The Gentle Humor of Alajalov

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 new publication, The New Yorker magazine, purchased a cover illustration in 1926. He eventually did 70 covers for them as well as work for publications like the Saturday Evening Post, Vogue, and Esquire.

Here's a gallery of some of his most memorable cartoons.

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