“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.

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.

Boyfriend’s Baby Pictures by George Hughes

1953 Post editors speculated that the girl might be thinking, “Oh my gosh, if Bill and I got married, would we have funny-looking babies like that?” Aw, come on guys – she’s thinking he was sooo cute! I think this is payback for the way Bill behaved at the grocery when he was little (cover below).

Sack Full of Trouble by Richard Sargent

The redheaded Indian in the grocery bag has that look – what my folks used to call “pure orneriness”. Mom looks like she’s been through the wringer today with Big Chief Billy and his bow and arrow. But be careful, junior; Mom always has ammo of her own – remember the photo album.

Kitchen Haircut by Harold Anderson

In 1933 you didn’t take your kid to the mall (what mall?) for a haircut. It was a mom duty. My memories are of Mom haircuts and home perms in the 1960’s. I didn’t say they were good memories. Moms may not often be good stylists, but they got the job done.

Removing the Splinter by George Alsop

Going barefoot is fun – until you get a splinter. We went clear back to 1917 for this one from The Country Gentleman magazine, a sister publication to the Post for many decades.

New Woolies by Frances Tipton Hunter

Shopping is not Billy’s strong suit – it’s a good thing it is Mom’s. Artist Frances Tipton Hunter did eighteen Saturday Evening Post covers, each cuter than the next.

Spirit of Education by Norman Rockwell

You would think we’d be grateful Mother buys us warm underwear and sews our costume for the school pageant. But, noooo. All we care about is having to wear a dumb ol’ sheet and our friends snickering at us. Hopefully, Norman Rockwell’s lad will get into the spirit.

Secret Valentine by Harry Hintermeister

Sometimes it’s best to remain a secret valentine. Case in point: when you’re sending a valentine to a special boy and he’s sending valentines to every girl in town! The little girl’s face is priceless – she doesn’t know whether to cry or jump up and strangle him. This is from our then-sister magazine, Country Gentleman from 1938.

Lady buying Valentine Card by Ethyl Franklin Betts

One of our earliest Valentine’s Day covers shows a lady shopping for a card in 1904.This cover was done by an artist named Ethel Franklin Betts. Is the gentleman behind the shopper wishing the card was for him? Betts was a student of the illustrious (in every sense of the word) Howard Pyle, and did mostly illustrations for children’s books. Luckily for us, she also did four Saturday Evening Post covers.

First Valentine by Richard Sargent

More than fifty years later, this lad is picking out just the right card for someone special. Cover artist Dick Sargent did forty-seven covers in the 1950’s and early sixties. This is a typical slice-of-life example, with a boy clearly not wanting to be seen doing what he’s doing. Let’s hope his buddies don’t catch him while he’s at it – poor kid will never hear the end of it.

Giant Valentine by Tom Webb

The things we do for love. Tom Webb is another mostly forgotten artist, but he did six Post covers. This one is from 1937. One wonders about the lady’s reaction.

Couple in Heart by Bradshaw Crandall

Artist Crandall did nine Post covers of pretty girls or handsome couples. I love the thirties hairstyles and fashions here. Crandall was known for painting romantic ladies…along with pin-ups too risqué for the likes of The Saturday Evening Post.

Older Woman Casing Cupid by J.C. Leyendecker

When it came to romance in the 19th century, men did all the pursuing. A “loophole” was Leap Year, when ladies were supposedly permitted to propose to a man. So watch out, Cupid! This lady (I’ll kindly refrain from calling her a spinster) is on a mission. This crazy 1908 cover was by J.C. Leyendecker.

Gathering Wood by John Clymer

Ah, the deep, cold Minnesota winter as painted by wonderful landscape artist John Clymer. If you’re wondering what the large, egg-shaped structures in the background are, as I was, they are snow-covered bales of hay. The face of the boy we can see is still enjoying the winter and the dog seems content. But notice the felines at the bottom heading in. Where there’s firewood, there must be a fire to cozy up to. Cats are my kind of people.

Seated Woman with Big Cat in Her Lap by Harrison Fisher

Here’s a beauty from 1908. Artist Harrison Fisher did over eighty Saturday Evening Post covers of lovely ladies, and this one has a bonus gorgeous feline. We showed you many Harrison Fisher ladies in stunning hats in our April cover piece, “Kentucky Derby Fashion Tips”. He was so well known for his paintings of beautiful ladies that they were known as the Harrison Fisher girls, and yes, reprints are available at curtispublishing.com.

Passing the Blame by K.R. Wireman

I couldn’t resist showing this Country Gentleman cover once more. CG was a sister publication to the Post for many, many decades. This little tot by artist K.R. Wireman has learned early to pass the buck. Well, a case could be made that the cat is black from knocking over the coal bucket, but we think the evidence points elsewhere.

Kitty Cooldown by Parker Cushman

On a hot day, kitty needs a turn in front of the fan, too. This adorable cover was by an artist named Parker Cushman in 1916. I can find very little about his artist, but he did three cute covers of children for the Post.

Cat Fight by Charles Livingston Bull

The greatest cat lovers will admit that they aren’t always adorable. Charles Livingston Bull was a great wildlife painter, and it doesn’t get much wilder than two felines going at each other. I can hear the howls now!

Cat Guards Bowl of Milk by Robert L. Dickey

Give ‘em heck, kitty! No matter how adorable the dogs may be, this feisty kitten from 1926 is not sharing her bowl of milk. Cats are the original divas. Artist Robert L. Dickey was known for his animal paintings, particularly horses. He did six other covers for the Post, all of dogs. He certainly nailed this kitty’s attitude.

Girl and Three Cats by Sarah Stilwell-Weber

We’ve shown many Sarah Stilwell-Weber covers, but this is a nearly-forgotten one from 1910. This young lady has her hands full of cute. Stilwell-Weber was a popular artist of children and did sixty-five covers for the Post and Country Gentleman magazines between 1904-1925 (yes, each more adorable than the next).

Couple Under the Mistletoe

“…the Yule log and Christmas candle were regularly burnt, and the mistletoe, with its white berries, hung up, to the imminent peril of all the pretty housemaids,” wrote Washington Irving (1783-1859). This Victorian couple under the mistletoe was on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post December 15, 1900. How many people have our cover artists caught under that infamous plant?

Stealing a Christmas Kiss by J.C. Leyendecker

Never mind those feisty Victorians – this medieval couple is downright frisky. J.C. Leyendecker did this colorful cover for Christmas of 1933. Since the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is said to date back to ancient times, such a scene may have very well occurred. Beyond the custom’s authenticity, the artist simply loved elaborate costumes – as did his famous protégé, below.

Mistletoe Kiss by Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell channeled colonial times for this cover from 1936. A traveler stopping in at the friendly tavern found mistletoe and proceeded to get, well, friendly, with a serving girl. Mistletoe as a plant is actually a parasite, spread by birds in a very non-romantic manner (through feces). Rather a humble beginning for something that came to represent amorous feelings.

Cousin Reginald Under the Mistletoe by Norman Rockwell

Rockwell did several covers of city-slicker Cousin Reginald and his ornery country cousins for Country Gentleman magazine, a sister publication to the Post. Here Reginald’s cousin, Red, is coaxing a very embarrassed Reginald into his first kiss under the mistletoe. Well, the young lady is willing! This cover is from 1917. The plant has been considered sacred, and later, a fertility herb. Something to think about when you’re passing under doorways.

Woman Gazing Up at Mistletoe by Harrison Fisher

Back in 1908, we find another willing lady. Perhaps she’s wishing upon the mistletoe for a particular suitor to find her. This parasitic plant possibly became revered because it was rare to encounter it, and when one did find it in the dead of winter, it was green and thriving, unlike the tree on which it fed. The kissing under the mistletoe tradition is said to date back to Norse times. It is hard to picture marauding Vikings getting mushy over a plant, but there you are. Hagar the Horrible smooching Helga under the mistletoe? Hey, it could happen.

Girl Under Mistletoe by J.C. Leyendecker

This cute cover is also from 1908. The young boy seems to want to fill out his dance card, but the girl appears to have more than a mere dance in mind. She isn’t budging until she gets a kiss! We agree – if you have mistletoe, don’t waste it – get your Christmas smooches. And have a happy holiday!

Turkey Loose Atop Truck by Constantin Alajalov

“When I wanted to sketch turkeys as they look in a crate,” said cover artist Constantin Alajalov, “I found a wholesaler who sells a lot of them. For the turkey on the lam…he said, ‘Take your pick’. Every time I started to sketch a model, somebody bought it and bang, it was a dead bird. I began to feel like an assassin.” Our artist got the delightful Thanksgiving cover done, but said, “For Thanksgiving I may skip turkey…and have hamburger that I’m sure I don’t know, socially.”

Squawking Turkey by Tony Sarg

This youngster managed to catch the turkey, but now what? The boy with arms full of squawking fowl is from 1915.

Cousin Reginald Catches the Thanksgiving Turkey by Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell painted a lad he called Cousin Reginald, a city slicker. As we’ve shown you before, his mischief-loving country cousins often made a fool of Reginald. Now, we just know those rural boys told Reggie that catching the turkey would be a breeze. They are in the background being royally entertained.

Where’s That Turkey? by Wm. Meade Prince

This is no dumb Tom Turkey. When someone with an ax is looking for you, hiding is a good option. This colorful cover was painted for the Post’s sister publication, Country Gentleman by artist William Mead Prince.

Pilgrim Stalking Tom Turkey by J.C. Leyendecker

Would you believe this beautiful cover is from 1907? Artist J.C. Leyendecker did much more than paint ridiculously handsome men for Arrow Shirt ads. He did more Saturday Evening Post covers than any other artist. One of the earliest, and smartest, acts of George Horace Lorimer after taking charge of the Post was to hire J.C. Leyendecker to do a cover in 1899. Between then and 1943, Leyendecker did 322 Post covers, one more than Norman Rockwell. To honor his mentor, Rockwell chose to do one fewer cover.

Thanksgiving by J.F. Kernan

There’s an old myth that if you sprinkle salt on a turkey’s tail, you can catch it. Also, if you sprinkle pepper on a hen’s tail, she will lead you to her nest. These tricks may work, but only because if you’re close enough to sprinkle salt on a turkey’s tail, you’re close enough to catch it anyway and if you pepper a hen’s tail, she’ll probably get disgusted with you and stalk off….back to her nest.

Grandma Bobs Her Hair by Wm. Meade Prince

I adore this cover! In 1925 bobbing your hair was a bit daring and grandma has decided to get with it. We can only imagine grandpa’s comments. Artist William Meade Prince (1893-1951) grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Dog Doesn’t Like Sax Sounds by Wm. Meade Prince

Everybody’s a critic. This cute cover is also from 1925. Artist Prince had a hard time choosing between West Point Military Academy or a study of architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology. As a sort of compromise, he settled on studying art at the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts – luckily for us!

Thanksgiving Pie by Wm. Meade Prince

Here’s a timely cover. It’s Thanksgiving and everybody wants some of that delicious-smelling pie! Meade had a way with colors. After years of advertising work in Chicago, Prince moved to Westport, Connecticut where he could work on magazine illustration and ride and maintain fine Arabian horses.

Playing Pirate by Wm. Meade Prince

Prince depicted kids and grandparents with equal skill. Often the backgrounds in his paintings are important. For example, the billowing white clouds behind our youngster give us a sense of dreaming big. When Westport eventually became too urban for riding, Prince returned to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where he built his own studio and stables to continue his work in illustration and care for his horses.

Grandpa Sleeps, Girl Sings in Church by Wm. Meade Prince

Several Country Gentleman and Saturday Evening Post artists seemed to like the falling asleep in church theme. Often, the wife or child accompanying the snoozer is horrified and embarrassed. This little girl simply sings away while grandpa dozes. It’s another fine example of the skill of this artist in depicting young and old alike.

Something Went Bump in the Night by Wm. Meade Prince

I love the people in Prince’s drawings. Many a lovely magazine cover of the time was of a pretty girl, but Prince’s people were real. This startled elderly couple who heard something in the night is a fine example. Notwithstanding the harsh, unforgiving look on the man’s face, there is an element of humor here. You may need to click on the cover for a close-up, but could the source of the ruckus be the tiny mouse on the table?

No Hunting – Douglass Crockwell

I’ve always gotten a chuckle from this 1939 cover by artist Douglass Crockwell. No only did this hunter ignore the warning, he’s mad enough to add his own commentary – under the big “NO HUNTING” letters he’s scribbling, “You’re telling me.” Notice that the artist simply signed his covers “Douglass”. This was to avoid confusion with another artist – some guy with a similar last name.

No Hunting – Leslie Thrasher

When this old guy says “No Hunting,” he means it! One might say there have been flagrant violators, since the sign is riddled with bullet holes. We’ve had some cover artists who were wonderful at painting old codgers, and Leslie Thrasher was one of them. This great cover is from 1914.

Springer Spaniels – J.F. Kernan

I’d know that white mustache anywhere; this old guy has been in many beautiful J.F. Kernan covers. This time he’s dressed for the hunt in 1930 and picking up the spaniels for the job. When the little guys grow up, they’ll be great hunters, too.

Duck Hunters – Robert Robinson

Now we all know that hunters and fishermen are the most honest and upright of sportsmen. But there’s not only this 1911 cover of an unsuccessful hunter buying someone else’s catch, there’s a cover a few years later depicting a fisherman doing the same thing. Who wants to go home after hours of hunting or fishing with nothing to show for it?

Patient Dog – John Atherton

This is a sweet one. World War II has taken the man of the house away and this beautiful dog is waiting patiently for his master to return and take him hunting. Not all of those waiting at home are two-legged.

Hunting Couple on Walk – J. Hennesy

It’s a crisp autumn day, and together time for this couple means hunting – or at least walking in the woods. Country Gentleman magazine was a sister publication to the Post for many years and often shared the same artists.

Spring 1977

By kind permission of Coe Kerr Gallery in 1977, we were able to reproduce this painting by Rembrandt Peale (1778-1860). It was of his brother, Ruebens (do you think the parents might have been art buffs?) and shows him here “with the first geranium brought to America in 1801.” The editors further informed us that “the Peales ran what amounted to a portrait factory where they painted Indians, patriots, still lifes, landscapes, miniatures and themselves–in great abundance.” And apparently with exquisite skill.

June 1953

Since it was a magazine for farmers, Country Gentleman covers were frequently of livestock or farm scenes. This peaceful June scene was in the heart of dairyland in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. The artist was Robert Addison. As serene and picturesque as it appeared here, this was a working dairy farm of 197 acres. But wait…I found a great painting of a movie star and a cover painted by a former President…

Winter 1976

From a peaceful summer scene to a peaceful winter scene – and can you see the artist’s signature? White Church in the Country was painted by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1961 “amidst the stifling one-hundred-degree heat of the Palm Desert in California.” Eisenhower loved golf, but “daubing,” as he referred to his painting, was his second-favorite hobby. A very fine portrait of Eisenhower by Norman Rockwell appeared on a Saturday Evening Post cover in 1952. And speaking of Rockwell…

Spring 1979

This 1979 cover was a repeat – it originally appeared on Country Gentleman magazine in 1922. It was the result of a contest to find the most representative “Country Gent” salesboy. The winner got to pose for Norman Rockwell! “The response was overwhelming,” editors informed us. “500,000 young entrepreneurs mailed in their photos, and one George Hamilton of Binghampton, New York, was chosen as the lucky model.” George’s mother had sent a photo of him holding four fox terriers. “Never mind that the puppies had somehow switched their breed…to beagles,” the editors noted, “for Norman Rockwell transformed the ordinary into magic.” This we all well know.

Spring 1978

What movie buff wouldn’t love this cover? The handsome cowboy, of course, is Jimmy Stewart. He was painted by artist Robert Abbett for the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. Stewart had great appreciation for the Hollywood Western. “It saved my career, after the war,” he is quoted as saying in this issue, “and everybody knows what it did for Gary Cooper and Duke Wayne. Naturally, I’m grateful.” And we’re grateful for such a beautiful way to remember a beloved actor.

Fall 1976

For a magazine named Country Gentleman, this must be the quintessential cover. Known as a “sporting painter,” George Stubbs (1724-1806) painted horses, dogs, hay wagons, and harvesting activities against the English countryside. This gem is called Sir John Nelthorpe Out Shooting.

Spring 1976

Seems I’m always discovering a new artist. Okay, so this “new” artist was born in 1780, but renowned primitive painter Edward Hicks was new to me. This is a portion of a stunning painting of James Cornell’s Pennsylvania farm circa 1848 on an Indian summer day. The farm won a five-dollar prize for the “best cultivated farm over 100 acres,” which the editors informed us was “five years before the Genessee Farmer and The Cultivator combined to create the first Country Gentleman magazine.” Not as old as The Saturday Evening Post, but Country Gentleman sure went back a fer piece. If you hunger to see more Country Gentleman covers, or have a question about Saturday Evening Post covers, feel free to comment and let us know.

Cousin Reginald Goes to the Country – August 25, 1917

The country cousins pick up Reginald for his first visit in August 1917. These were characters Rockwell developed for Country Gentleman magazine. Cousin Rusty Doolittle seems to be driving the horses harder than necessary. Reginald is having second thoughts about these guys. So is the dog. Oh, Reginald, this is only the beginning.

Cousin Reginald Goes Fishing – October 6, 1917

His citified attire is not the only thing that shows us Cousin Reginald is no fisherman. The only thing he caught was the dog, Spot. Much to his cousins’ amusement, of course. In 1917, Rockwell was 23 – not much more than a lad himself. But he certainly had the knack for depicting boys.

Cousin Reginald Goes Swimming – September 8, 1917

Okay, the country cousins can be jerks, but really, how can you not make sport of a guy who wears a swimsuit like this? And who is leery of even dipping his toe in the water? And Rockwell’s full name for the character was “Master Reginald Claude Fitzhugh.” We’re just saying.

Cousin Reginald Plays Tickly Bender – January 19, 1918

“Tickly Bender” was an early version of “chicken.” The leader, the no-good rat, would find the weakest spot in the ice and dare the others to skate over it. We think Cousin Reginald is showing some sense in this situation – he’s getting the heck out of there (as is the dog). A word of advice: Don’t listen to your country cousins, Reginald.

Cousin Reginald Plays Pirates – November 3, 1917

The boys decide to play pirates on this November 1917 cover. Let’s guess now, who got trussed up and sent to walk the plank? We’re REALLY starting to dislike these cousins.

Cousin Reginald Catches the Thanksgiving Turkey – December 1, 1917

This 1917 cover is called “Cousin Reginald Catches Thanksgiving Turkey,” but it looks the other way around. No doubt the country boys told Reginald that turkeys are docile creatures that just sit and wait for you to cut their stupid heads off. He’s a slow learner, that boy. Do not, repeat, do NOT listen to your cousins.

Cousin Reginald is the Hero – April 6, 1918

But one time, one time, Reginald is the hero. The kids are putting on a play, and the dastardly villain (one of the country cousins, staying in character) is making life unbearable for the damsel in distress. But Cousin Reginald comes through in the nick of time, brandishing sword and the deed to the house! We knew he had it in him.