Tag Archives: illustration

Always remember to budget some time for creative research.

I feel the need for seed. Wait…

I thought I had a chance at this Northrup King Northern Grown Tested Seeds box at Saturday’s North Star Auction, but I’ll skip the middle part of the story and say it ended at $775 and I didn’t even get my hand up. One of the best vintage illustrations and designs I’ve seen, and also one of the best preserved. Magnificent!

Northrup King Northern Grown Tested Seeds box
Northrup King Northern Grown Tested Seeds box
Northrup King Northern Grown Tested Seeds box

Nothing sucks like Electrolux.

Seen at an auction, an Electrolux Users Manual, the front and back cover seen here.

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The Art of Cooking

A copy of this was in a box of books I was outbid on several Saturdays ago at auction, but I found an affordable and good one (w/o dust jacket) online. Seller packaged it in 5 layers, which was nice.

Esquire Cook-Book, 1955, illustrated by Charmatz.

Nicely done, Esquire.

Bill Charmatz obit.

How to Impress a Biker Chick

1944 magazine ad for Hart Schaffner & Marx
1944 magazine ad for Hart Schaffner & Marx

Illustration by Jay Hyde Barnum. Not a lot of info online.

I’m not quite sure what sort of action went down in the illustration, but they both look great!

A History of Herringbone, courtesy of King & Allen Bespoke Tailoring

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Chewed to Bits by Giant Turtles

Man's Life magazine- May 1957
Man’s Life magazine – May 1957

What a wonderful way to kick off the new year! Behold, finally in my hands after years of searching, a May 1957 issue of Man’s Life magazine with the Will Hulsey “Chewed to Bits by Giant Turtles” cover. Groovy.

Bewitching

“Beware!” — Life magazine cover, October 30, 1913

This cover kinda makes me want to become a lepidopterist.

Cover of the March 23, 1940 Easter issue of The Saturday Evening Post
Cover of the March 23, 1940 Easter issue of The Saturday Evening Post

The cover art is by J. C. Leyendecker, just some dude who inspired Norman Rockwell. Rockwell would later be one of the pallbearers at Leyendecker’s funeral.

The fella also had one heckuva signature.
The fella also had one heckuva signature.

Do you remember the butterfly life cycle? It’s completely metamorphosis-y.

Where did the word “Easter” come from? Get your etymology on.

Lepidopterist? There’s a society for that.

J. C.’s brother, F. X., created the butterfly lady that was on an old Life magazine cover and later seen on the wall of the “Three’s Company” apartment.

It’s got a cat on it.

Cover for The Countryside Magazine and Suburban Life, April 1917 - art by Paul Bransom
Cover for The Countryside Magazine and Suburban Life, April 1917 – art by Paul Bransom

Along with ads of yore, I also love a good magazine cover.

From my collection, here’s The Countryside Magazine and Suburban Life’s cover for April 1917 (Spring Planting Number) with art by Paul Bransom.

The New York Times has a rather fine obituary/biography of the “Dean of American Animal Artists” here.