Rosey Grier’s Needlepoint

This cover was designed by a needlepoint expert—Rosey (Roosevelt) Grier, a former pro for the L.A. Rams and the New York Giants.

According to this issue, Grier appeared on a talk show in the 1970s and “one of the guests brought her work and Rosey was so taken he spent—after she taught him—the entire program pulling yarn through canvas. Later, Rosey would haul his sewing to card games. If he had a good hand, out would come the needlework from under the table, an unusual alternative to the poker face.”

Johnny Unitas by Leifer Neil

Widely considered one of the NFL all time greats, Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts appeared on the cover in December 1964. By this time, photographs had replaced work by artists that the Saturday Evening Post was so known for. Not that photographers aren’t artists, as this great shot by Leifer Neil shows.

The article in this issue was ironically called, “The Runaway Colts.” This referred to an outstanding season in 1964, one of Unitas’ (and the Colts’) best. The title has no bearing on “Bob Irsay’s Midnight Ride,” abandoning Baltimore for Indianapolis, which didn’t occur until 1984. Although he had been retired for a decade by then, Unitas and fellow players were outraged by the move. Unitas passed away in 2002.

“Quarterback Pass” by Maurice Bower

Artist Maurice Bower was brilliant at capturing moments of high-energy action, as this 1935 cover will attest to. Other great examples of this were Bower’s many covers of another kind of athlete: horses. Galloping, muscles straining, nostrils flaring and manes flying—see “Maurice Bower’s Horse Power” from 2009.

“Inflating Football” by Harrison McCreary

Equipment sure has changed since the Roaring Twenties. For one thing, you needed a good set of lungs just to keep the ball inflated. Secondly, it is hard to imagine the helmet provided much protection. A really cute touch to this illustration by artist Harrison McCreary is the 4-leafed-clover pinned to the boy’s sweater for luck. Apparently, the need for a good set of lungs continued into the 1940s—see below.

“Grandma and Football” by Russell Sambrook

In this 1940 cover, the helmet looks a bit more sophisticated, but that ball still needs to be inflated the hard way. If I were this young man, I would do it myself and let grandma get on with her apple peeling. I don’t know how the game will turn out, but something tells me a rockin’ apple pie is in his future.

“College Man’s Number” by George Gibbs

The Saturday Evening Post started out as a newspaper. It didn’t sport a cover and start looking like a magazine until 1899. So, with a virtually new format, artist George Gibbs paints a football cover. Gibbs did several early Post covers as well as inside illustrations and covers for other prominent magazines of the time such as The Ladies Home Journal and Redbook.

“Rockwell Models”

One advantage of living near Rockwell in the 1950s is that you had a good chance of being forever remembered in a Saturday Evening Post cover.

“Progress?” – August 21, 1954

This is progress? The construction crew is meant to build a cellar, but along come the local would-be All Stars pleading, “Gee, mister, this is our baseball lot!”

Rockwell gathered up models for this scene in midwinter by knocking on doors (in Stockbridge, Mass.) and rousting up members of the Little League team. My favorite touch is tiny Scott Ingram sucking his fingers as the negotiations proceed. The boy in the baseball suit is big brother, Kenneth Ingram. We’ll see Scott again.

The workers appear sympathetic, but we suspect things do not bode well for the great American pastime.

According to Kenneth, Scott’s best buddy was Eddie Locke (below).

“Before the Shot”– March 15, 1958

We recently showed you Eddie Locke as “The Runaway” (see: ROCKWELL: BEHIND THE CANVAS). The young man shows up on yet another classic Rockwell cover: as the boy checking out the doctor’s credentials before getting a shot.

The physician preparing the shot was Donald Campbell, a real local doctor. “Norman lived across the street from me for a number of years, said Dr. Campbell in a 1976 issue of the Post. “It was a familiar sight to see his long legs carrying him down to the studio regularly before eight a.m. “

Dr. Campbell continued, “Norman couldn’t help being nice to people, especially children. When my five-year-old Betsy fell from her bike because a little dog followed her, barking, Norman gathered her up, stopped her tears and took her home with him. With Betsy on his knee, he drew a series of pictures as in a cartoon, showing a little dog chasing a little child on a bike. The picture showed the little girl’s face with the caption, ‘See. The nice little dog only wanted to play.’”

“Girl at the Mirror” – March 6, 1954

Rockwell once called Mary Whalen his favorite model, even if the young girl on the cover didn’t think she measured up to Jane Russell (who did?). The artist captures the “in-between” age well between the cast away doll and the closer “necessities” of lipstick and hairbrush.

Mary’s first memory of the artist “was at a high school basketball game in Arlington, Vermont, about 1950. His son Tommy was on the local team, so along with nearly everybody else in town, Norman was there to cheer them on. When I harassed my Dad for a Coke, a friendly man sitting behind us gallantly reached over my shoulder and invited me to drink some of his Coke. That was the beginning of my admiration for Norman Rockwell.”

How did Rockwell get the facial expressions he wanted from the kids? “He would laugh and shout, pound the floor, or jump up and down,” Mary recalled. “He did the acting while I reacted. What a wonderful moment of joy when Norman drew forth from me the expressions he wanted. He would burst out laughing, with happy shouts. It is the memory of those triumphant, creative moments which I treasure most,” she recalled, more than twenty years later. “I can still hear deep within me his laugh of celebration.”

“A Day in the Life of a Girl” – August 30, 1952

Earlier in 1952, Rockwell did a cover called “A Day in the Life of a Boy,” which follows a boy getting up and ready for school, playing baseball, getting distracted by a pretty girl, and so on. A few months later, the summer version, “A Day in the life of a Girl” appeared. Both covers featured Charles Marsh, Jr. and Mary Whalen. Mary awakens, then it’s off to go swimming, where a young man promptly tries to drown her. The spirited lass returns the gesture, and it was love at first fight.

The last row shows a chaste kiss, which Marsh just couldn’t pull off. “I considered her my girlfriend then,” he said later, but I had never built up enough courage to kiss her. Mr. Rockwell finally gave up on trying to get me to kiss her and posed us puckering separately.” The ordeals of being a model!

“The Missing Tooth”- September 7, 1957

When Rockwell needed a child for a Crest ad (“Look, Ma! No Cavities!”), he asked his friends, the Morgans, if he could borrow their daughter. When cute little Ann Morgan showed up at the studio, she was missing two front teeth. Oops. “Mr. Rockwell went ahead and painted my front teeth in for the ad,” said grown-up Ann Morgan Baker in 1976, “but my missing teeth may have given him the idea for a Post cover.”

Living near a famous artist had its perks: “Being on the cover changed my life,” Ann said, “People were always saying, ‘I saw you in Chicago,’ or ‘I saw you in a drugstore window in New York.’ I thought of myself as a tiny little international star.” And the modeling fee? “$25 when you’re six is a lot of money.” Famous AND rich—what more could you ask for?

Having Rockwell as a family friend has its odd moments, too. The artist would call Ann’s mother “at 7 a.m. and say, ‘Don’t make the beds. I want to come and look at some messy rooms.’ Then he would come and wander through our morning rubble.”

Ann’s first love? Neighbor and fellow Rockwell model, Scott Ingram (above as the littlest ball player and below).

“The Discovery” – December 29, 1956

Poor little Scott Ingram—this unexpected discovery is suddenly answering a lot of questions. The good news is that this 1956 cover also made him a celebrity of sorts. He actually got fan mail and even made a television appearance with the famous artist. He enjoyed working with Rockwell, and looked forward to the end of each session, when he would be treated to a milkshake.

The painting is more multi-faceted than the first glance would indicate. The way Rockwell captured the burling of the wood of the dresser is one such detail. And life for the artist would have been easier had he just closed the door. Instead, he replicated the patterned wallpaper outside the room, illuminated by the light of a window we have the barest glimpse of.

“In Fellowship Lies Friendship”– August 27, 1960

This rather daunting edifice is the University Club of New York. The club’s motto was “In Fellowship Lies Friendship,” and the fellows inside seem to be interested in the “friendship” developing outside.

Also interested in the tall sailor chatting up the shapely blonde are a few bystanders. Two of those rather non-pedestrian pedestrians are in the lower left corner—Mr. Rockwell, we presume, walking alongside his daughter-in-law, Gail.

What appears to be a simple scene is actually quite detailed. I for one am amazed at the “texture” in the stone. The birds flying by are easy to miss, and leave it to Rockwell to be faithful to the Italian Renaissance details, including the unusual keystones above the windows. The building is still an architectural landmark today.

“Well!” (Jack Benny) –March 2, 1963

Well! What else can one say about Jack Benny? Okay, for you younger readers, the delightful Jack Benny had a way of saying, “Well!” that…well, you just had to be there. This painting could also be called, “I’m thinking, I’m thinking!” as in his standard response to the line “Your money or your life!” Really, this stuff wasn’t that corny at the time…

As we saw in the previous feature, Rockwell painted world figures in far-flung places, but, interestingly, he was nervous about meeting the beloved comedian. He called Bill Davidson of the Post and told him, “I’m really nervous about meeting this Benny fellow. Would you be good enough to help me over the hurdle?” Ironically, about a half an hour earlier, Benny, who was beloved by millions and the friend of presidents and kings, called Davidson with the same request. He was nervous about meeting the great Norman Rockwell. So Davidson was there for the meeting. Hey, world leaders come and go. Benny and Rockwell were classics!

“The Golden Rule”– April 1, 1961

Norman Rockwell, whose first Saturday Evening Post cover appeared in 1916, was still painting classics 45 years later in 1961. Taking a serious turn, he created “The Golden Rule,” which is, of course, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Oddly enough, the models who depicted the humanity of many nations, all came from the general area of Rockwell’s studio. Rockwell had a passion for costumes and had collected many from his travels abroad. Of the rabbi, the artist chuckled, “he’s Mr. Lawless, our retired postmaster. I put whiskers on him, and I think he fits the part quite well, even if he is a Catholic.” Barely visible in the upper right corner is a face painted by memory: Rockwell’s late wife, holding their first grandson, a child she hadn’t lived to know.

Rockwell received the Interfaith Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews for this cover.

“Stained Glass Artistry”– April 16, 1960

Among our Rockwells that don’t look like Rockwells, we have this Easter 1960 cover. The idea came from a trip Norman took to Westminster Abbey in London, where a craftsman was high on a scaffold repairing a stained glass window.

Oh how the artist toiled to capture that luminosity of the backlit stained glass. He just couldn’t do it. Finally, he found stained glass designers Rowan and Irene LeCompet of New York and they traveled to Rockwell’s studio bearing detailed plans of a window they had designed for a Washington church. That’s Rowan LeCompet up on the scaffold repairing a break. Rockwell studied church window after church window, inside and out, before he finally captured that radiant quality.

“Midnight Snack”– November 3, 1962

This cover is another example of Rockwell’s attention to minute detail, and an example of his wild sense of humor. The scene takes place at the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, Massachusetts, which must be a fascinating place to visit. The knight in shining armor atop the horse was a display that caught Rockwell’s fancy. The detail in the tapestry is wonderful. Not part of the collection, but a figment of Norman’s imagination, is the guard having a midnight snack. And we really, really hope the disapproving glare of the horse was part of Norman’s fancy, too!

“Rockwell Paints Nehru”– Feb 13, 1960

Forget freckle-faced boys, scruffy dogs and swimming holes. Rockwell was a seasoned traveler in the 1960s, often painting world leaders along the way.

“The Connoisseur”– January 13, 1962

You can stare at the man staring at the Jackson Pollock-like picture all day and still not decide if he is thinking of whipping out his checkbook to buy it, or wondering, “What in blue blazes is going on here?”

Rockwell himself attended some classes “in modern art techniques. I learned a lot and loved it.” He had fun with this one. He put the canvas on the floor, dipping into paints and splashing them far and wide. It happened that a worker was washing the windows of his studio, so the artist invited him to help. The man climbed to the top of a ladder and obligingly dumped a can of white paint on the canvas below. One can’t help but wonder whatever happened to the laborer who actually helped Norman Rockwell paint a Post cover!

“Gamal Abdel Nasser”– May 15, 1963

Not what you think of as a “Rockwell,” is it? But Norman Rockwell was a great portrait painter (see the paintings he did of candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy in “Presidential Post Covers” from February 19, 2011). Nasser of Egypt was a pivotal figure in world politics since becoming president in 1954.

Nasser knew he was a handsome man and insisted on a frontal view with a toothpaste smile. Rockwell was just as insistent on a profile portrait. The artist would pose him the way he wished and begin sketching and Nasser would turn around and flash that big smile again. Now, clearly Norman was dealing with a powerful world figure, and not one to trifle with. This was a man who had helped organize the overthrow of the Egyptian royal family—a man with many guards around. Big guards. But Rockwell persisted in posing the President as he wanted, and, uncharacteristically, Nasser finally gave in.

“Nehru”– January 19, 1963

Another day, another hot spot in the world. Rockwell accompanied Post Editor Robert Sherrod to India to report on “the epical struggle between China and India, which engages a third of mankind.” The article included photos of India of the early sixties, including one of college girls getting “emergency rifle training” from an army instructor.

Rockwell and his wife Molly enjoyed India and were invited to Nehru’s home. There they met Nehru’s daughter, Indira Ghandi, a future Prime Minister. The Rockwells were flattered and more than a little startled to find that Madame Gandhi had a room lined with Rockwell prints for her children.

“The Window Washer”– September 17, 1960

“Sakes alive! What ever has come over Norman Rockwell?” mused Post editors. “Does he hold with this sort of behavior?” Actually, Rockwell initially envisioned a different type of woman. He had in mind “a very prim girl, looking shocked,” he told us. “But the idea of youth calling to youth worked out more effectively. The girl isn’t going to date the fellow, however. You may assure the public of that.” Aw, Norman, that would have made a nice ending!

“Modernizing the Post”– September 16, 1961

The Pennsylvania Gazette was started in 1729 by an innovative young man named Benjamin Franklin. The Gazette is one of the many mastheads on display on the easel. Although it was the most successful newspaper in the colonies in 1815, long after Franklin’s death, it ceased publication and reportedly became a paper called The Saturday Evening Post. The connection is nebulous, but we remain determined to say we were started by Ben Franklin, so work with us here. Said paper was in dire financial straits by the 1890s and was purchased for $1,000 in 1897 by Cyrus Curtis, publisher of The Ladies’ Home Journal. From time to time, the Post changed its appearance; hence, the varied mastheads you see here.

Norman Rockwell, himself a rather important piece of Post history, depicts art designer Herbert Lubalin deciding on a clean, streamlined “POST.”

“Giant Clock on New Year’s Eve”– January 1, 1949

Not everyone has a fancy party to attend on New Year’s Eve. Some of us have to work, like this less-than-enthused office cleaner. The artist was visiting Gardone, Italy when he found a local to model as his scrubwoman and “invented a skyscraper to go around her neck,” according to Post editors.

Constantin Alajalov was born in 1900 to well-off Russian parents. They were able to give him the advantage of schooling, but his professional training did not last long; he had barely started at the University of Petrograd when the Russian Revolution broke out. He traveled around the country with a group of artists, painting posters and murals of Communist propaganda in order to survive.

“No Desserts”– March 12, 1949

Ah, so begins the New Year for many of us. It would not do to spoof a “stout” lady these days, but it worked in 1949.

Alajalov became the court painter for a khan in Persia. The khan was hanged by his successor, so there went that position. He moved on to Constantinople and painted murals and posters before landing in New York in 1923. Within three years, he sold his first cover to The New Yorker.

“Sunday Paper”– February 21, 1948

This late-sleeping Sunday slacker is one of my favorite Alajalov covers. The poor sinner really wants that Sunday paper and the milk for his coffee, but who is having a confab outside his door? None other than the minister, of course.

Alajalov eventually became the only person to do covers for both The New Yorker and The Saturday Evening Post, despite the fact that both magazines required exclusivity in their cover artists. He was naturalized in the United States and spent the rest of his life traveling and painting in and out of the country.

“Fall Gab Session”– November 7, 1953

This wonderful autumn cover from 1953 shows a gossip session in full force. It looks like the Smith boy is seeing the Jones girl and the ladies of the town will only be too happy to spread the rumor that they are in love—confidentially, of course.

“Trying on the Old Uniform”– 5/31/1958

What a difference 10 or 15 years makes! It is now 1958, and slipping into her old WWII WAVE uniform for a Memorial Day parade is not as easy as the charming young matron thought. (WAVES was an acronym for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, began in 1942. It was technically US Naval Reserves, but the term “WAVES” caught on.) What did the 1958 crop of WAVES think of Post cover? They loved it! The WAVES director asked for the painting to be hung permanently in Washington and a WAVE at the Anacostia Naval Air Station asked for 50 autographed reprints for her crew. The artist happily granted both requests.

“Alajalov Photo”– 10/06/45

The October 6, 1945 issue of the Post not only boasted Alajalov’s first cover for that magazine, but a playful photo in the “Keeping Posted” column. The artist is sitting in his comfy chair next to a charming piano. The piano, however, as with most of the room’s “furnishings,” is not real. “If a room seems to need a door,” Post editors noted, “Alajalov paints himself a door. If it needs a window and a view, he paints both window and view, and can thereby look out on anything he wants.”

Of course, the room has limitations as well as advantages. “Guests cannot sit down and stay,” editors noted, “which is a good thing, and Alajalov has furniture of any period…he fancies. He can have the throne Catherine of Russia sat in, if he likes—in fact, he can have Catherine of Russia, gazing at him in admiration and ardor.”

“Bridge Hand Disturbs Sleep” from 12/1/62

At the age of sixty-two, a retiring Alajalov submitted his final Saturday Evening Post cover. The December 1, 1962 issue depicted a bridge player distressed over a game where she should have bid this or played that or should not have withheld the ace of diamonds.

Roger T. Reed of Illustration House is quoted as saying, “When I met him in 1984, the artist was a refined and patrician figure, with reason to be proud of a rich body of work in fine illustrative art.” The artist passed away in New York at the age of eighty-seven.

“A Christmas After-Dinner Dream” by Kate Greenaway

It’s 1875 and The Saturday Evening Post is more like an oversized newspaper than the slick magazine we’ve known in our lifetime. So imagine turning to the last page of the paper and seeing the page dominated by this Kate Greenaway drawing. If you’d like to know what all the craziness of the girl’s dream is about, we have a special Christmas gift for you: a PDF file of the story, “A Christmas After-Dinner Dream” in all its Victorian charm: Click Here

“Angels” by Charles Louis Hinton

“Full soon the midnight bells, that through the year tolled out the passing days, rang joyously, and all the East was radiant with the Star,” reads the 1898 Christmas story, “Legends of the Child Who is King” by none other than legendary publisher, George Horace Lorimer. The exquisite artwork was by Charles Louis Hinton.

“Is He Coming?” by Norman Rockwell

Yes, Virginia, Norman Rockwell did artwork for publications other than The Saturday Evening Post. These adorable children hoping for a glimpse of Santa were originally on the cover of Life magazine in 1920. In 1975, this was the cover of The Post. It would be interesting to know if there is other artwork out there that appeared on the covers of two different publications. But, wait! Is that…? It is! It’s the sound of reindeer hooves!

“Choir Boys Will Be Boys” by Frances Tipton Hunter

Awww, aren’t they little angels? We didn’t say perfect little angels. But at least they can set aside their differences long enough to sing of the joy of the season. This is from 1938 by Frances Tipton Hunter. If you haven’t had your fill of cute today, see more covers by this delightful artist:
“The Art of Frances Tipton Hunter”

“All Wrapped Up in Christmas” by Richard Sargent

Some wrappers are all thumbs. Post editors suggested that he need not attach a tag: it will be obvious that Pops was the one who wrapped the gift. And it will be just as apparent that he would go through this ordeal for one person only—the one he loves best.

“Christmas in Hiding” – George Hughes

This 1960 cover from artist George Hughes is one of my favorites. Mom and Dad are hiding gifts…and they are not alone. It would appear a mole has infiltrated the jackets hanging in the closet, and not the four-legged kind. It is not clear whether the spy gets away clean or not.

“Triple Self Portrait”– Feb 13, 1960

Rockwell pokes fun at himself in 1960’s “Triple Self-Portrait.” The Rockwell in the mirror has foggy glasses. Rockwell’s reasoning for that was so “I couldn’t actually see what I looked like—a homely, lanky fellow—and therefore, I could stretch the truth just a bit and paint myself looking more suave and debonair than I actually am.”

There are a lot of interesting details other than the debonair gent at the easel. A student of great artists, Rockwell had self-portraits of masters pinned to the upper right of his work. We see Durer, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and a funky post-cubist Picasso, all of which Rockwell himself painted.

Rockwell was thrilled when, on a trip to Paris, he saw the helmet that sits atop his easel in an antique shop. He was sure it was centuries old, of Greek origin…or perhaps Roman. After purchasing it, he stopped to observe a fire. He realized the same helmet he was sure was a precious antique was typical Parisian fireman’s gear.

“Blank Canvas” – Oct 8, 1938

Rockwell had done approximately one hundred and forty covers by the time of this whimsical 1938 painting. The Post wasn’t the same without renowned editor George Horace Lorimer (who passed away the previous year) and the great artist was restless. So he did a cover about running dry of ideas because…well, he was. The young artist is a parody of himself: tall, lanky and with the ever-present pipe tucked into a back pocket. There sits that danged blank canvas atop of which rests a pocket watch and lurking deadline. Even the horseshoe isn’t bringing any help…perhaps because it’s upside down.

“The Holdout” – Feb 14, 1959

There is a holdout in this tense jury scene. It has been a long hard deliberation if we read the table detritus and debris on the floor. A lone but determined female is wreaking havoc in the man’s world of 1959.

Most of the models are Rockwell’s friends and neighbors. The artist enjoyed small-town life as he knew many of the faces and could often find just the right one for a particular scene right at home. The gentleman leaning down behind the woman and attempting to be persuasive is our beloved artist and model himself. Rockwell made a sort of Jack Benny joke about it—he appeared in the painting because he wouldn’t have to pay himself a model’s fee. But, we’re sorry, Norman; it appears the lady is immovable.

“A Family Tree” -October 24, 1959

This family tree is a regular “Where’s Waldo?” Okay, “Where’s Norman?” Who is in your family tree? A saloon gal? An aristocrat? A pirate? The possibilities intrigued Rockwell. Before reading on, click on the cover for a close look and see if you can pick out Rockwell. Hint: It’s hard!

Here’s another hint: Most of the men: the gentleman in the cowboy hat, the prospector with the full beard, the Confederate and Yankee soldiers, the pirate, etc., are the same man, and that model was not the artist. How the artist could do so much with one face defies belief. The dour woman with the cameo at her neck (middle right) is…are you ready…the same man! The rather sour, straight-laced minister next to her is Mr. Rockwell himself.

“The Homecoming” -December 25, 1948

How I love this cover! Not only do we see Norman (upper right with his pipe), but the whole family! Hugging the blond young man is Rockwell’s wife, Mary, and yes, although we only see his back, that is eldest son, Jerry, on the receiving end of the embrace. The happy young man in the plaid shirt is middle son, Tommy, and the youngest boy, Peter can be seen with glasses at the far left.

Besides the Rockwell clan, there are various friends and neighbors. One of these was little Sharon O’Neill in the red skirt. Rockwell thought she was so darn cute he painted her twice – as twins! And next to Tommy Plaidshirt is another delightful artist playing the role of Grandma in this happy scene—Rockwell’s friend, Grandma Moses.

“When Beggars Ride” by John LaGatta

In 1930, the Post was chock-full of fiction, illustrated by the finest artists of the period. This sophisticated drawing is from a six-part serial called “When Beggars Ride” by George Agnew Chamberlain.

At a young age, John LaGatta (1894-1977) came to the United States from Naples, Italy. Looking at his slinky ladies, it is difficult to believe his early art (while still a teen) in advertising often depicted working life, such as men in overalls. LaGatta went to Cleveland and joined the art studios there. He soon discovered that his true skill and passion involved painting glamour and beauty.

“Milk and Honey” by John LaGatta

Thomas Beer’s fiction piece, “Milk and Honey,” ran in March of 1933 and boasted this gorgeous illustration. One is put in mind of F. Scott Fitzgerald characters in LaGatta’s illustrations: everyone is stylish and urbane. And sensual. One website describes it well: he had an uncanny ability to make “clothed women look like they were wearing virtually nothing.”

“The Wall” by John LaGatta

“Juliette standing there, tall and slim and smiling, inspecting herself. And all the time, as the clock on the mantel ticked on, her span of life growing shorter,” reads the caption from the 1938 serial “The Wall.” The story was by Mary Roberts Rinehart, a very popular writer of the era.

Just how in demand the artist was is demonstrated by this quote from another big writer of the time, Clarence Budington Kelland: “John LaGatta is a Long Island neighbor of mine who is so busy drawing pictures that I have to break into his studio to see him. He is darn near perfect, or will be as soon as he discovers how dandy it is to waste time.” The chances of that happening were slim, as LaGatta’s work was found all in or on virtually all major periodicals, such as Life and Cosmopolitan, not to mention his ad work for major clients such as Kellogg’s, Ivory Soap and Johnson & Johnson. The artist with a passion for beauty was one busy man.

“Women in Riding Habits” by John LaGatta

This 1934 cover is typical of the over twenty Post covers LaGatta did: long, lean ladies in colorful garb. His art was a window into a world of cool elegance most readers would not otherwise be aware of.

“Ballroom Dancing” by John LaGatta

From 1937, this gorgeous cover fits in with today’s resurgence of ballroom dancing.

In a “Keeping Posted” piece in an issue from 1938, author Kelland further dishes about his fellow Post contributor, the artist. “Mr. LaGatta…is addicted to tea and cinnamon toast at about five o’clock, afternoons, and he does not believe authors are good for anything but to furnish raw material for illustrators to illustrate.” Post editors mused that if LaGatta wanted to get revenge “for this across-the-fence interview he can draw a picture” of his neighbor “in either a bathing suit or a picture hat. We won’t promise to print it.”

“Cat Pin” by John LaGatta

Stunning color palette. This 1941 cover is the last one La Gatta did for The Saturday Evening Post. The netting from the lady’s hat is entangled with her cat pin.

As the war years came upon America in the 1940s, the need for romantic illustration waned. Tired of the rigors of New York life, LaGatta moved to California. Although he continued his advertising regimen, he began to extend his interest to portrait commissions and teaching. In 1956, LaGatta was invited to join the faculty of the Art Center School. For nearly 21 years, he inspired the next generation of illustrators to hone their talent. He was known as a strict taskmaster from “the old school” but those that put in the effort were not sorry. He taught and worked until his death in 1977.

“Woman in Black Hat” by Penrhyn Stanlaws

Penrhn Stanlaws was born in 1877 in Dundee, Scotland. A prominent illustrator of the 1910s through 30s, his ladies would show up everywhere from cigarette ads to the covers of Colliers, The Ladies’ Home Journal and The Saturday Evening Post. This 1913 cover was one of his first for the Post, and shows just how sophisticated a doe-eyed young lady could be. As an interesting aside, note where it says at bottom left, “Interview With.” Cut off are the words: Theodore Roosevelt.

“Bouquet of Roses” by Penrhyn Stanlaws

Typical of the thirty-seven Post covers Stanlaws painted, we have a stylishly dressed, rather haughty lady and a hat to die for. The artist frequently used props (in addition to the dazzling chapeaus) such as bouquets or coffee cups.

About the name: Stanlaws was born Stanley Adamson. His brother, Sydney Adamson, was also an illustrator so Stanley changed his name to avoid confusion. Some might say that it would be difficult to come up with a name as confusing as Penrhyn Stanlaws, however.

“Elegant Lady Drinking Cup of Tea” by Penrhyn Stanlaws

The pretty teacup punctuates this 1926 painting. This was the year George Burns married Gracie Allen, the dance craze was the Charleston and Harry Houdini died. And elegant ladies wearing dead animals sipped tea.

“Lady in Wide Brimmed Hat” by Penrhyn Stanlaws

A reprint favorite, this 1928 cover is elegantly chic. Gift idea: Paired with the 1926 cover above, these two framed prints make a gorgeous wall display.

The ever-interesting Mr. Stanlaws dabbled with more than just paint: he played a key role in building the now historic Hotel des Artistes on West 67th Street in New York and even directed some silent Hollywood films in the 20s.

“Billboard Painters” by Penrhyn Stanlaws

The next time you see a billboard, it might be good to remember the days when they were painstakingly and skillfully hand-painted, a job taking days. The process must have been fascinating to observers. And what a treat to see this chic lady emerge. There is something about the model…could this be the same profile as the lady with the wide-brimmed hat above?

“Woman in Black” by Penrhyn Stanlaws

This lady is the very picture of urbanity in black, with white gloves and netted hat. From 1934, this is one of the final covers Stanlaws did for the Post.

The artist passed away in 1957. Note his distinctive signature: the capital “S” is resting in a circle of contrasting color.

“Freedom from Want” by Norman Rockwell

Franklin Roosevelt outlined “four essential human freedoms” in 1941: “Freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.” An artist named Rockwell set out to depict these on canvas. “In six feverish months during the war days in 1942,” wrote Maynard Good Stoddard in the Post in 1995, Rockwell worked diligently on the “images of those freedoms, images destined to become enduring national symbols.”

The artist himself was more succinct about this classic depiction of a Thanksgiving turkey: “our cook, Mrs. Wheaton, roasted it, I painted it, and we ate it.”

“Boy Watching Grandmother Trim Pie” by JC Leyendecker

This cover by J.C. Leyendecker goes clear back to 1908 and will spawn memories of Thanksgivings in the 1940s, 50s, 60s and so on. In other words, it is timeless. Somewhere this Thanksgiving is a little boy who can’t wait for grandma’s pies to be done.

Leyendecker’s first Post cover was a dark black and white story illustration in May of 1899. The story began right on the front page in those days, when the issue was a cross between a newspaper and what we think of as a magazine today. He did 322 Post covers, ending with his final New Year’s baby in 1943. Norman Rockwell did 321 Post covers, not wanting to break his idol’s record.

“A Thankful Mother” by Norman Rockwell

Truly a painting to make us thankful for Norman Rockwell. The artist went to Maine for this 1945 cover, harboring the belief that that state boasted the most homelike kitchens to be found. Note that the table isn’t “cleaned up” or artfully arranged, but looks like it might for a big Thanksgiving meal preparation. The artist did his preliminary sketches in Maine and returned to Vermont for his model search. The result: Dick Hagelberg, who was a bombardier with sixty-five missions over Germany to his credit, is happily pulling K.P. duty with his real-life mother.

“Childhood Thanksgiving” by JC Leyendecker

What a treat rediscovering this obscure but delightful 1927 Leyendecker. The old gent dozes after perhaps reading something that triggers memories of his childhood Thanksgivings.

“Make a Wish” by Norman Rockwell

Make a wish! Whoever got the biggest piece of the wishbone after pulling it apart got their wish. The young lady is giving it a lot of thought. Perhaps she wishes to catch the eye of a special boy or is dreaming of something pretty for Christmas. The boy, and we’re just guessing here, is wishing for more turkey…or another slice of pie. This was a Rockwell cover in 1921 for The Country Gentleman, the Post‘s sister publication.

“After Turkey Nap” by J.C. Leyendecker

Ah, what we all wish for—an after turkey nap. But at least most of us make it up from the table first. This is a Leyendecker from 1938.

“Mice Hiding from Fox” by Paul Bransom

Wildlife artist Paul Branson not only did sixteen Saturday Evening Post covers, but thirty-five remarkable covers for The Country Gentleman—among them this February 1923 painting depicting mice hiding from a beautiful, but hungry, fox.

“Fancy Rooster in Mirror” by Paul Bransom

Also from 1923, this preening rooster is irresistible. One wonders if he knows what a handsome devil he is. And one gets the feeling he does.

Bransom (1885-1979) had a propensity for drawing at a very young age. Born in Washington, D.C., he left school at 13 for an apprenticeship drawing detailed images of mechanical devices for patents. Good training, perhaps, but not as interesting as his varied creatures.

“Work Horses Pulling Plow” by Paul Bransom

From 1924, these handsome plow horses have a high-spirited collie to distract them while they work.

The artist later traveled to New York City and took a job as a comic strip artist. Although this sounds perhaps more fun than detailed draftsman drawings, his heart was with nature, and he spent his spare time sketching animals at the Bronx Zoo. So much time, in fact, that the zookeeper allowed him to set up a studio in the area adjacent to the lions.

“Tom Turkey and Black Cat” by Paul Bransom

We think Mr. Tom Turkey is rather handsome, but the farm cat has no patience with his fowl play.

Bransom finally tucked a portfolio under his arm and began visiting the publishing houses. The Saturday Evening Post launched his career with the purchase of several of his illustrations in 1907. The word was out on this young depicter of wildlife. By the time of this 1916 cover, he was in high demand.

“Duck Hunter and Dog” by Paul Bransom

Branson and his wife had a retreat in the Adirondacks where many of the creatures he loved to draw were readily available.

He illustrated for as many as 35 magazines and almost 50 books. If you see a copy of The Wind in the Willows with original illustrations, they are by Paul Bransom (there is even an electronic version of it out there). He also did original illustrations for Jack London’s Call of the Wild.

“Bear and Robin Welcome Spring” by Paul Bransom

Speaking of Call of the Wild! This bear is joining Robin Redbreast in attempting to hurry the upcoming spring season along.

Nature is nature, and many of the illustrations Bransom did were a far cry from the cute little mole in Wind in the Willows exclaiming, “oh, bother!” One Country Gentleman cover depicts a weasel with a goose he killed on a snowy bank and another an owl with a field mouse in his beak. Possibly some of these observations were made at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Bransom painted and taught summer classes.

“Jungle Commando” by Mead Schaeffer

The great artist Mead Schaeffer (1898-1980) worked as a war correspondent for The Saturday Evening Post, depicting in cover after cover the daily life of the military man. Schaeffer worked hard for authenticity: he hitched a ride on a submarine, a Coast Guard patrol boat, and various aircraft for his over sixteen World War II covers.

“Medic Treating Injured in Field” by Mead Schaeffer

This 1944 illustration, again by Schaeffer, is a striking reminder of the role of the brave medic in the midst of battle. Schaeffer felt honor-bound to depict the real world of the soldier. But a cover from later that same year, which we show below, depicts a more relaxed side.

“Barn Dance” by Mead Schaeffer

A well-deserved break at a barn dance is the only war cover Schaeffer did showing a fun side of the times.

“Baby Booties at Boot Camp” by Howard Scott

Artist Howard Scott also did a number of covers during World War II—usually of the lighter side. A cover bound to make you go “awww,” the story here is clear: It’s a boy!

“Soldier or Sailor” by John Newton Howitt

This 1940 cover by artist John Newton Howitt shows a twist on the old saw about a sailor having a gal in every port. Tumbling from the lady’s purse is a photo of a soldier. Wartime is hell, buddy.

“The Homecoming G.I.” by Norman Rockwell

“It was of course very gratifying for me when this painting was selected by the U.S. Treasury for the official poster of the Eighth War Bond Drive,” said Norman Rockwell. The family is rushing out to greet the returning soldier, including the dog and … could mother’s arms be open any wider? The whole neighborhood is delighted in the scene. Notice the shy girl next door waiting patiently to see her sweetheart. You can click on the cover for a close-up of this classic.

“The Barbershop Quartet”

Did you know that there’s a Barbershop Harmony Society dedicated to preserving the history and art of the old-fashioned singing style? And did you further know that a large mural of this 1936 Rockwell classic graces the outside of the society’s beautiful headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee? If you click on the cover for a close-up and observe how Rockwell captured each face at the point of a crucial note, you can just hear the faint strains of “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” Or perhaps “Sweet Adeline.” And it sounds good!

I’m catching some details I hadn’t before noticed. I can’t believe I never noticed the old copy of “Police Gazette” with a scantily clad woman on the front page. And the Rockwell attention to detail includes a shaving mug, straight razor, and even a comb missing a few teeth.

“Rosie the Riveter”

With her strong arms and dirty face, Rosie the Riveter serves as the symbol for the more-than-capable World War II working woman. This was 1943, and it was no time for the delicate, coddled female beauty. But Rosie is still a girl, as shown by easy-to-miss details such as the compact and scalloped hankie sticking out of her coveralls pocket. The feminine touches notwithstanding, she is all business with the patriotic buttons on her overalls and—something else I’ve missed before—a copy of Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” being crushed under her sensible brown shoe. You go, girl!

“The Great Debate”

When looking at this cover, I’ve always noticed the poor kid left to cry on the floor while his parents argue candidates. Get used to it, kid! This cover may be from the 1940s, but politics is still ugly business today. I’ve also always noticed that the sulking wife is determined the winner should be Harry S. Truman while hubby is adamantly for Thomas E. Dewey. What I haven’t noticed before are the overturned glass on the table, the kickin’ red slippers she’s wearing, and the dog and cat. The dog on the floor is just about as upset as the poor toddler! The cat on the back of the lady’s chair is in “fight or flight” mode—do I run or will I have to lash out at someone? “The dog,” said Rockwell, “is mine and so is the cat. The canary is straight off a picture in a bird-seed catalog.” It looks to me like that canary would like to fly away from the scene. Oh, and I love the old-fashioned toaster.

“The Doctor and the Doll”

Talk about a classic! This 1929 cover is one of the most beloved of all time. If you’ve ever had to wait in a doctor’s office, you’ve probably had time to study this scene. You no doubt recall the anxious look on the little girl’s face and the kindly, patient look of the delightful doctor. After much serious consideration, we think the prognosis is good for the doll. What I just noticed is the set of candles atop the desk and that—leave it to Rockwell—the right candle is not quite straight.

The “doctor” was model Pop Fredericks who had ambitions of becoming an actor, a dream that never quite panned out. But Pop was immortalized on Post covers if not the stage. Rockwell used him as a model time after time. He appeared on the canvasses of the great artist as a cellist, a tourist, a politician, Ben Franklin, Santa Claus, and, of course, one of America’s most beloved doctors.

“The Babysitter”

The poor babysitter! It doesn’t look like she’ll get any homework done tonight. Her history and geometry books are neglected, but, ever the good student, she is studying a babysitter’s guide to figure out—well, frankly—how to shut this kid up. And it appears that much has been tried already; cast aside are a teddy bear, a well-worn doll, a rattle, a coloring book, and a mostly finished baby bottle. Rockwell’s mania for detail even extended to the slipcover and the exceedingly detailed wallpaper. One feels for the baby, but the viewer can’t help but hope for relief for the beleaguered young lady soon. You could look at this painting time and again without noticing the cola bottle almost hidden by the book in the upper left. It’s almost a shame she’s too young for something stronger.

Bobbing for Apples by J.C. Leyendecker

Before there were Rockwell covers, there was the great J.C. Leyendecker (a mentor to Rockwell). Leyendecker dressed up these adorable tykes for a neighborhood Halloween party in 1913—apple bobbing and all. This cuteness is quite the contrast with his Halloween cover ten years later (below).

Witches Night Out by J.C. Leyendecker

A creepy witch on a chilly, windy night – and a full harvest moon to illuminate her. Looking at her creepy face (sorry, lady), it is a little difficult to remember that this is the same artist famous for that rakishly handsome, chiseled-featured Arrow Shirt man and the slinky, elegant ladies and gentlemen in the 1920s Kuppenheimer clothing advertisements.

Halloween Fiddler by Norman Rockwell

A rarely seen Norman Rockwell cover from 1921 shows a fiddler at a Halloween get-together. It must be a lively tune, judging by the way he’s keeping time with a high-stepping foot. Rockwell did 36 covers for the Post’s sister publication, The Country Gentleman.

Lighting the Pumpkin by Eugene Iverd

This charming cover is from 1934. These kids are ready, dressed in their Halloween best and lighting a giant jack-o’-lantern. Artist Eugene Iverd did many of our best covers of children – see Artist Eugene Iverd’s World of Children, here.

Halloween, 1926 by Edgar Franklin Wittmack

This well-dressed young man is regretting going to that Halloween party – there is something very scary out there! This creepy cover is from 1926.

Witch’s Mask by Charles Kaiser

In this 1942 cover by artist Charles Kaiser, a little girl is frightened by the view of this witch’s mask through the window – which begs the question: was the witch winking before?

“Geese in Formation Over Marsh” by Paul Bransom

This 1930 cover by artist Paul Bransom (1885-1979) is a striking example of art found in The Country Gentleman magazine, a sister publication to The Saturday Evening Post for many decades. In fact, the Post launched the career of Bransom as a well-known wildlife illustrator with the purchase of some of his paintings for 1907 covers. We will have a feature on this artist soon.

“Missouri Moon” by E.P. Couse

Not all of the art was on the covers. Like The Saturday Evening Post, The Country Gentleman magazine featured works of fiction. This beautiful illustration by E.P. Couse was in the September 1942 issue. The story was “Missouri Moon” by MacKinlay Kantor and deals with a Native American threat on the plains. The caption reads, “These ladies and gentlemen are forting up, m’sieur. You shall remain until all danger is gone.”

“Dog with Pheasant” by J.F. Kernan

American illustrator J.F. Kernan’s wonderful art graced most major publication of the 1920s-’30s—The Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s, Outdoor Life, and, of course, The Country Gentleman among them. This beautiful cover is from November 1934.

“Flower Bouquet” by Kay

Again, browsing inside the magazine, we found a section called “Country Gentlewoman” where the rural ladies had their say. This gem was in a 1940 article called “A Home-Grown Thanksgiving Dinner” where it was suggested that “a house bright with flowers, autumn leaves, and colorful fruits sets the stage for a happy day.” The artist signature is simply “Kay.”

“Lady on a Stool” by Manning De V. Lee

I couldn’t resist this stylish lady illustrating a September 1936 article called, “The Good Things Autumn Brings.” “Here is the quince,” the author writes, “greenish in color, hard, dry, and quite inedible when raw. But after preserving, it becomes reddish amber in color and has a flavor that only a quince preserve can have. It seems that nothing less than magic could make such a change. What happened to turn the inedible quince into a delicious preserve?”

“Boy Stealing Apples” by J.F. Kernan

A 1923 cover by J.F. Kernan shows another one of “the good things autumn brings”—a harvest of sweet, ripe apples! The only problem is the boy ignored the “No Trespassing” sign, and the farmer is raring for justice.

“Harvest Moon” by Phil Lyford

Speaking of harvest, there is nothing like a bright harvest moon hanging low in the sky. This October 1934 cover by artist Phil Lyford shows that springtime is not the only season for romance.

“The Fireman”

This may be the only known time when a picture frame inspired the painting that went into it. Rockwell found this unique frame while browsing through a junk store. Well, if you have an empty frame, you have to fill it, right? Carved into the old find were some artifacts of the fire-fighting profession: axes, ladders, and so on. It practically begged for an old-fashioned fireman to occupy it. So the artist conjured up this gent in the turn-of-the-century uniform, complete with a big, bushy mustache. In a fit of pure goofiness, he added a stiffly disapproving glare and displayed a lit cigar beneath the painting for picture-within-picture fun.

“The Plumbers” 

For pure silliness, you can’t beat “The Plumbers” from 1951. Who but Rockwell would come up with a couple of working stiffs in a fancy boudoir? The homeowner is out for the day, but not the indignant, pink-bowed Pekingese. While crawling under dank sinks and unclogging who-knows-what is all well and good, why not have a little fun? “Here, Clyde, let me make you smell pretty!”

As usual, the details are terrific: look at that wallpaper, the grubby coveralls, and the plumbers’ tools (you can click on the cover for a closer view). These guys were actual plumber acquaintances of the artist, and they were asked to bring along their gear. Who else would have friends who looked like Laurel and Hardy?

“Tattoo Artist”

During the WWII years, there were many, many serious Post covers with soldiers. If you look up artist Mead Schaeffer at Curtis Publishing, you’ll see armed paratroopers, jungle commandos, and military personnel in a myriad of war activities. Oh, speaking of Mead Schaeffer, he was a buddy of Rockwell’s and posed for this painting as the tattoo artist. He staunchly maintained that Rockwell made his posterior larger than in real life, which Rockwell denied. By the way, Mr. Schaeffer, I dig those socks. Apparently, the issue remains unresolved to this day. The sailor in the painting had apparently been in many ports, but Rosietta, Olga, and the rest are ancient history. This is a new port, and there is a new love-of-his-life. Rockwell even used a sheet of available tattoos as the background.

“The Critic”

The young art student is studying a painting that is studying him—an “unstill life,” if you will. Except for the frowning Dutch masters in the other painting, it is all in the family. The art critic studying a locket in the painting is Jerry Rockwell, the oldest son of the artist. The whimsical lady in the painting is his mother, Mary (Rockwell added flaming red hair for fun). Should the student notice the painting looking back at him or look over his shoulder to see the Dutch gents glaring at him, I suspect he would run screaming from the museum and take up another subject to study.

“Dog in Church”

The viewer hopes grandma doesn’t find out what is so amusing the boy in this 1915 cover. A native of Piedmont, West Virginia, Thrasher had excellent credentials: study at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts while still a teenager, then a traveling scholarship to the Ecole de Grande Chaumiere in Paris. Returning to the United States, he studied under renowned illustrator, Howard Pyle.

“Bridling the Horse”

One wonders if the grandma above would approve of this independent lady, also from 1915. Notice the banner she is wearing—she is a suffragette getting ready for a meeting. World War I interrupted the life of the artist who served in France and sadly, was seriously affected by poison gas. He returned to Wilmington, married, and moved to Long Island.

“Grandfather & Child with Horse”

Boys and horses were a common theme in Thrasher’s art (we’ll see a lovely example below), but for something sweet and different, how about this grandfather and child with a gentle friend? As much as horses appeared in his work, he did a delightful job painting people, young and old.

“Conference on the Mound”

“Conference on the Mound” was the first cover Thrasher ever sold—for a whopping $50 in 1912. Little more than a decade later, by 1924, he signed for a series of covers for Liberty magazine, for which he was paid a handsome $1,000 each (that would be over $13,000 today—a tidy weekly salary). Happily, he was still doing covers for the Post, and despite his fine arts background, his commercial success was impressive, with ads for Chesterfield cigarettes and Cream of Wheat among his prodigious output.

“Boy Watering Horses”

This is a beautiful example of Thrasher’s work from 1924 for the Post. One wonders how he could do a cover a week for Liberty magazine for years, a lofty task, and do a goodly number of other works as well. In this painting, it is a bitter January day, and this young man has to break the ice to get water for the horses. Notice Thrasher’s covers show little or no background details, unlike artists like Rockwell with his painstaking details of wallpaper or room decorations.

“Tipping the Scales”

“Tipping the Scales” is a popular Thrasher painting from 1936. The Post used it as a cookbook cover in 1975, and we have heard many people argue that it must be a Rockwell, perhaps because of the humor involved. And perhaps because many folks believe that Norman Rockwell did every weekly Post cover from 1916-1962, a physical impossibility, of course. Ironically, this amusing painting is from a tragic year for the artist. A fire at his home in December not only destroyed much of Thrasher’s work, but led to severe smoke inhalation and ultimately fatal pneumonia.

“Two Men in Deck Chairs”

Published shortly after his death, this painting again shows the artist’s delightful sense of humor. As if being seasick wasn’t enough, the smoke from his companion’s pipe is making matters worse. Perhaps he is too queasy to get up and move? Thrasher did as many as three hundred sixty magazine covers. (Rockwell’s Post covers added up to about 322, although he, too, did thousands of other paintings.) Had Thrasher lived longer, one wonders if his reputation would have rivaled the likes of Rockwell.

“The Lifeguard and the Lady”

This luscious illustration from a 1955 story called “The Lifeguard and the Lady” was by artist Ben Stahl. Oh, my—behind those wholesome Saturday Evening Post covers lurked some juicy stories.

“I’ll Never Love Again”

This 1954 illustration was by Post cover artist Coby Whitmore and was accompanied by a real soap-opera caption: “’I’m afraid,’ she whispered, ‘it meant too much one time. I can’t let it happen again—ever, ever.’” (Does anyone else hear organ music?) The title of the tear-jerker story by Michael Foster: “I’ll Never Love Again.”

“A Wife for the Doctor”

“Since old Doctor West died, there had been no doctor at all in Clayton,” the 1951 story “A Wife for the Doctor” by Baird Hill states. The whole town agreed this was quite a pickle indeed, since “the uppity doctors” from a nearby burg had to be called in and “charged seven-fifty for the trip and acted as if were a favor besides.” The caption on this Roy Price illustration is: “Sandra entered. She and Julie looked at each other and at the doctor.” Oh, dear. One hopes medical attention is not required.

“The Artful Bride”

“Is she pliant, submissive, eager to please?” went the tagline to the 1949 story, “The Artful Bride” by Jay Wilson. “Then watch out—the lady’s about to get her own way.” This is another illustration by cover artist Coby Whitmore. The caption: “Doris sat down on his lap and closed her eyes—perhaps in order to hide the feline, hungry look.” Okay, so the MANipulative female isn’t politically correct these days… but she sure is fun!

“The Passenger Hated Redheads”

“He knew how to handle the stewardess. ‘Go tend to your trays,’ he said.” Ooooh. That’s enough to make a gal say “I quit,” grab a couple of brews, and scuttle down the emergency chute. I really like the guy in the middle trying to hide and NOT get caught in the middle. Artist Joe De Mers did many of our leading lady illustrations. The story was Nord Riley’s “The Passenger Hated Redheads” from 1949. Methinks he’s simply hiding an overwhelming attraction for the lovely lady.

“Bait for a Bachelor”

In March of 1958, directly across from an article by Eleanor Roosevelt (“My Round-the-World Adventures”) was a story called “Bait for a Bachelor.” “He was fair game,” went the tagline, “and he seemed only too willing to play right into her hands.” The illustration by artist Ken Davies bore the caption, “‘I’ll be by at six,’ he said in a low tone. ‘Grace smiled with satisfaction.’” What ever did Mrs. Roosevelt think?