Flanderian
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What follows is my collection of Esquire magazine’s sartorial illustrations from what is often termed, their golden age. Esquire was an outgrowth of the earlier publication, Apparel Arts. Apparel Arts was begun in December 1931 as a Christmas edition. It was published by the Menswear Service Corporation, among whose publishers were William Hobart Weintraub, David A. Smart and Arnold Gingrich. It was a trade publication intended for the menswear industry, and distribution was limited to wholesale buyers and retailers. It was published periodically during the year with varied special editions sometimes bringing the total to eight.
It was a lavish publication for a magazine and bound between cardboard covers. In addition to the fine, commissioned sartorial illustrations intended to illustrate trends, it contained industry advertising, which was also sometimes lush, articles on how to dress and merchandising, and even tipped-in cloth samples for some of the clothing illustrated.
The publication was often used as a point-of-sale trade stimulator by retail salesman, and proved so popular among retail customers that many copies of AA tended to disappear from the retailers. Learning of this, AA’s publishers began Esquire as a sister sartorial and general interest magazine intended for the public. The first issue was an autumn 1933 issue (I believe published in September ’33.) with Arnold Gingrich as its managing editor. Beginning with the January 1934 issue it became a monthly publication. In addition to featuring many of the sartorial illustrations from AA it also contained both fiction and non-fiction articles from many of the top writers of the day. Included among the authors in the first issue were Ernest Hemmingway, Ring Lardner Jr., John Dos Passos, Dashiell Hammett, Ersklne Caldwell and Gene Tunney.
As well as I’ve been able to determine, all of the sartorial illustrations (Fashion plates.) that appeared in Esquire during this era also appeared in Apparel Arts. But not all such illustrations from Apparel Arts made it to Esquire.
Both publications used freelance commercial illustrators who they commissioned to illustrate fashion plates on an ad hoc basis. Some were trained professionally, while others were largely self-taught. The illustrators also produced work that appeared elsewhere, notably for adverting, some of which found its way into the same magazine issues for which that illustrator provided fashion plates.
Among the illustrators who did sartorial illustrations for Esquire during that period were Laurence Fellows, Robert Goodman, Leslie Saalburg, Charles Fox, Louis Hurd, Frederick Stewart Heidgerd, Charles Frederick Peters, Ruth Sigrid Grafstrom and others. Many are particularly fond of Fellows’ work, and I share their enthusiasm. Robert Goodman was the only illustrator I know to have become an Esquire staff member, becoming Esquire’s Art Director in 1945. And Ruth Grafstrom was the only female illustrator from that era of which I’m aware.
What follows what is a essentially complete collection of Esquire’s sartorial fashion plates from their first issue, through to those July 1947. I’ve also included selected sartorial articles and advertising illustrations that I considered particularly relevant and meritorious. I know many/most/all (?) of the illustrations have appeared on-line here and elsewhere, or in print, but this is the entire group in one place, in digital form with decent resolution. They continue to inspire and instruct me, though I’ve seen them all now many times. I’m hoping that other members may enjoy them too.
I intend to post 5 or 6 of these illustrations daily in chronological order. I love discussing them, and am always learning more about them, and would like to do so with any members who may wish too.
The following illustrations are from the autumn 1933 issue of Esquire, their first -
It was a lavish publication for a magazine and bound between cardboard covers. In addition to the fine, commissioned sartorial illustrations intended to illustrate trends, it contained industry advertising, which was also sometimes lush, articles on how to dress and merchandising, and even tipped-in cloth samples for some of the clothing illustrated.
The publication was often used as a point-of-sale trade stimulator by retail salesman, and proved so popular among retail customers that many copies of AA tended to disappear from the retailers. Learning of this, AA’s publishers began Esquire as a sister sartorial and general interest magazine intended for the public. The first issue was an autumn 1933 issue (I believe published in September ’33.) with Arnold Gingrich as its managing editor. Beginning with the January 1934 issue it became a monthly publication. In addition to featuring many of the sartorial illustrations from AA it also contained both fiction and non-fiction articles from many of the top writers of the day. Included among the authors in the first issue were Ernest Hemmingway, Ring Lardner Jr., John Dos Passos, Dashiell Hammett, Ersklne Caldwell and Gene Tunney.
As well as I’ve been able to determine, all of the sartorial illustrations (Fashion plates.) that appeared in Esquire during this era also appeared in Apparel Arts. But not all such illustrations from Apparel Arts made it to Esquire.
Both publications used freelance commercial illustrators who they commissioned to illustrate fashion plates on an ad hoc basis. Some were trained professionally, while others were largely self-taught. The illustrators also produced work that appeared elsewhere, notably for adverting, some of which found its way into the same magazine issues for which that illustrator provided fashion plates.
Among the illustrators who did sartorial illustrations for Esquire during that period were Laurence Fellows, Robert Goodman, Leslie Saalburg, Charles Fox, Louis Hurd, Frederick Stewart Heidgerd, Charles Frederick Peters, Ruth Sigrid Grafstrom and others. Many are particularly fond of Fellows’ work, and I share their enthusiasm. Robert Goodman was the only illustrator I know to have become an Esquire staff member, becoming Esquire’s Art Director in 1945. And Ruth Grafstrom was the only female illustrator from that era of which I’m aware.
What follows what is a essentially complete collection of Esquire’s sartorial fashion plates from their first issue, through to those July 1947. I’ve also included selected sartorial articles and advertising illustrations that I considered particularly relevant and meritorious. I know many/most/all (?) of the illustrations have appeared on-line here and elsewhere, or in print, but this is the entire group in one place, in digital form with decent resolution. They continue to inspire and instruct me, though I’ve seen them all now many times. I’m hoping that other members may enjoy them too.
I intend to post 5 or 6 of these illustrations daily in chronological order. I love discussing them, and am always learning more about them, and would like to do so with any members who may wish too.
The following illustrations are from the autumn 1933 issue of Esquire, their first -
great postings!
