At one time, wearing an apron in the kitchen was as common as motherhood and apple pie (also found in the kitchen). Here are some of our many covers featuring the humble apron.

Baby Talk
Constantin Alajalov
July 30, 1955

Thanksgiving Cherub Sharpening Knife
J.C. Leyendecker
November 13, 1909

Boy Watching Grandmother Trim Pie
J.C. Leyendecker
November 21, 1908

Hot Dogs
Ben Kimberly Prins
September 13, 1958

Putting Around in the Kitchen
Richard Sargent
September 3, 1960

After Party Clean-Up
Ben Kimberly Prins
January 2, 1960

After Dinner Dishes
Stevan Dohanos
January 8, 1949

First Cake
Stevan Dohanos
May 21, 1955

Shop Class
Stevan Dohanos
March 19, 1955

Dinner Dishes
George Hughes
September 26, 1953

Mother’s Little Helpers
John Falter
April 18, 1953

Playing House
Stevan Dohanos
January 31, 1953

Doing Dishes at the Beach
Stevan Dohanos
July 19, 1952

Gourmet Cook?
Constantin Alajalov
April 13, 1946

Home for Thanksgiving
Norman Rockwell
November 24, 1945
Norman Rockwell went to Maine for this 1945 cover, harboring the belief that that state boasted the most homelike kitchens to be found. 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 65 missions over Germany to his credit, is happily pulling K.P. duty with his real-life mother.

Icing the Wedding Cake
Stevan Dohanos
June 16, 1945

Dinner Bell
Stevan Dohanos
October 21, 1944

Trimming the Pie
J.C. Leyendecker
November 23, 1935

Thanksgiving Day Blues
Norman Rockwell
November 28, 1942
This Army cook has just completed preparing a sumptuous holiday feast for 137 soldiers at Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont. This is one of the few Rockwell covers that corresponds with an article in the magazine. “Woes of an Army Cook” was written by famous newspaper columnist Earl Wilson.

Census-taker
Norman Rockwell
April 27, 1940

Preparing Thanksgiving Dinner
J.C. Leyendecker
December 2, 1916

Saturday Night Dishes
L.G. Hemsteger
October 28, 1916

Dirty Dishes
Walter Humphrey
February 23, 1924

Basting the Turkey
J.C. Leyendecker
November 16, 1912

Baby Butcher
J.C. Leyendecker
November 26, 1921
J. C. Leyendecker was famous for his illustrations of cherubic toddlers. In fact, one was featured on every New Year’s cover of the Post between 1909 and 1943. They occasionally showed up at other times of the year, such as this malevolent moppet wielding a cleaver likely meant for the neck of some poor turkey.