New Book Spotlight: J.C. Leyendecker

Dubbed the "Master of the Magazine Cover" by Norman Rockwell--who modeled both his technique and his career on his mentor--J.C. Leyendecker created illustrations that graced the covers of all the leading magazines, including Collier's, The Century, and Scribner's. His 322 covers for The Saturday Evening Post--more than any other artist--were so significant that they changed the way the nation looked at the world, introducing the concept of the New Year's Baby, Mother's Day flowers, and the pairing of football with Thanksgiving, among other seminal ideas. His work in advertising was equally influential, as he created sustained campaigns for products that ranged from high-fashion menswear to Ivory Soap and Kellogg's Corn Flakes. But he is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the Arrow Collar Man, the first male sex symbol and the first advertising star of either gender. These images of a sophisticated, elegant gentleman resonated with millions of viewers and sold to an eager society the idea of a glamorous lifestyle that helped mold the Roaring Twenties. Little did the public know that the Arrow Collar Man was in fact Leyendecker's longtime lover, Charles Beach. Leyendecker lived for most of his life with Beach and modeled many of the other stylish men in his artwork on him as well.