Welcome to
MagazineArt.org


A virtual museum of vintage magazine
cover and advertising art
from the Golden Age of American Illustration

More than eighteen thousand covers and ads on this site

This Website
  > Contents
> What's New?
> Our Goals
> About the Magazines
> Magazine Art and History Links

Artists
  > About the Artists
> Artists Listed by Issue (Large File!)
> Will H. Bradley
> Enoch Bolles
> Howard V. Brown
> Maxfield Parrish
> F. X. Leyendecker
> J. C. Leyendecker
> Rudolph Belarski
> And More...

Editors & Writers
  > J. G. Holland
> John Kendrick Bangs
> Rafael Sabatini
> Talbot Mundy
> And More...

Publishers
  > Gernsback
> Ridgway
> S. S. McClure
> Frank Leslie
> And More...

About Us
  > About This Website
> Volunteers
> We Need Your Help
> Special Thanks To...
> Copyrights
> Privacy Policy
> Legal Notices
> Contact Us
> Update History

Special Features
  > Reference Library


 

 

WHY THIS SITE?

We like art. Art wants to be seen; it does no good if it can't be seen. There's a lot of art that's been hidden away for fifty or a hundred years or more—hidden away not because it's bad art, or because someone tried to suppress it, but just because it was part of something transient. Once that transient thing had its day in our living rooms, it fell from view and the art that it held was lost to us.

 Magazine cover -- text design only
Text-only cover (click to enlarge)

WHY MAGAZINES?

Magazine cover -- unchanging design
Unchanging cover design (click to enlarge)

Magazines shaped our lives. They came into our homes and showed us how to dress, how to act, what to read, which way to vote, and how to think about ourselves, literature, science, art, and the rest of the world. We've created this website because these magazine covers are difficult to find and study, even considering all the influence they had on us. We're here because we love the art and want to make it available once again. Take a look around; try one of the links in the left or right columns..


ART INTO SOCIETY

The great illustrators of the period 1870-1950 had a tremendous influence on us; they affected us both directly, and subconsciously. They painted the covers for the magazines that were published under thousands of titles, in millions and millions of copies. Today those magazines are forgotten, and the artwork that graced their covers is unknown to the general public and obscure even to specialists.

 Magazine cover -- complex drawing
Complex drawing (click to enlarge)

REMEMBRANCE OF ART PAST

Magazine cover -- pulp fiction design
Pulp fiction cover (click to enlarge)

We're trying to do something about that. We're putting images of the covers up on the web, for you to look at for free. We run a few ads, and you can even donate small amounts of money using the links at the lower left; but, anyway, whatever; you don't have to pay anything to see these images. In fact, you don't have to do anything, except look at the pictures.


THE STATE OF THE ART

We have over eighteen thousand cover and advertising images on this site, in a variety of categories, linked from the contents page. More to come; always lots more to come. We also have information pages about specific magazines, publishers, editors, artists, and publishing companies. Have a look!

 Magazine cover -- middle-class dreams
Middle-class dreams (click to enlarge)

ART FOR ART'S SAKE

Magazine cover -- art and decoration
Art and decoration (click to enlarge)

Why is Art? Is florid decoration Art? Neo-realism, abstraction, cubism, pop and pattern? Do we know what we like? Or do we just like what we know? Who knows; who can tell. Imagine a world without art, sans decoration, minus a garnish and lacking all design. Why do that, we say. Have some art.


 


 

SPECIAL NOTE: We now display more than a thousand covers from LIFE, the Humor Magazine, and from tech stalwart SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN.

 


 

Check out What's New — Latest update 2 January 2024

Take a look at our list of artists by magazine issue.

We need your help scanning or photographing, and cleaning up, cover images from vintage magazines you may own or have access to. If you can help with this, even if only for a single issue, send us e-mail.

 


 

 

 

 

 

General Magazines
  > The Top Level
> Art and Design Magazines
> Business and Finance Magazines
> Farm Magazines
> Fiction Magazines
> Health and Fitness
> Hobbies
> House and Garden
> Humor Magazines
> Literary, Commentary, and Political
> Men's Magazines
> 
Monthly Magazines
> Movies, TV, and Radio
> Music and Theater
> News and Current
   Events

> Religion and
   Mysticism

> Romance and
   Confession

> Science and Technology
> Specialized Magazines
> Sports Magazines
> Trade Magazines
> Travel Magazines
> Weekly Magazines
> Women's Magazines
> Youth, Children, and Kids' Magazines
> And More
   to Come...


Pulp Magazines
  > The Top Level
> Adventure Pulps
> Crime, Mystery, and Detective Pulps
> General Fiction Pulps
> Hero Pulps
> Horror, Terror, and Shudder Pulps
> Rare Pulps
> Romance Pulps
> Science Fiction & Fantasy Pulps
> Specialized Pulps
> 
Spicy Pulps
> Sports Pulps
> War Stories and Military Pulps
> Western Pulps

Magazine Ads
  > The Top Level for Ads
> Art, Film, Books, and Movies
> Automobiles and Trucks
> Banks, Insurance Companies, and Brokerages
> Bicycles and Motorcycles
> Cameras and Photography
> Clothing and Fashions
> Education and Training Ads
> Farm Ads
> Food and Beverages
> Health and Medicine
> House and Garden
> Jobs and Businesses
> Machines and Technology
> Music and Musical Instruments
> Pens and Office Supplies Ads
> Personal Care Items
> Property, Land, and Real Estate
> Radio, TV, Phonograph, and Recording Ads
> Services
> Sports and Guns
> Tobacco Products
> Toys and Games
> Travel and Transportation