Ilonka Karasz
For many illustrators, having their work on the cover of The New Yorker is a dream. Since the magazine launched in 1925, it has produced some truly iconic covers that, in a single image, demonstrate why illustration is an important part of our visual culture. Not one to shy away from representing timely and/or controversial topics, the images produced are a snapshot of society at that particular time.
One of the most memorable covers of my lifetime (so far) appeared on September 24, 2001—shortly after the September 11th attacks. Art Spiegelman(of Maus fame) and Françoise Mouly (The New Yorker art editor) created the solemn image of two black towers outlined on a black background. Of its conception, Mouly recalls, “I felt that images were suddenly powerless to help us understand what had happened. The only appropriate solution seemed to be to publish no cover image at all—an all-black cover. Then Art suggested adding the outlines of the two towers, black on black. So from no cover came a perfect image, which conveyed something about the unbearable loss of life, the sudden absence in our skyline, the abrupt tear in the fabric of reality.”
Of course, not all of The New Yorker covers illustrate such tragedy. Others focus on lighter topics, like the changing seasons or holiday traditions. For this edition of #TBT, I’ve gone back and picked out some old New Yorker covers—starting from their beginning to the middle (maybe late) of the 20th century. See even more of them here.
Theodore G. Haupt
Ilonka Karasz
William Steig
Saul Steinberg
Ronald Searle
Anatol Kovarsky
Ilonka Karasz
Robert Kraus
Rea Irvin
Saul Steinberg
Abe Birnbaum
