Art Gallery: Holiday Glamour

This holiday season, we bring you 33 portraits of women from the pages of the Post, from 1920s beauties to 1950s fashion plates, all wishing you season’s greetings and winter cheer!

Sneaking away while the house is asleep, this couple stashes away their Christmas gifts.

 

Lavish parties and formal garb say sophistication, but this couple whisks each other away to steal a kiss under the mistletoe.

 

The warm candlelight from the tree makes this Christmas beauty radiant.

 

They may be celebrating the holidays miles apart, he’s still the focal point of her celebration.

 

This woman hopes for kisses from Christmases future.

 

Arms overflowing with parcels and holly, she can’t remember if she bought the pipes for Grandpa Joe. 

 

This merry maid has boughs of holly to spare.

 

Cheeks chilled to rosy red, there is no better way to enjoy the snow than a stroll with your two best friends. 

 

This festive flapper is cozy indoors while the snow piles up outside.

 

This hostess awaits her guests on a wintry evening.

 

 

Late nights in the winter are perfect for ice-skating…and maybe something more.

 

This elegant lady puts the finishing touches on the mistletoe.

 

There’s no better way to get into the holiday spirit than hanging garland with the one you love.

 

There is no time like the holidays for romance.

 

This holiday lady is eyeing the next victim of a playful pelting.

 

For some, snuggling up next to hearth and enjoying the solitude is a far better way to spend the holidays.

 

With a microphone and her sultry voice, she performs a stunning rendition of “Christmas Time.”

 

Who said kids get to have all the fun?

 

She’s almost late to her own party!

 

Holiday romance takes the chill out of the coldest nights.

 

A quiet moment before the whirlwind.

 

She recounts her encounter with her admirer at the park.

 

When he asked his best friend to join him for dinner he never expected to be the third wheel on his own date.

 

With fresh snow covering the ground, sleigh rides make the perfect escape from the festivities.

 

Poinsettia pinned and hair curled, this winter wonder catches the eye of all the guys.

 

This winter-clad socialite prepares to thrash any who threaten her fashion.

 

She sails with grace across the ice.

 

Out of all of the gifts she received, her favorite was the rose.

 

The best way to enjoy a fresh snowfall is with someone who can hold you close.

 

Waiting for someone under the mistletoe.

 

She coaxes him over for a midnight dance.

 

The letter in her hand doesn’t stave off this mistletoe kiss.

 

This postwoman is delivering season’s greetings in spite of the snowfall.

Classic Covers: 100 Years Ago

Adding to the sea of smart phones, e-books, and online social networking, analysts are busy predicting what this year, this decade, and this century will bring. But it’s important to stop, rewind, and reflect on how far we’ve come. Imagine life 100 years ago. Here we take a look at how artists were interpreting American culture for the covers of The Saturday Evening Post. You may be surprised to learn that the things we most enjoy have, in essence, remained the same.

People fought the bitter cold in January; went to school and baseball games; and went swimming in July. Well, the bathing suits were a little different …

Life in 1910

Northerners can relate to an artist named Robert Robinson, who did the most delightful paintings of old gentlemen (some say old geezers, but we prefer to be nice). This gent is peering through fogged-up specs at a temperature that seems to be hovering around 14 degrees. We’re not sure where his is. Minnesota, Michigan, New York? But we do know the cover is from January 8, 1910.

It’s getting a bit chilly in the classroom, too. The schoolmaster is about to descend on an unwitting student. Unlike the 2010 teacher, we suspect this one was unconcerned with a “politically correct” punishment. In other words, the boy probably got walloped.

Yes, folks, there was baseball in 1910! And it made the cover of The Saturday Evening Post with an engaging cover (also by artist Robinson) of a catcher wondering “where’d it go?!” Check out the nifty catcher’s mitt.

In summer, Americans not only played baseball, they mowed lawns, too. (Sound familiar?) The gent in the August cover from famous artist J.C. Leyendecker is working away with a push mower, unaware of how “green” his method of grass control is. Who knew lawn care 1910 style would be fashionable again 100 years later? Although we suspect few of us are mowing our lawns in a vest and tie these days.

And we don’t mean to be scandalous, but we cannot leave without warming you up with illustrations of ladies’ swimwear—1910 style, of course. The girl on the July cover is calling out to friends while swimming. You can tell the sleeves and proper head covering of her swimming costume is not holding her back.

A full view of swimming attire follows the next month with a Henry Hutt painting. As you can see, fashions may come and go, but our favorite American pastimes remain in tact.