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 Gentle Humor of Alajalov
December 24, 2018 by
Constantin Alajalov was a cartoonist who amused readers for decades with his humorous magazine covers that depicted everyday slice-of-life situations. He was born in Rostov, Russia and immigrated to the U.S. in 1923. He began doing odd jobs including painting a mural for a restaurant in New York city. His big break came when a […]
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 […]
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 […]
