Let's Take A (look at) Holiday!

After the past two fairly intense weeks here at Today's Inspiration, first with Tom Watson's analysis of Sandy Kossin's "Bay of Pigs", then Barbara Bradley's thorough examination of her career and the role of women in the illustration business, I thought perhaps it might be time for a little holiday.

And how better to approach that than with a look at some illustrations from Holiday magazine?

So let's start with this great, classic 1953 watercolour piece by John Pike.


From what I've seen, relatively few 1950's illustrators worked in watercolour. In fact, when I see a really obvious watercolour technique in a 50's illustration, I immediately look for John Pike's signature. That's what I did when I first saw the ad below: assumed it must be by Pike.


But then I spotted this signature which reads, I think, "Wegner"(?)


Not a name I've come across before... but clearly an accomplished watercolourist. And then I found a second ad in this series.

You know, technique aside, I really love the audacity of these ads. The credit must surely go to the AD who designed the series. Just the idea of sticking a giant animal's face in the foreground (and choosing not particularly attractive or cuddly animals) was a daring move that makes these ads jump out and grab the viewer.


And the torn paper motif, sort of clichéd after many years of overuse, would have still been a novel design element back in 1960, I think. These are fun ads... and I like 'em!

My John Pike Flickr set.

My Wegner Flickr set.