Research by Clarence Simonsen
Excerpt
George Brown Petty IV [1894-1975] was known as the American girl illustrator who created a better-designed female than God, all posed by daughter Marjorie, as her dad puffed away on his pipe.
In his pre-teens, George spent summer holidays in his father’s retouching photographic studio in Chicago, where he perfected the airbrush paint spray like an artist brush. His favorite cover artist was Joseph C. Leyendecker who painted over 400 American magazine covers during the Golden age of United States Illustrated art. George admired the style of Leyendecker and studied his powerful interpretation of the strong built All-American male. Today we have little information on which artists influenced George the most during his formative years, but it is clear a large part of the Leyendecker male design rubbed off on young George Petty. Both artists attended the world famous Academies Julian Studio in Paris, France, and were instructed by Jean-Paul Laurens. [Joseph Christian Leyendecker 1896-97 and George Brown Petty IV 1914-16.] Both artists returned to the United States and both became the most famous illustrative painters of the male and female anatomy for all time.
Joseph Leyendecker was fascinated with male anatomy, asses, muscles, the All-American male masculinity, and with each painting he had to secretly hide and never expose to the American public the fact he was Gay. In doing such, he painted his younger Canadian lover, Charles Beach, as the Icon of American Military and Sports hero’s. He was talented, a genius, brave, and so un-American for this time frame.
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Lightning on Skates 1932-33 (PDF)
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“Lightning on Skates” – 1932-34
George Brown Petty IV [1894-1975] was known as the American girl illustrator who created a better-designed female than God, all posed by daughter Marjorie, as her dad puffed away on his pipe.
In his pre-teens, George spent summer holidays in his father’s retouching photographic studio in Chicago, where he perfected the airbrush paint spray like an artist brush. His favorite cover artist was Joseph C. Leyendecker who painted over 400 American magazine covers during the Golden age of United States Illustrated art. George admired the style of Leyendecker and studied his powerful interpretation of the strong built All-American male. Today we have little information on which artists influenced George the most during his formative years, but it is clear a large part of the Leyendecker male design rubbed off on young George Petty. Both artists attended the world famous Académie Julian Studio in Paris, France, and were instructed by Jean-Paul Laurens. [Joseph Christian Leyendecker 1896-97 and George Brown Petty IV 1914-16.] Both artists returned to the United States and both became the most famous illustrative painters of the male and female anatomy for all time.
Joseph Leyendecker was fascinated with male anatomy, asses, muscles, the All-American male masculinity, and with each painting he had to secretly hide and never expose to the American public the fact he was gay. In doing such, he painted his younger Canadian lover, Charles Beach, as the Icon of American Military and Sports heroes. He was talented, a genius, brave, and so un-American for this time frame.
1928, head study of “Canadian” Charles Beach by Joseph Leyendecker. [Free domain]
J. Leyendecker 1911 Hockey goalie. [Free domain] George Petty was seventeen when this art was published, which likely influenced the younger budding artist.
In 1914, George Petty IV began art training at the famous Paris Académie Julian Studio with principal instruction by founder Jean-Paul Laurens. Possibly influenced by the fact J. Leyendecker had attended the same school and received the same instruction in 1896-97. In late 1916, as America prepared for entry into WWI, American Ambassador Joseph P. Herrick ordered all American citizens in France to return at once to the United States. George began an apprenticeship in engraving and retouching photo department, then his father died from gall bladder blockage. George no longer wished to follow his father’s role in photo retouching, and wanted to become a commercial artist. He had watched his father struggle in the business, and became determined to protect his art interests, retaining his resale rights from the paintings he created. This was very “revolutionary” for the times as large photo and magazine publishers paid a price for each artists work and then retained the copyright, making millions of dollars reselling his or her original art. Early samples of George Petty advertising display artworks are extremely rare, however the influence of Leyendecker’s males can be clearly seen in a few.
This 1928 American School of Aviation Petty brochure shows the influence of Leyendecker males. [James Camperos, courtesy Peter Perrault collection]
In the 1930s, George willingly stated he preferred drawing the British style and American Leyenbecker strong bold male paintings. Without his art teaching in Paris, France, and his ability to draw a strong, appealing American male, it’s possible the Petty Girl would never have been created.
His biggest contract came in 1930, when he signed with Atlas Beer, painting both male and female, beer bottles, and street scenes. During Prohibition, [1920-1933] many American [legal] Breweries went bankrupt, or were taken over by organized crime, which made a fortune selling illegal booze. In 1919, U.S. Congress approved [the Volstead Act] where breweries could produce ‘near-beer’ with an alcohol content of 0.5 per cent. The Atlas Brewing Company, 2107 Blue Island Avenue, Chicago. Ill. brewed a Green Label Atlas Special Beer, 0.5 % alcohol content which could be delivered to your door for 15 cents per bottle. A case of twenty-four bottles sold for ten cents per bottle. The Chicago Sunday Tribune ran full page color ads with the first Petty [family] painting appearing 18 May 1930.
Daughter Marjorie posed for the women in the beer ads and the males took on the bold Leyenbecker style all-American look. Another influence came from motion pictures where George painted the makeup, clothing, and ladies’ hair styles used by Hollywood. He created a romantic family atmosphere around the subject of beer with a universal appeal for both men and women, plus a large hidden gay community in United States.
These Atlas Beer ads were appearing across the Midwest and Southern United States in store front posters, billboards, street car cards, and sports event magazines. That is possibly how George obtained a contract to paint three Chicago Stadium program covers for the 1932 season. Two of these covers featured his ability to paint a strong male figure for boxing events, the third was for a tough fast-action hockey player titled – “Lightning on Skates.”
“Lightning on Skates” Chicago Black Hawks Hockey cover 1 January 1933. Note the Leyenbecker style painted hockey player face by George Petty. This same male face appeared in the 18 May 1930 Atlas Beer poster ad. [author collection]
Chicago Black Hawks played their first NHL game on 17 November 1926, where their first logo [above] appeared in black and white. They were named after the 333rd Machine-gun Battalion, 85th [Blackhawk] Division, U.S. Army. Modern U.S. Army Helicopters are named after Native American Tribes, Apache, Kiowa, Comanche, Black Hawk, etc., and native leaders bestow tribal blessings during the official U.S. Army naming ceremony.
In 1932-33 the nine NHL teams were the New York Americans, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadians, Montreal Maroons, and Chicago Black Hawks. Each team played 48 games and the Stanley Cup playoffs were won by the New York Rangers. The Black Hawks won their first Stanley Cup the following year, the 1933-34 season. It is believed the Petty Hockey Player cover art was only printed for the 1932-33 and 1933-34 seasons, and it is unknown if it appeared on each cover program. This program also contained many rare hockey advertisements, two painted by George Petty.
The Hawks won the Stanley Cup in 1933-34 with twelve Canadians, five Americans, one Russian, and one Canadian who was born in Scotland. Chuck Gardiner came to Canada at a young age and grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He first excelled in the C.F.L. [Football] and played in the 13th Grey Cup game in 1925. He came to the Chicago Black Hawks in 1927 and his records were many. In those past glory days’ players often took to the ice when they were sick, hurt, or had an infection. Tonsillar infection caused the death of Chuck who died from a brain hemorrhage on 13 June 1943, leaving a wife [Myrtle Brooks] and one son.
Page seven contained the black and white Atlas special brew painted by George Petty, and the U.S. Prohibition alcoholic content is ½ of 1% by volume, which lasted until December 1933. The same posed face of Marjorie Petty also appeared on page twenty for Red Hots. George was becoming a master of reusing the same face again and again.
Page twenty contained another George Petty ad for Singer’s Red Hots served at Chicago Stadium, and the face was the same used in the Atlas Beer advertisement on page seven. I wonder if daughter Marjorie Petty used ketchup on her Chicago Red Hots?
George at his studio in the family home at Roger’s Park, Illinois, in 1935. This original coal-storage area was called the “coal hole” and that is where the Chicago Black Hawks Hockey cover art was created in 1932. [original photo James Camperos, copy gifted to author from Peter Perrault collection]
George Petty begins a series of cartoons which were published in the first issue of Esquire magazine fall of 1933. In March 1935, the first Petty Girl cartoon without the old man appears in Esquire magazine. In July 1935, the first Petty girl pin-up with all white background appears in Esquire and the trademark white telephone appears in the September issue. The first two-page gatefold Petty Girl appears in the December 1939 issue of Esquire and the Petty Girl pin- up is truly born. It’s clear today, viewing these early Petty advertising paintings you realize the success of the Atlas Beer ads and the bold, strong, Leyenbecker male paintings reflected in the creation of the famous Petty Girl pin-up.
This history involves very little aviation nose art but it has a special meaning for the author. I attended my very first professional hockey game at the old Calgary Corral Hockey Stadium in 1955, I was eleven years old. The Calgary Stampeders were a western farm-club of the NHL Chicago Black Hawks, and a few of the players made it to the big league. I became a life-long Hawks fan and during my 1965-78 Toronto police days, attended many Chicago games at the old Maple Leaf Gardens. Last year, [July 2020] the City of Calgary demolished the original Corral Hockey Stadium for a more modern and money making Stampede Park, so now only memories remain. In 2021, I learned for the very first time George Petty painted a cover for the Chicago Black Hawks and my friend Peter Perrault even donated an original Hawks program to the author. I had to paint and tell the history of the Petty ‘Lightning on Skates’ hockey player.
Maybe in the year 2032, the Chicago Blackhawks [modern spelling] will republish the Petty hockey program cover art that sold in old Chicago Stadium. That would be a very fitting honor for George Brown Petty IV.
Preserving the Past II 