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Norman Rockwell Magazine Covers

Complete List - Part Six: 1940 to 1980


Norman Rockwell's artwork, including his many magazine cover illustrations, were crucial to becoming America's favorite illustrator.

His paintings from this period also showcase his talent honed by years of experience. As told in Norman Rockwell, My Adventures As An Illustrator, brainstorming and executing cover after cover was no mean feat. Rockwell sometimes agonized and deliberated for months over a cover idea before finally getting it settled in his mind.

This partly explains what would otherwise be a mystery. In Norman Rockwell, A Definitive Catalogue by Laurie Norton Moffatt, there are often 4 or 5 different versions of some paintings. Some of them are completely finished while some are only finished in varying degrees.

Norman Rockwell Magazine Covers 1940 - 1950

Within this section of the list of Norman Rockwell magazine covers, Rockwell covers a wide range of topics.

Rockwell focuses on the human side of World War II for the first half of this decade, the 1940's. He concentrated, as he always did, on Americans, at home, at work, and at play.

During this time period, Norman Rockwell magazine covers featuring Private Willie Gillis appeared on The Saturday Evening Post eleven times. Rockwell's model, Robert Otis Buck, eventually enlisted in the Navy. Since his model was no longer available, Rockwell had to rely on his memory and photographs. The public was still clamoring for more Willie Gillis!

Some of the Willie Gillis covers only showed Willie in a photograph on the wall. Rockwell had to stretch his creative muscles to include Willie in some of those covers. The last Willie Gillis painting Willie Gillis Goes To College appeared in 1946.

If you should notice any errors or omissions in the list of Norman Rockwell magazine covers, please let me know.

Also, if you know the name of any unnamed work or have scans of works that I don't show, please, please let me know.

Norman Rockwell
Magazine Covers 1940 - 1980

1940

1941

1942

The list of Norman Rockwell magazine covers covers several pages.

The list has been split into parts based on the year the Norman Rockwell magazine cover was published.

Please see the Norman Rockwell magazine covers on the following pages.

The earliest covers:
1913-1917 Rockwell magazine covers

More early years:
1918-1919 Rockwell magazine covers,
1920-1921 Rockwell magazine covers &
1922-1923 Rockwell magazine covers,

Middle Years: Norman Rockwell magazine covers list 1924-1939

Later years: Norman Rockwell magazine covers list 1940-1980

1943

1944

1945

1946

1947

1948

1949

1950

Norman Rockwell Magazine Covers 1951 - 1963

This period of Norman Rockwell magazine covers featured the end of his The Saturday Evening Post cover career. After the Kennedy Memorial cover on December 16, 1963, the only work Rockwell painted for The Post was one magazine article illustration in 1967.

Rockwell's cover work during this time featured several portraits of famous Americans: Bob Hope, Jack Benny, President Dwight Eisenhower, future President Richard Nixon, and soon-to-be President John Kennedy.

As always, Rockwell continued to paint his vision of America through its people throughout his career.

1951

  • February - Boy's Life - Forward America
  • May - Parents - Portrait of Mrs. O'Neil and Children
  • June 2 - The Saturday Evening Post - Two Plumbers
  • July 14 - The Saturday Evening Post - Facts of Life
  • November 24 - The Saturday Evening Post - Saying Grace

1952

1953

  • January 3 - The Saturday Evening Post - Baker Reading Diet Book
  • February - Boy's Life - On My Honor
  • April 4 - The Saturday Evening Post - Walking to Church
  • May 23 - The Saturday Evening Post - Girl with Black Eye
  • July - Ford Times - Portrait of Henry Ford, Edsel Ford & Henry Ford II
  • August 22 - The Saturday Evening Post - Soda Jerk
  • October - Scouting - It's Red Feather Time
  • December - Child's Life - Need information on this one

1954

1955

  • January 1 - TV Guide - Arthur Godfrey
  • February - Boy's Life - The Right Way
  • March 12 - The Saturday Evening Post - Collection of Covers
  • April 16 - The Saturday Evening Post - Art Critic
  • June 11 - The Saturday Evening Post - The Marriage License
  • August 20 - The Saturday Evening Post - Mermaid
  • December - Child's Life - Santa Looking at Two Sleeping Children

1956

1957

1958

1959

  • February - Boy's Life - Tomorrow's Leaders
  • February 14 - The Saturday Evening Post - The Jury
  • May 16 - The Saturday Evening Post - Easter Morning
  • June 6 - The Saturday Evening Post - Boy Graduate
  • October 24 - The Saturday Evening Post - Family Tree

1960

1961

  • February - Boy's Life - Homecoming
  • April 1 - The Saturday Evening Post - Golden Rule
  • September 16 - The Saturday Evening Post - Lubalin Redesigning the Post
  • November 25 - The Saturday Evening Post - The Cheerleader
  • December - The Rotarian - Christmas Dance

1962

1963

Norman Rockwell Magazine Covers 1964 - 1980

After his long association with The Post ended in 1963, Rockwell continued to produce memorable magazine covers.

His career-long association with Boy Scouts continued with his almost unbroken string of Boys' Life covers. Checking the list will show that Rockwell produced a Boys' Life cover almost every year from the start of his career in 1913 until 1965.

1964

  • February - Boy's Life - To Keep Myself Physically Strong
  • September - American Artist - Portrait of a Russian with a Black Hat
  • December - McCalls - Little Girl Looking Downstairs at Christmas Party

1965

  • February - Boy's Life - A Great Moment
  • December - Child's Life - Need information on this one

1966

  • June 14 - Look - John F. Kennedy and the Peace Corps

1967

  • May - Ramparts - Portrait of Bertrand Russell
  • December - Family Circle - Space Age Santa

1968

  • December - Family Circle - Santa Eating Milk and Cookies

1970

1971

  • October - Arabian Horse News - Horsetrader (Of Course, It's an Arabian - He's Grey, Isn't He?)

1972

  • January-February - Ford Life - Portrait of Henry Ford, Edsel Ford and Henry Ford II

1973

  • Vol II, No. 4 - Persimmon Hill - Portrait of Walter Brennan

1974

  • October - Disabled American Veterans - The American Way (Soldier Feeding Girl) (See it here -link provided by Luc from the Netherlands).

1975

  • March - Disabled American Veterans - So Much Concern (Boy Scouts Planting Tree) (See it here -link provided by Luc from the Netherlands).

1976

  • July - American Artist - Liberty Bell (Celebration)

1978

  • July - American Legion - Over There

1980

  • March/April - Design Arts & Education - Need information on this one
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Norman Rockwell Quotes:


I'll never have enough time to paint all the pictures I'd like to.

No man with a conscience can just bat out illustrations. He's got to put all his talent and feeling into them!

Some people have been kind enough to call me a fine artist. I've always called myself an illustrator. I'm not sure what the difference is. All I know is that whatever type of work I do, I try to give it my very best. Art has been my life.

Right from the beginning, I always strived to capture everything I saw as completely as possible.

The secret to so many artists living so long is that every painting is a new adventure. So, you see, they're always looking ahead to something new and exciting. The secret is not to look back.

I can take a lot of pats on the back. I love it when I get admiring letters from people. And, of course, I'd love it if the critics would notice me, too.

You must first spend some time getting your model to relax. Then you'll get a natural expression.

More at BrainyQuote.

Rockwell Favorites

Doctor and the Doll
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Doctor and the Doll
Santa at His Desk
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Santa at His Desk
Before the Shot
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Before the Shot
Game Called Because of Rain
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Game Called Because of Rain (Three Umpires)
Freedom of Speech
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Freedom of Speech
Freedom from Want
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Freedom from Want
No Swimming
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No Swimming
The Runaway
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The Runaway
Girl at the Mirror
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Girl at the Mirror
Tattoo Artist
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Tattoo Artist
Puppy Love
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Puppy Love
(Little Spooners)

Norman Rockwell Christmas and Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving Galleries are open.

Norman Rockwell's painting, A Drum for Tommy or Santa with Drum, appeared on the cover of The Country Gentleman on 12/17/1921
Norman Rockwell Santa Claus
Gallery is open!







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