A Christmas Convergence - Part 1

As I was scanning the Bernie Fuchs image below for today's post, it occurred to me that the December 1962 issue of McCall's from which the image is taken provides a unique opportunity to demonstrate the state of illustration in America at that time.


By 1962, magazines were using much less illustration in general, and the type of illustration being used was changing in style in a dramatic way. So this particular issue of McCall's (which contains an abundance of illustration more typical of 1952 than 1962) represents a sort of crossroads of styles and periods.


Today, I'm showing you that issue's contributions by New School artists Bernie Fuchs, Coby Whitmore, and Joe Bowler (respectively). Even within this group we see represented a master originator of that period (Whitmore), a second generation shining star (Bowler), and an architect of the style's next variation, Fuchs, whose unique approach influenced a generation of illustrators for the next decade.


Tomorrow I'll show you the work of the Old School artists from this same issue and on Monday, a look at two masters of the Decorative Style that would dominate illustration during the late 60's and early 70's.