Rea Irvin

Rea Irvin
Born(1881-08-26)August 26, 1881
San Francisco, California, United States
DiedMay 28, 1972(1972-05-28) (aged 90)
Frederiksted, Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
EducationMark Hopkins Art Institute
Occupation(s)Illustrator, graphic artist, cartoonist, art editor

Rea Irvin (August 26, 1881 – May 28, 1972), was an American graphic artist and cartoonist. Although never formally credited as such, he served de facto as the first art editor of The New Yorker. He created the Eustace Tilley cover portrait and the New Yorker typeface. He first drew Tilley for the cover of the magazine's first issue on February 21, 1925. Tilley appeared annually on the magazine's cover every February until 1994.[1][2] As one commentator has written, "a truly modern bon vivant, Irvin was also a keen appreciator of the century of his birth. His high regard for both the careful artistry of the past and the gleam of the modern metropolis shines from the very first issue of the magazine ..."[3]

Cartoon for New Year 1917 caricatures how the holiday was noted 50 years earlier contrasted with contemporary celebrations
Cover of Life magazine in 1913 showing a Greek-style scene of suffrage activists led by one resembling Susan B. Anthony
1916 illustration for a short story, "Why He Married Her"
  1. ^ Dewan, Shaila K., et al. "PUBLIC LIVES", The New York Times, February 15, 2001. Accessed January 14, 2008. "Although no substantiation is offered for HENDRIK HERTZBERG'S claim on The New Yorker's new Web site that EUSTACE TILLEY, the persnickety snob created by REA IRVIN, is one of the most successful and recognizable corporate trademarks in the history of hype, Mr. Tilley does have a lengthy curriculum vitae. He appeared on The New Yorker's first cover on Feb. 21, 1925, and each February thereafter until 1994."
  2. ^ The Many Faces of Eustace Tilley The New Yorker.
  3. ^ Everybody Loves Rea Irvin PRINT Magazine.