hesitate to contact us.
