Original 1927 Cover From The Saturday Evening Post
This cover from the Saturday Evening Post is dated December 3, 1927. Illustrated by renowned artist of the time, Norman Rockwell, it is titled ‘King Kong Santa’. This iconic image is vibrantly coloured with great attention to detail. Norman Rockwell was celebrated for his legendary images of Santa and this indeed is one of them! It depicts an enlarged face of Santa, complete with symbolic personification, including bulbous nose, laugh lines, rosy cheeks and that twinkle in his eyes. Santa is carefully and delicately holding up a small boy wearing pyjamas. He is balanced on Santa’s large index finger. Hands behind his back, he is staring into Santa’s warm and friendly eyes. Why the name ‘King Kong Santa’? Perhaps there was talk in the air. The King Kong movie was released in 1937, just a few years later.
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) was an American painter and illustrator. He was most famous for the cover illustrations he created for the Saturday Evening Post. For nearly five decades he created iconic depictions of American culture. With his keen eye for detail and his talent as a master storyteller, his works had wide popular appeal. Themes often included families, mischievous children and small-town life, often tempered with a touch of humour. During times of suffering, for example The Great Depression or World War 11, he knew how important it was to keep people’s spirits up. Over the years his work has achieved iconic status. His paintings impressed indelible images that went on to inspire creative Americans such as directors George Lucas, Steven Speilberg (both avid collectors) and Robert Zemickis, whose 1994 Forrest Gump recreates several of Rockwell’s paintings as scenes throughout the film. “Without thinking too much about it in specific terms, I was showing the America I knew and observed, to others who might not have noticed,” Rockwell said.
The Saturday Evening Post is an American magazine. It was originally published weekly from 1897 until 1963. It is now published six times per year. From the 1920’s up until the 1960’s, the Saturday Evening Post was one of the most widely circulated and influential magazines among the American middle class. It contained fiction, non-fiction, cartoons and features. It reached about 2 million homes every week.
On the reverse side of the cover there is an advertisement for Del Monte canned pineapple. The advertisement is vividly coloured and carries the caption, ‘For pineapple - right out of the heart of Hawaii’s finest fruit’. The page measures approximately 34 cms by 28 cms.
This cover from the Saturday Evening Post is dated December 3, 1927. Illustrated by renowned artist of the time, Norman Rockwell, it is titled ‘King Kong Santa’. This iconic image is vibrantly coloured with great attention to detail. Norman Rockwell was celebrated for his legendary images of Santa and this indeed is one of them! It depicts an enlarged face of Santa, complete with symbolic personification, including bulbous nose, laugh lines, rosy cheeks and that twinkle in his eyes. Santa is carefully and delicately holding up a small boy wearing pyjamas. He is balanced on Santa’s large index finger. Hands behind his back, he is staring into Santa’s warm and friendly eyes. Why the name ‘King Kong Santa’? Perhaps there was talk in the air. The King Kong movie was released in 1937, just a few years later.
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) was an American painter and illustrator. He was most famous for the cover illustrations he created for the Saturday Evening Post. For nearly five decades he created iconic depictions of American culture. With his keen eye for detail and his talent as a master storyteller, his works had wide popular appeal. Themes often included families, mischievous children and small-town life, often tempered with a touch of humour. During times of suffering, for example The Great Depression or World War 11, he knew how important it was to keep people’s spirits up. Over the years his work has achieved iconic status. His paintings impressed indelible images that went on to inspire creative Americans such as directors George Lucas, Steven Speilberg (both avid collectors) and Robert Zemickis, whose 1994 Forrest Gump recreates several of Rockwell’s paintings as scenes throughout the film. “Without thinking too much about it in specific terms, I was showing the America I knew and observed, to others who might not have noticed,” Rockwell said.
The Saturday Evening Post is an American magazine. It was originally published weekly from 1897 until 1963. It is now published six times per year. From the 1920’s up until the 1960’s, the Saturday Evening Post was one of the most widely circulated and influential magazines among the American middle class. It contained fiction, non-fiction, cartoons and features. It reached about 2 million homes every week.
On the reverse side of the cover there is an advertisement for Del Monte canned pineapple. The advertisement is vividly coloured and carries the caption, ‘For pineapple - right out of the heart of Hawaii’s finest fruit’. The page measures approximately 34 cms by 28 cms.
This cover from the Saturday Evening Post is dated December 3, 1927. Illustrated by renowned artist of the time, Norman Rockwell, it is titled ‘King Kong Santa’. This iconic image is vibrantly coloured with great attention to detail. Norman Rockwell was celebrated for his legendary images of Santa and this indeed is one of them! It depicts an enlarged face of Santa, complete with symbolic personification, including bulbous nose, laugh lines, rosy cheeks and that twinkle in his eyes. Santa is carefully and delicately holding up a small boy wearing pyjamas. He is balanced on Santa’s large index finger. Hands behind his back, he is staring into Santa’s warm and friendly eyes. Why the name ‘King Kong Santa’? Perhaps there was talk in the air. The King Kong movie was released in 1937, just a few years later.
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) was an American painter and illustrator. He was most famous for the cover illustrations he created for the Saturday Evening Post. For nearly five decades he created iconic depictions of American culture. With his keen eye for detail and his talent as a master storyteller, his works had wide popular appeal. Themes often included families, mischievous children and small-town life, often tempered with a touch of humour. During times of suffering, for example The Great Depression or World War 11, he knew how important it was to keep people’s spirits up. Over the years his work has achieved iconic status. His paintings impressed indelible images that went on to inspire creative Americans such as directors George Lucas, Steven Speilberg (both avid collectors) and Robert Zemickis, whose 1994 Forrest Gump recreates several of Rockwell’s paintings as scenes throughout the film. “Without thinking too much about it in specific terms, I was showing the America I knew and observed, to others who might not have noticed,” Rockwell said.
The Saturday Evening Post is an American magazine. It was originally published weekly from 1897 until 1963. It is now published six times per year. From the 1920’s up until the 1960’s, the Saturday Evening Post was one of the most widely circulated and influential magazines among the American middle class. It contained fiction, non-fiction, cartoons and features. It reached about 2 million homes every week.
On the reverse side of the cover there is an advertisement for Del Monte canned pineapple. The advertisement is vividly coloured and carries the caption, ‘For pineapple - right out of the heart of Hawaii’s finest fruit’. The page measures approximately 34 cms by 28 cms.
At some stage this cover has been trimmed at the top edge.
