Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
Publishers of depression-era pulp magazines, post war men’s adventure and girlie magazines, and lurid paperback titles all used risqué, action-packed illustrations to make their offerings jump off the newsstands in the highly competitive market for readers attention. Cover art pushed the boundaries of what was allowable in a heavily-censored era, coming up with increasingly deviant and outlandish portrayals of sex, violence, and perilous escapes from danger. Today, these works—which provide an intriguing peek into the shadow side of 20th century American culture—are studied by historians and coveted by collectors.
An action packed, Western Americana cover painting by the American illustrator Charles Durant, this appeared as the cover of the May 8, 1926 edition of Western Story Magazine. The scene is set on the main street of a Wild West frontier town as a robber on horseback grabs a bag from a fellow outlaw, the town’s grizzled inhabitants looking on […]
Artist: Charles Durant
On offer is an action packed, large format cover painting by George H. Wert, commissioned by Street & Smith publishers for the April 27, 1929 edition of Western Story Magazine. A foiled bank robbery in the old west as the three tough as nails cowboys heed orders to “Come out with your hands up”. The artist employs a heavy […]
Artist: George H. Wert
Featuring an action-packed early football image, this exciting, fresh-to-the-market pulp cover painting is signed lower right by Clyde Forsythe, an American illustrator who created a number of iconic American WWI propaganda posters.This large oil on canvas dates to around 1920 and we have so far have not been able to find where this appeared. Our hunch is that is was […]
Artist: Clyde Forsythe
An action packed, Western Americana pulp cover painting by George H. Wert, which was commissioned and used by Street & Smith publishers for the July 9, 1927 edition of Western Story Magazine. A square jaw ranch-hand rustles a group of steer while casually smoking a cig, one of the classic cowboy images that inspired the Marlboro Man. Created with […]
Artist: George H. Wert
On offer is a defining menace-themed oil on canvas pulp cover painting by Rafael DeSoto which appeared on the October, 1934 issue of Black Book Detective Magazine, with an occult scene evoking the mysteries of Halloween. A provocatively posed blonde in rapturous abandon stands before the eerie fire of a cauldron, holding the flames in her hands and proving […]
Artist: Rafael Desoto
A dramatically conceived illustration by the prolific New York based early twentieth century illustrator P. J. Monahan–this was likely created as cover art for an as-of-yet-unidentified pulp magazine. A flapper girl damsel in distress in dramatic light and shadow recoils as she attempts to fend off a man attacking her with a large brass candlestick. […]
Artist: P.J. Monahan
This tense and dramatic cowboy pulp cover painting was created by Norman Saunders for the March, 1950 edition of Western Short Stories, a Street & Smiths publication. A rough and tumble cowboy with two six guns a blazing, saving a damsel in distress on horseback in an action packed tense getaway. Painting is in a […]
Artist: Norman Saunders
This rare surviving original oil on canvas by H.J. Ward was created for the September, 1938 edition of Romantic Western. Only in the upside down, just plain evil world of the pulps would such a lurid and unchivalrous ultra-violent depiction exist on the same playing field with the word romantic. Painted with enough action to capture […]
Artist: H.J. Ward
An action packed, rough and tumble, large format illustration by Bruce Minney for the Michael Brett Book Bonus story The High Rollers, which graced the pages of Stag Magazine in August of 1967. A Las Vegas-based tale that promises to deliver “… motel shackups… Las Vegas goon-killers… girls with a top price on their bodies!…” […]
Artist: Bruce Minney
On offer is a lurid and provocative paperback book cover painting by Paul Rader for The Path Between. Dating to 1961, this Midwood Books title was a defining example of the highly popular, lesbian pulp genre. The 1st edition played up the taboo subject with the slug line “The Bizarre World Of The Outcast Sex – Women Who Seek […]
Artist: Paul Rader
