Wednesday, July 27, 2011

COLLECTION #19: Saturday Evening Post


I have a couple of stacks of vintage magazines in my collections- they range from the early 1900s to the 1970s. I'm not really a magazine collector per se, but I do love having them in my files... they are such a fabulous glimpse of popular culture of the day, advertisements (my favorite sections!), amazing graphic design, fonts, and illustration- not to mention articles, stories, and photographs. Just a treasure trove of the past!


The Saturday Evening Post was such a treasured US weekly publication... I won't go into the history here, you can read about it on their official website, here. However, fair warning, the current Saturday Evening Post is not the same publication it was 'back in the day'. It has a different owner, and different priorities, but the history of the magazine is rich and fun.

Most of you know that the illustrator Norman Rockwell really personified the style of art that graced the covers of the Post for many, many years. His eye for storytelling, his amazing painting skill, and the sheer personality of his work, inspired many other illustrators of the day. Their covers often show the same quirky sense of humor and sensitivity as Mr. Rockwell. Where Norman Rockwell's art often portrayed old-fashioned values and stories, other illustrators showed a more modern view of life. Together they wove a view of the United States mid-century as a combination of tradition and progression.

My Saturday Evening Posts are all from the late 50s, early 60s. An innocent time, peak baby-boomer years, between WWII and the assassination of President Kennedy. I'd love to go back in time to that era!

And just look at the great cover art below! That modern house with the amazing finned car, and the absolute perfect touch: a whimsical, modern jack-o-lantern banner hanging over the carport. The kids and dogs, of course, add the perfect touch. (Click on any of the images for a closer view)

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