James Montgomery Flagg | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Flagg in 1915, photographed byArnold Genthe | |
| Born | (1877-06-18)June 18, 1877 Pelham, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 27, 1960(1960-05-27) (aged 82) |
| Occupation(s) | Artist and illustrator |
James Montgomery Flagg (June 18, 1877 – May 27, 1960) was an Americanartist,comics artist, andillustrator. He worked in media ranging from fine art painting tocartooning, but is best remembered for his political posters, particularly his 1917 poster ofUncle Sam created forUnited States Army recruitment duringWorld War I.[1]
Flagg was born on June 18, 1877, inPelham, New York.[1] He was enthusiastic about drawing from a young age, and had illustrations accepted by national magazines by the age of 12. By 14, he was a contributing artist forLife magazine, and the following year was on the staff of another magazine,Judge.[3]
From 1894 through 1898, he attended theArt Students League of New York. He studied fine art in London and Paris from 1898 to 1900, after which he returned to the United States, where he produced countless illustrations for books, magazine covers, political and humorous cartoons, advertising, and spot drawings. Among his creations was a comic strip that appeared regularly inJudge from 1903 until 1907, about a tramp character titled Nervy Nat.[4][5]
In 1915, he accepted commissions fromCalkins and Holden to create advertisements for Edison Photo and Adler Rochester Overcoats but only on the condition that his name would not be associated with the campaign.[6]
He created his most famous work in 1917, a poster to encourage recruitment in theUnited States Army duringWorld War I. It showedUncle Sam pointing at the viewer (inspired by a1914 British recruitment poster showingLord Kitchener in a similar pose) with the caption "I Want YOU for U.S. Army".[7] Flagg had first created the image for the July 6, 1916, cover ofFrank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper with the headline "What Are You Doing for Preparedness?"[8][9] Over four million copies of the poster were printed during World War I, and it was revived forWorld War II. Flagg used his own face for that of Uncle Sam (adding age and the white goatee), he said later, simply to avoid the trouble of arranging for a model.[8] PresidentFranklin Delano Roosevelt praised his resourcefulness for using his own face as the model. Flagg had a neighbor, Walter Botts, pose as a model for the strong shoulders, and thrusting forefinger of the piece.[citation needed]
In 1917, he also attended the Illustrators' Ball, one of many annualmasquerade balls inManhattan,New York. The artists-only event was held in the 1845-built Hotel Brevoort inGreenwich Village, a neighborhood where many artists and cartoonists lived at the time. That year, the theme was "Kaleidoscopic Ball," with no specific requirements for costumes.[2] Flagg dressed as the Scottish sailorCaptain William Kidd.
At his peak, Flagg was reported to have been the highest-paidmagazine illustrator in America.[10] He worked forThe Saturday Evening Post andCollier's, which were two of the most popular U.S. journals.[11] In 1946, Flagg published his autobiography,Roses and Buckshot. Apart from his work as an illustrator, Flagg painted portraits which reveal the influence ofJohn Singer Sargent. Flagg's sitters includedMark Twain andEthel Barrymore; his portrait ofJack Dempsey now hangs in the Great Hall of the National Portrait Gallery. In 1948, he appeared in aPabst Blue Ribbon magazine ad which featured the illustrator working at an easel in his New York studio with a young lady standing at his side and a tray with an open bottle of Pabst and two filled glasses sat before them.[12]
Toward the end of his life, when deteriorating eyesight forced him to give up his art, "he often took out his frustrations on his friends and himself."[13] He died on May 27, 1960, in New York City.[1] He was interred atWoodlawn Cemetery inThe Bronx, New York City.
Fort Knox, Kentucky, has a parade field named for and dedicated to Flagg. It is calledFlagg Field and located behind the Fort Knox Hotel. Fort Knox is also the home of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, which borders Flagg Field.[citation needed]
Flagg spent summers inBiddeford Pool, Maine, and his home, theJames Montgomery Flagg House, was added to theNational Register of Historic Places in 1980.[14]
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