Old magazine illustrations: real of imaginary?

Stargazer

ACCESS: USAP
Senior Member
Joined
25 June 2009
Messages
13,623
Reaction score
2,644
I don't think I'm the only one on this forum to love the old artwork to be found on the covers of Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Mechanix Illustrated and so forth... Most of the time, the aircraft that are featured there either existed or reflected genuine industry designs of the time.

In some instances, I find it hard to identify exactly what the aircraft is supposed to be... hence this topic, which I have titled in such a way that it allows for multiple requests by different members, so that we don't create a topic every time a new picture comes along.

For my first mystery design, I would like to share this wonderful illustration from Popular Mechanics dated December 1948. It depicts a kid launching a rocket-powered model aircraft on a ramp in the presence of his grandfather. I really love the design of that airplane... Could it be some project from Douglas? From Fairchild? Love it, anyway! Thanks to all who can provide information...
 

Attachments

  • 194812.jpg
    194812.jpg
    144.2 KB · Views: 55
  • 194812detail.jpg
    194812detail.jpg
    27.7 KB · Views: 41
I don't think I'm the only one on this forum to love the old artwork to be found on the covers of Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Mechanix Illustrated and so forth...

You're not alone :)

Difficult topic for me. My opinion is not most times that artwork is based or inspired in real things but sometimes is pure fantasy.

The drawing you posted has no air intakes so...it's a rocket design or it's only a beautiful drawing?
 
While they are much more aesthetically pleasing than the bland computer generated imagery on most magazine covers today, I would most definitely take them with a grain of salt.
 

Attachments

  • mans_life_weasels.jpg
    mans_life_weasels.jpg
    245.6 KB · Views: 58
Stargazer2006 said:
Thanks to all who can provide information...
"Designer and builder, Roswell Brown, lights fuse of Strato-Rocket model plane built for take-off from a launching ramp..."
See please:
http://jetex.org/archive/article-rocket_plane-brown-pm-4812.html
 

Attachments

  • Roswell Brown 4.jpg
    Roswell Brown 4.jpg
    5.7 KB · Views: 161
Pyrrhic victory said:
While they are much more aesthetically pleasing than the bland computer generated imagery on most magazine covers today, I would most definitely take them with a grain of salt.


...I am so not going to ask about that pic....
 
Thank you so much for finding the answer to my question so precisely and quickly! How did we manage before the internet was around? Wow.
 
This might be of interest here.


From the serious to the satirical. The artist is unknown, date c. 1915, gouache.
 

Attachments

  • C.jpg
    C.jpg
    460.3 KB · Views: 19
  • E.jpg
    E.jpg
    548 KB · Views: 18
  • HMLTF-SS-lede-select-full.jpg
    HMLTF-SS-lede-select-full.jpg
    656.2 KB · Views: 23
  • I.jpg
    I.jpg
    630 KB · Views: 24
The third illustration appears to a version of a print entitled The Flight of Intellect - Portrait of Mr Golightly experimenting on Messrs Quick & Speed’s new patent high-pressure steam riding rocket’. This satirical print was put out between 1826 and 1840 by Charles Tilt and George E. Madeley, two publishers, printers and dealers based in London.


Additional information on this print can be found at http://voyagesextraordinaires.blogspot.com/2016/11/charles-golightly-and-his-steam-rocket.html
 
Last edited:
The first illustration appears to be a version of an illustration from the utopian novel La Découverte australe par un homme volant, ou Le Dédale français, Nouvelle très-philosphique, published in 1781 (in Leipzig?) by French author (ca 180 books?), publisher, philosopher and reformist Nicolas Edme Restif (1734-1806), also known as Restif de La Bretonne and Rétif et de La Bretone.
 
As its caption states, the fourth illustration shows (a version of a photo of?) famous American pilot Harriet Quimby (1875-1912) in front of her Blériot Type XI, wearing her very distinctive mauve / purple flying costume.

Some info on the latter can be found at http://info.fabrics.net/the-flying-costume-of-harriet-quimby/
 
I don't think I'm the only one on this forum to love the old artwork to be found on the covers of Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Mechanix Illustrated and so forth
Well, allow me a moment to say this about that ...

Book goes through selected cover illustrations by year, describes them, and for each asks "Did it happen?"
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0659.JPG
    IMG_0659.JPG
    855 KB · Views: 19
Last edited:
This reminds me of something Frank Herbert said about Jules Verne in a radio interview, while on an Australian tour in 1985. "His machines were the machines of his time, not the machines of our time. I have no doubt that my machines will cause the same hilarity many years from now."
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom