Stanley Meltzoff (1917-2006) was born in New York City and graduated from the City College of New York. During World War II, he wrote and illustrated material for Stars and Stripes. After the war, he became a full-time illustrator. He works appeared in National Geographic, Scientific American, and The Saturday Evening Post. He also illustrated a number of book covers for science fiction author Robert Heinlein.  

Later in his career, Meltzoff focused on painting marine life, his illustrations appearing in numerous outdoor magazines.

While Meltzoff created only one cover for The Saturday Evening Post, it appeared five different times. It was a still life featuring a bust of Benjamin Franklin, with many of Franklin’s personal effects (his glasses, a teacup) featured in the painting. The cover appeared five years in a row, starting in 1956, on Franklin’s birthday, with a different Franklin quote featured each year.