Harper’s Magazine (March, 1896). Illustration by Edward Penfield (American, 1866-1925). New York Historical Society, Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections.
During the 1890s, Harper’s Magazine began to feature poster-like covers that embraced fashionable European trends influenced by Art Nouveau and in vogue French painters. Penfield designed a series of monthly posters for Harper’s that won enormous critical acclaim. By the turn of the century, Penfield’s reputation as an important graphic designer was assured.