Behind the Cover: Earle K. Bergey

[elisa_rolle]

Earle K. Bergey (August 26, 1901 - 1952) was an American illustrator who painted cover art for a wide diversity of magazines and paperback books. Today Bergey is best recognized for creating the iconic cover of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes for Popular Library at the height of his career in 1948.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bergey attended

Comments

[angelabenedetti]

I love the cover of Popular Sports Magazine, because that cover is totally illustrating a story that's All About baseball. :D

Angie

[elisa_rolle]

LOL yes, I think there is a story behing it too ;-)

[elisa_rolle]

It's difficult not to see subtext, it was not that the artist was subdue...

[lee_rowan]

What a collection! The Army-Navy Bat-Grabbing Competition, and the Golden Age of Cheesy Sci-Fi covers. Those are great!

But I have to say the cover of "Gentlement Prefer Blonds" has the nastiest sampling of skeevy sleazeballs I'd ever want to avoid. Looks like an "Appalachian Trail" Hiker's club.

[elisa_rolle]

I have to say that for me I will always link Marilyn Monroe with that title, but indead this cover illustration is very original, for the time.

[lee_rowan]

Same here. And she was a lot prettier than the cover gal.

Fact check

[anonymous]

Not all of these covers are Bergey's. Several are being misattributed here.

Re: Fact check

[elisa_rolle]

If you can list the uncorrect ones, I will delete them, but most of them are signed so I don't think they are all wrong.