I love magazines and have trouble throwing them out so I have a slightly ridiculous collection of some of my favourites. Maybe one day the covers, editorial spreads and ads inside will be considered art and I can profit from my pack-rat habits. For now, we can search out charming photos, illustrations and iconic magazine images online. I googled, found and printed an Art-Deco-era Vogue cover and have it framed on my wall.
Above from left: 1940s General Tire Ice Skate ad; 1947 Jantzen lingerie ad; 1953 Bear Stockings ad; all from 20th Century Art eBay store.
In an effort to find you high-quality images and save you lots of searching, here are a few good places to find vintage magazine art at three different price points:
Free: MagazineArt.org
MagazineArt has scanned and categorized a large collection of American covers and advertisements from the turn of the century. You'll have to download and print these yourself. The files aren't huge so they're best displayed in traditional 4' x 6" frames.
(Below, left: 1915 Colliers cover)
Very Affordable: 20th Century Art eBay store
A collection of vintage magazine ads and collectibles up for auction on eBay. Prices start at around $10USD and go up from there and everything is available to purchase right away, no bidding and waiting required. The bonus here is that you're getting the original magazine ad, not a digital scan.
(Below, middle: 1933 Malthe Hasselriis cover illustration for McCall's Style and Beauty)
A Little Pricey: The Vanity Fair store
Buy high quality prints of photos, illustrations and covers from Vanity Fair. Their Jazz Age photos of celebrities in black-and-white are striking and classy and start at $180USD for a 12" x 15" print.
(Below, right: Agnès de Mille by Nickolas Murray from 1928 Vanity Fair.)
