J. C. Leyendecker 1874to –1951
One of the most successful American illustrators of the early 1900s. His covers for The Saturday Evening Post were a great inspiration to Norman Rockwell, and he is credited with popularizing the modern images of Santa Claus and the New Year Baby. But he is most well-known for illustrating The Arrow Collar Man, a dashing, sophisticated mascot for shirt collars, who was so adored he received love letters. What his fans didn’t know was that Charles Beach, the model for the advertising celebrity, was also Leyendecker’s lover who lived with the artist until his death.