I knew John La Gatta. Ok, knew might not be exactly the right word. But I was in the same room with him on a number of occasions. I was a greenhorn student at The Art Center School in Los Angeles in the early sixties, fresh out of high school and had delusions of becoming […]
When Men Wore Hats. Seriously.
January 7, 2019 by
When guys really wore hats, before J.F.K. made them passe with his hatless public appearances, men wore them everywhere. Sporty hats, formal hats, top hats, caps, berets. While western hats (a.k.a. Cowboy Hats) are still popular in places today., (except for self-styled hipsters) the urban male has generally forsaken the topper. Maybe the nostalgic look […]
Leslie Saalburg | Dapper Dandies
December 31, 2018 by
Nobody epitomized quality men’s fashion back in the 1930s like Esquire Magazine and the artists who graced it’s pages with their illustrations. Names like Robert Goodman, George Hughes, Laurence Fellows and Leslie Saalburg rendered the latest in sartorial splendor for readers. Saalburg was probably the most prolific and also churned out advertising art for the […]
The Art of Cakes and Pies: Famous Illustrators
December 3, 2018 by
Famous illustrators rendered mouth-watering art of cake and pies in glorious color. In the early part of the last century, almost all food advertising had to use art work, not photography. Color photography produced dark images that were not suitable for the printed page. Hams, canned vegetables and fruits and especially baked goods were illustrated […]
Peter Helck: Trucking On
November 19, 2018 by
The illustrator Peter Helck was known for his masterful renderings of machinery, especially trucks, cars, trains and aircraft. When he was a boy in New York City around 1900 he would watch steam locomotives near Grand Central Station. That lead to a life-long fascination with engines and machinery. He became a commercial artist, but his […]
Decorative Food Art of Rene Clarke
November 16, 2018 by
Nobody drew and painted food like Rene Clarke. He joined the advertising firm of Caulkins and Holden in 1912, where he remained for 44 years. He became Art Director and served the last 7 years as President. While his given name was James Alfred Clarke, he admired a French artist by the name of Rene […]
Austin Briggs: His Advertising Illustrations
November 12, 2018 by
The artist Austin Briggs was rightly celebrated for his masterly editorial illustrations for magazines through the 1940s and 50s. His art drew the reader right into the stories with a sense of drama and anticipation, like a good movie trailer. Somewhat ignored is the advertising work he did for clients like American Airlines, General Motors […]
Artists who illustrated in the CEREAL WARS
November 9, 2018 by
Advertisers put illustrators to work painting adults and mostly children scarfing down all kinds of grains in all kinds of shapes. The idea of pouring milk on a bowl of cereal was a convenient and appealing answer to the problem of breakfast. Here’s some of the artists who succeeded in making it an everyday fixture […]
Before Danny the Dinosaur: The Early Cartoons of Syd Hoff
November 5, 2018 by
Syd Hoff was a prolific cartoonist, writer, children’s book author and illustrator. Born in 1912, he started drawing when he was four and never stopped. Serendipitously, when Hoff was in high school, cartoonist Milt Gross came to give a talk, saw Hoff’s work and predicted that someday Hoff would be a great cartoonist. On the […]
Before Roland and Sylvester: William Steig’s Early Cartoons
November 2, 2018 by
Today we mainly think of William Steig as an award -winning author/illustrator of children’s picture books. He was the creator of Shrek, Sylvester, Roland, Doctor De Soto and so many more popular and memorable characters. But Steig was 61 when his first children’s book was published. Before that he had a very successful career as […]
