Category Archives: Illustration
Magazine Covers–Pre-1920–Part 2 (Das Plakat)
Das Plakat, a German magazine, began in 1910 as an extension of Verein der Plakat Freunde (The Society for Friends of the Poster). Everything I know about Das Plakat I learned from an article by SVA’s own Steven Heller that he wrote for designtaxi.com. Read it now, and become illuminated!
We only have one proper cover of Das Plakat (Plakat means poster), a striking gold-metallic number from May 1914. The issue was devoted to European poster stamps.
The other items we have are not magazine covers, rather they are interior pages from various issues 1913-1915 (though I have decided they should live in the Magazine Covers folder so users can consider them together). Examples follow:
The next two pages feature works by Austrian painter, draftsman, illustrator, commercial graphic artist, typographer and writer Julius Klinger:
Julius Klinger in our book stacks:
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Next is a poster advertising a Schützenfest (target shooting party) by Richard Schaupp:
And lastly the title page from the January 05, 1914 edition:
Advertising–Tourism
The tag-line of this blog is “A tiny window into 637 Periodical Titles & 200,000+ images divided into 910 Picture Subjects.” 95 of those subjects have the parent subject Advertising. There are 16 subcategories of Advertising (Beer, Cigarettes, Cosmetics & Grooming, Drugs & Medicine, Fashion, Finance, etc.). Those subcategories are then divided chronologically, for the most part into decades. This arrangement allows users to see how illustration (or the lack of it), graphic design, copy, and advertising strategies have evolved over time.
Advertising–Tourism, which has nearly 1000 items, is divided thus: 1890-1919, 1920-1929, 1930-1939, 1940-1949, 1950-1959, 1960-1969, 1970-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1999, 2000-2009, and soon 2010-2019. A generous sampling follows.
October 1904
From Travel Magazine, November 1926
From Travel Magazine, December 1926
1932
By Horace Taylor, From The Artist, June 1933
1949. 62 Years later, the Florida Vacation persists.
1950. This is a whole pamphlet published by the Pan American Union.
National Geographic, June 1968
Smithsonian, October 1972
1980's
1990
Culture & Travel, July/August 2008
National Lampoon Magazine: Relevant Irreverence
The Visual Arts Library recently acquired an (almost[1]) full run of National Lampoon Magazine. Much can be said about this magazine that originally was spun off the Harvard Lampoon. From my nerdy consumer point of view, what really draws me to this publication is their incredible enthusiasm and attention to detail. Every page of every issue (at least in their heyday: see the irreverent–there’s that word again–1970’s) is crammed with creativity, artful considerations, and in most instances, meaningful audacity. The table of contents and editorial page from the June 1974 issue:
Most of the issues are themed. This one is their “Rainy Day Sunday Funbook Issue” which apparently didn’t reached the pictured rained-in kid soon enough. One of their favorite satirical devices seems to be confusing horror with comedy; both the blood and guts and social varieties. Many of the magazines have embedded publications in them that parody other actual publications, such as this one that is supposed to have been put out by the state of Mississippi Bar Association featuring articles on “Closing Those Loopholes in Mississippi Lynch Law” and “No-Fault Rape–New Concepts to Protect Our Menfolk:”
Civil Rights and Vietnam era politics proliferate the pages, along with heaping sides of boob and toilet humor.
The list of contributing writers, illustrators, and cartoonist involved with this influential comedy magazine are chronicled in the recent publication Drunk stoned brilliant dead : the writers and artists who made the National lampoon insanely great by Rick Meyerowitz (who was closely associated with the magazine from the beginning) which will soon be available in the Visual Arts Library.
Here is a short brag list of artists and writers: John Hughes, Michael O’Donoghue, Neal Adams, Frank Frazetta, Russ Heath, Bobby London, Shary Flenniken, and Edward Gorey.
Late last year the New York Public had an event in conjunction with the publication of the book: LIVE from the NYPL: AN EVENING WITH THE NATIONAL LAMPOON TO MAKE THE LIONS ROAR WITH LAUGHTER (there is an audio recording of the event if you follow the link).
And lastly, Bill Scheft ,when reviewing Meyerowitz’s book for the NY Times , credited National Lampoon Magazine for spawning ““Saturday Night Live”; “The Simpsons” and their spawn; all of late night; The Onion; and two generations who have no idea they’ve been so thoroughly influenced. ” Not bad.
[1]We are missing two issues from 1984. Also, our run ends in 1992, but only one issue was released in 1993, five in 1994, and three in 1995. For the last three years of its existence, the magazine was published only once annually until it died for good in November 1998.
Success Magazine: For a Better (Illustrated) You!
Bound Voume from 1902
Orison Swett Marden, a proponent of the New Thought Movement, started Success Magazine in 1897. Featuring Fiction and self-help/improvement editorials and articles, Orison created the magazine to chronicle the personal achievement of individuals famous and common. So why does the Visual Arts Library have it (1902, 1908-1910)? We have it because it is chalk full of turn of the century illustrated stories, advertising, and beautifully adorned page layout. Please see below for examples.
- Article about a relatively downtrodden man who helps the homeless
SVA Library Picture & Periodicals Collections 
