John H. (John Henry) De Wild

Known from surviving library and public-domain records as the author of Elements of Show Card Writing (1923), he wrote a straightforward instructional manual on making effective business and retail display cards. The book was created for advertising-club study classes and presents show-card work as both a useful trade skill and a tool for stronger salesmanship.

Contemporary editions and digitized copies identify him as being from St. Louis, and the foreword to the book says the lessons grew out of practical class work he conducted successfully with the Advertising Club of St. Louis. That suggests he was not just a writer, but an active instructor sharing methods tested in real commercial settings.

Little biographical information beyond his dates is easy to confirm from reliable public sources, so the clearest picture comes through his work itself: a teacher of lettering and display technique writing for clerks, sign makers, and advertisers who wanted to make storefront messages clearer, sharper, and more persuasive.