Thousands of photographers, videographers and writers will descend on Washington University in St. Louis Oct. 9 to cover the presidential debate. But in mid-20th-century America, another sort of journalist was part of the media mix: the illustrator. Artists like Robert Weaver, Bernie Fuchs and Norman Rockwell were hired by publications like Esquire, Look and Time to chronicle key moments in elections and capture the essence of the candidates.
“Photography existed, of course,” said Douglas B. Dowd, faculty director of the Douglas B. Dowd Modern Graphic History Library (MGHL) and professor of art and American culture studies in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Art. “But illustrators could compress time and space into a single image and offer commentary and context.”
Great examples of political illustration are available for viewing through the Modern Graphic History Library, a special collection of Washington University Libraries that opens this week. Here, Dowd and Skye Lacerte, MCHL curator, share some of their favorite examples:
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