The Golden Age of Illustration (1880x-1930s), was a period of unprecedented excellence in book and magazine illustration. It developed from advances in technology permitting accurate and inexpensive reproduction of art, combined with a voracious public demand for new graphic art.

In Europe, Golden Age artists were influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites and by such design-oriented movements as the Arts and Crafts Movement, Art Nouveau, and Les Nabis. Leading artists included Walter Crane, Edmund Dulac, Aubrey Beardsley, Arthur Rackham and Kay Nielsen.

American illustration of this period was anchored by the Brandywine Valley tradition, begun by Howard Pyle and carried on by his students, who included N.C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, Frank Schoonover and Edwin Austin Abbey.

Charles Dana Gibson	Harrison Fisher	Jessie Willcox Smith
James Christian Leyendecker	James Montgoemry Flagg	James Christian Leyendecker

The Magic of Youth: An Affair with Beauty: The Mystique of Howard Chandler Christy by James Philip Head – Hardcover: 292 pages; North Loop Books (Aug 12, 2016)

Fame, fortune, and beautiful models--Howard Chandler Christy had them all.

The Complete Works of Harrison Fisher by Naomi Welch – Hardcover: 384 pages; Images of the Past; 1st edition (Jun 1, 1999)

The book is organized into 19 chapters covering every aspect of his work including: illustrated art books, magazine cover art, posters, sheet music, calendars, candy tins, art prints, novels, Sunday newspaper supplements, magazine interior art, series, postcard panels, advertisements, programs, glassware, pocket mirrors, tape measures, collectible reproductions, and much more. The book is heavily illustrated with 1,384 images in full color.

Harrison Fisher Girls by Harrison Fisher – Hardcover; Dodd, Mead & Co; First Edition edition (1914)

The Golden Age: Masterworks from the Golden Age of Illustration – Hardcover; The Illustrated Press; 1st edition (2015)

Women Illustrators of the Golden Age by Mary Carolyn Waldrep – Paperback: 144 pages; Dover Publications; Green edition (Jun 17, 2010)

At the turn of the twentieth century, the demand for magazine and book illustrations was at an all-time high, offering women artists an unprecedented number of professional opportunities. This unique anthology features 120 color and black-and-white artworks by the Golden Age of Illustration's finest female illustrators, including Beatrix Potter, Kate Greenaway, and Jessie Willcox Smith.

Fadeaway: The Remarkable Imagery of Coles Phillips by Coles Phillips, Jeff A. Menges (Editor), Mr. Scott Fischer (Introduction) – Paperback: 96 pages; Dover Publications (Feb 13, 2019)

Coles Phillips (1880–1927) was among the most in-demand illustrators in his field during the 1910s and 20s. A dynamic and highly skilled watercolor artist and draftsman, Phillips created dozens of covers for mainstream American magazines, including Good Housekeeping, Life, and The Saturday Evening Post. In 1908 he created a style in which the figure in the foreground blended seamlessly into the background, rendering some amount of the clothing invisible save for the edges. Dubbed "The Fadeaway," the eye-catching technique became a huge hit and was employed to great effect by the artist for most of his career.

This original compilation features more than 80 color plates selected from two of Phillips' early collections, A Gallery of Girls and A Young Man's Fancy, in addition to images from other sources. An Introduction by illustrator and graphic designer Scott M. Fischer provides a modern appraisal and speaks to Phillips' lasting influence. Students of illustration, graphic design, and advertising as well as fans of 1920s fashion will appreciate this collection of striking works by a Golden Age designer-illustrator.

The Golden Age of Children's Book Illustration by Richard Dalby – Hardcover; Gallery Books; 1st edition (Mar 1, 1991)

First U.S. edition. More than 150 illustrations--both color plates and black and white drawings--and over fifty biographies of leading artists in England and America, predominantly from the 1860's to the late l930's. Includes well-known names such as Kate Greenaway, Jessie Willcox Smith and the Robinson brothers, and less well known, but equally talented artists, such as Harry Clarke, Anne Anderson, and Margaret Tarrant. An essential work to students of children's books and the illustrators' art. 144 pages. paper-covered boards, dust jacket.

Harrison Fisher: Defining the American Beauty by Tina Skinner – Paperback: 176 pages; Schiffer Publishing (Dec 23, 1998)

Fisher portrayed the American woman as an outgoing, lively personality, wealthy and healthy. She rode horses, played tennis, and motored in the new automobiles while holding court for admiring men. Fisher's portrayals of such beauties added market value to dozens of novels as well as hundreds of magazines which clamored for his art on both their covers and inside pages. With Fisher's work extremely hot on the collectibles market, new and seasoned buyers alike will benefit from the advice of antiques dealer and Price Guide author Bruce Magnotti.

An Affair with Beauty: The Mystique of Howard Chandler Christy by James Philip Head, Foreword by Everett Raymond Kinstler – Hardcover: 478 pages; North Loop Books; (Mar 3, 2019)

In Romantic Illusions, the second book in Head's An Affair with Beauty trilogy, Christy once again comes to life through the eyes of Nancy Palmer Christy, his wife and former model, as she recounts her first Christmas with Howard and his family at his Ohio mansion, the Barracks, in 1912.

The Golden Age: Masterworks from the Golden Age of Illustration – Hardcover: 224 pages; Cafetec; 1st edition (2015)

101 Great Illustrators from the Golden Age, 1890-1925 by Jeff A. Menges – Paperback: 272 pages; Dover Publications (Feb 15, 2017)

The most comprehensive book of its kind, this gorgeous edition presents more than 600 works, over 350 in full color, by famous and lesser-known artists from the heyday of book and magazine illustration. Featured artists include Walter Crane, Edmund Dulac, Maxfield Parrish, Howard Pyle, Arthur Rackham, N. C. Wyeth, and many others — 101 in all. Several examples of each artist's finest illustrations are accompanied by biographical commen

Anything Goes: The Jazz Age Adventures of Neysa McMein and Her Extravagant Circle of Friends by Brian Gallagher – Hardcover; Times Books (Jan 1, 1931)

Ready to Frame Vintage Coles Phillips Prints by Barbara Ann Kirby – Paperback: 66 pages; CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (Jun 5, 2017)

Wall Art Made Easy: Ready to Frame Vintage Coles Phillips Prints features thirty beautiful illustrations from Clarence Coles Phillips (October 3rd, 1880 to June 13th, 1927), the well-known American illustrator and artist. Best known for The Fadeaway Girls where their clothing matched the background and yet was still so easily defined.

Masters of American Illustration: 41 Illustrators and How They Worked by Fred Taraba – Hardcover: 432 pages; The Illustrated Press; 1st edition (Jul 15, 2011)

This book is a compilation of those 41 classic articles, which have been extensively reworked and revised with completely new artwork especially prepared for this volume. Featuring 41 of America's greatest illustrators, this book is a showcase for hundreds of reproductions of original paintings, photographs, and tearsheets of vintage printed ephemeral materials. Each artist's life and career is discussed, and their working methods are described in detail. This book is destined to be a classic, and belongs on the bookself of every serious student of American illustration history.

The Christy Girl by Howard Chandler Christy – Hardcover; The Bobbs-Merrill Company (1906)

Vintage book. Cream boards show some discoloration particularly at outside edges, front and back, and some tanning apparent in the fading of pink blossoms to a faint yellow, titles at spine very legible; binding shows many detached pages, but all appear to be present; heavy stock pages good with edge wear, but few signs of soiling or discoloration; five black and white drawings and 16 color prints very good. Unpaginated; 9.5 x 7.3 x 0.5; 1 lb.

J.C. Leyendecker: American Imagist by Laurence Cutler, Judy Goffman Cutler – Hardcover: 256 pages; Harry N. Abrams (Nov 1, 2008)

The first book about the artist in more than 30 years, J. C. Leyendecker features his masterworks, rare paintings, studies, and other artwork, including the 322 covers he did for the Post. With a revealing text that delves into both his artistic evolution and personal life, J. C. Leyendecker restores this iconic image maker’s rightful position in the pantheon of great American artists.

American Beauties: The Artwork of Harrison Fisher by Harrison Fihser – Paperback: 160 pages; Dover Publications; Green edition (Sep 19, 2012)

These century-old images from a moment in our country's cultural history will appeal to enthusiasts of graphic art and illustration as well as to students of American art and popular culture.