In the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog of the Library of Congress, there is a curious photo, an early 20th century image with the handwritten names of four individuals in costume. Two of them are dressed as monks. For me, the person of interest here is Rea Irvin, the illustrator who worked notably for the old Life magazine and for The New Yorker, where he was the magazine's first art director.
Well, I don't think there's any doubt. The 1933 Gallery of Comic-Strip Artists from Fortune magazine a couple of decades later has a picture of Irvin along with seven other cartoonists. Irvin was included in this list because he created a comic strip called The Smythes. Comparing his face in both photos, he appears to have the same serious demeanor and concentrated gaze.
According to the Library of Congress, the image is on a glass negative from the Bain News Service circa 1910 to 1915. It is a part of the George Grantham Bain collection in the Library of Congress. Was this ever published? What made it newsworthy? The right side of the image seems to have sustained some damage, giving the two monks an ethereal look.
All of this begs the question, of course, of just what is going on in this photograph. This image apparently was taken at a costume party. Of note, the Library of Congress has a total of seven photos from this event.One of them is of particular interest, as it has a Mrs. J. M. Flagg, whom I take to be the first wife of the great illustrator James Montgomery Flagg. It seems likely therefore that Flagg himself was in attendance, and this was probably before he created his famous "I Want You" poster. How did it come about that two great turn-of-the century illustrators may both have been present at this remarkable costume party? How well did they know each other? Was this affair in some way a publisher's event? Or did both illustrators move about in the circles of high society?
Take a look at the photo from the same costume party that includes Mrs. J. M. Flagg in attendance:
Information from the Library of Congress website:
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| Rea Irvin,The New Yorker, February 21, 1925 |
Over the years, Irvin created a great many covers for The New Yorker, although he is best known for the cover of the first issue featuring the dandy Eustace Tilley, a cover which has been making repeat appearances on most anniversary issues since. This photograph, if the Library of Congress is correct, was taken most likely a decade or more before that first issue of The New Yorker hit the newsstands. Can the century-old handwriting on the photo be trusted? Is the standing monk on the right side of this photo indeed the prolific and talented Rea Irvin?
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| Mrs. J. W. Teague, J. D. Brophy, C. G. Norris, Rea Irvin Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog Bain News Service, C. 1910-1915 George Grantham Bain Collection |
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| Milt Gross, Rea Irvin, H. T. Webster, Sidney Smith, Percy Crosby, Billy De Beck, Cliff Sterrett, George McManus. "A Gallery of Comic-Strip Artists," Fortune, 1933 |
According to the Library of Congress, the image is on a glass negative from the Bain News Service circa 1910 to 1915. It is a part of the George Grantham Bain collection in the Library of Congress. Was this ever published? What made it newsworthy? The right side of the image seems to have sustained some damage, giving the two monks an ethereal look.
All of this begs the question, of course, of just what is going on in this photograph. This image apparently was taken at a costume party. Of note, the Library of Congress has a total of seven photos from this event.One of them is of particular interest, as it has a Mrs. J. M. Flagg, whom I take to be the first wife of the great illustrator James Montgomery Flagg. It seems likely therefore that Flagg himself was in attendance, and this was probably before he created his famous "I Want You" poster. How did it come about that two great turn-of-the century illustrators may both have been present at this remarkable costume party? How well did they know each other? Was this affair in some way a publisher's event? Or did both illustrators move about in the circles of high society?
Take a look at the photo from the same costume party that includes Mrs. J. M. Flagg in attendance:
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| Mrs. C. H. Wright, Mrs. Chas. Ebert, Mrs. R. Beckwith, Mrs. J. M. Flagg, Mrs. H. G. Dart C. A. Gilbert, H. G. Dart Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog Bain News Service, C. 1910-1915 George Grantham Bain Collection |
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| http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ggb2005015343/ |
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| http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ggb2005015343/ |
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Mrs. J. W. Teague, J. D. Brophy, C. G. Norris, Rea Irvin Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog Bain News Service, C. 1910-1915 George Grantham Bain Collection |
Note: It is just possible that some reader may recognize another name from this costume party and be able to make an interesting connection or conjecture. I'd love to learn more about this event if anyone can piece any of the clues together. Where was it held? Who hosted the costume party? Exactly what year might this have been? How did possibly two top illustrators come to be in attendance?
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