Paul Martin (illustrator)


Paul Martin was a graphic artist and illustrator. His artwork appeared on over two dozen covers of Collier's and Parents during the 1920s. Martin designed the then-world's largest ever electrical display in 1917. He reshaped the then-iconic Fisk Tire Boy in 1930. He played in tennis tournaments around the Greater New York area from 1909-1931. Also in the U.S. National Championships of 1920-21, 24. The annual Paul Martin Singles Tournament is named after him.

Background

The golden age of illustration began in the 1880s. Major advancements in printing techniques were then taking place. This included breakthroughs in the halftone process. It made the printing of images for commercial usage more economical, feasible, and realistic. The reproduction of art from wood engravings, was largely replaced with photo-mechanical engravings. These and other methods were utilized by artist, writer, teacher, innovator–Howard Pyle, who is generally regarded as "The Father of American Illustration." Others who gained fame in this field included Howard Chandler Christy, Harrison Fisher, James Montgomery Flagg, Charles Dana Gibson, John Held Jr., J. C. Leyendecker, Maxfield Parrish, Coles Phillips, Frederic Remington, Norman Rockwell, Jessie Willcox Smith and N. C. Wyeth.
However, the vast majority of illustrators received little recognition, compared to the fine artists. This was basically due to their artwork being viewed as commercially inspired. Nonetheless, these unheralded illustrators played a powerful role, in communicating the people's aspirations, concerns, customs, humor, labor, morals and social interests. One of them was Paul Martin, whose work appeared on the covers of Collier's, Everybody's, Farm & Fireside, The Farmer's Wife, Liberty, Parents and People's Home Journal from 1923-31. These seven magazines were once ranked among the most widely circulated. They all went out of business long ago, except for Parents. Their eventual downfall was caused by the changing times, emergence of radio and television, and economics. The more specialized ones that targeted specific audiences, tended to fare better. Another point is that major advancements in photographic equipment and technology took place during the 1930s. This brought about the gradual changeover from illustrated to photographic covers. The former still lingered on, for its innovative and enchanting qualities, until succumbing to Photoshop and other graphic software programs.

Collier's

General-interest magazines were once very popular and appealed to diverse audiences. One of them was the historically significant Collier's, which had a revival under new editor William L. Chenery in 1925. Martin drew many of its covers during the mid-Roaring Twenties, including seven in 1925. Two of them were special Christmas issues. Some artists created a niche and then stuck with it, such as in drawing comical situations, domestic follies, political satire, pretty women or simple pleasures. His recurring theme was of a youthful boy engaged in various lighthearted activities. This included the following: catching a baseball, loading up on desserts ', playing the flute, decked out in a straw hat, shooting marbles, shoveling snow, carrying books on head, riding a sled, winding up a spinning top, eating turkey, bobbing for apples, playing football ', happily swimming, getting a shaved haircut, saying grace, working as a messenger, daydreaming about fishing and going down a water slide. He seldom veered from this subject matter. The most striking departure was for a self-portrait cover. He portrayed himself as a well-dressed, vocal spectator at the horse races.
His drawing style was simple yet bold. It captured the brightness, carefreeness, and innocence of youth. There was a nostalgic element to them. They resonated with the populace, who had just lived through a catastrophic world war and influenza pandemic. Martin excluded the non-essential details, which allowed viewers to make an instant connection. His paintings were often easy to recognize, since their theme and style remained fairly consistent. They sometimes gave the illusion of three-dimensional depth. This was through the use of various techniques, such as color intensity variation, linear perspective and. His cover art practically always had a holiday/seasonal theme or portrayed the magazine's overall image. This was common practice back then. It only once corresponded to an inside article.
Martin's first step was to come up with ideas and turn them into conceptual sketches. These rough drafts were submitted to art editors, for their evaluation and consideration for publication. He proceeded working on the ones approved. He then hired boys for photo sessions, most of whom lived locally. His drawings were made directly from the now-developed photos, and not real life. This gave him more options and flexibility. The preliminaries and final version were based on multiple images captured during the shoot. It was also a more practical process, due to active/impatient children being involved. He would interact with them from behind the camera, until getting the desired natural or candid expression. His wife assisted by preparing the models for their scene. Collier's couldn't keep up with the rapidly changing times following World War II, and ceased publication in December 1956. The main culprit was television, which dramatically affected its advertising and circulation revenue. Collier's top competitors adapted somewhat better to the changing times, which helped them hold out longer.

Graphic artist

Martin designed Wrigley Gum's light bulb spectacular, which showcased six acrobatic "spearmen" on a Broadway billboard in 1917. It was then the world's largest ever electrical display at 200' x 50'. It covered the entire city block between 43rd and 44th Streets. This Times Square light show, was a major tourist attraction for seven years. He drew a poster titled "Serve Your Country," for the War Camp Community Service in 1918. It showed a fashionable young woman serving in tennis. Women were encouraged to entertain off-duty soldiers, by participating in various social events. A silkscreen version of this poster ', has been periodically on display at the International Tennis Hall of Fame Museum in Newport, Rhode Island.
He sketched five different scenes of snow activities, for the passenger/freight carrier New York, Ontario and Western Railway in 1921. They described Sullivan County, as a lively and refreshing vacation spot. He drew a cheerful boy eating baked beans for Heinz 57 in 1927. Also, two posters for the American Junior Red Cross. The first was titled "The Flag of Service the World Around" in 1929. It showed children in international costumes behind a globe, with one holding a large Red Cross flag. The second was titled "Juniors Helping Everywhere" in 1930. It showed twenty miniature scenes of children worldwide, in their various assisting roles. Martin designed three billboards for the Hecker H-O Company of Buffalo, New York in 1931. One showed a confident young football player being patched up, who had oats for breakfast '. The other two emphasized its healthiness and goodness. These advertisements appeared on poster panels, to attract passing motorists and pedestrians. They also had short runs in food markets; on their walls, store windows or hanging from overhead wires.
Martin painted three color advertisements for General Electric's all-steel "Monitor Top" refrigerator in 1930. The first and most elaborate featured two boys running a lemonade stand. Their mother is shown looking on with approval, through the open kitchen window. It appeared as a full-page ad in many different magazines at around the same time. Printers' Ink review from 1930. Excerpt: " 'Electric Lemonaide, 5 cents per glass,' reads the sign of the youthful shopkeepers. are soliciting trade in a strenuous manner, as a friendly dog enters into the spirit of the event with challenging barks.... It is a picture filled with action and story-telling strength. But because the advertised product has been worked in so, the illustration seems doubly effective and relevant." His other "Monitor Top" credits were of a girl playing with blocks, and two dressed-up girls listening to an enthusiastic sales boy. It was proclaimed as the first reliable and affordable model for residential use.
He painted a contest-winning poster for the Girl Scouts in 1931. It was titled "Usefulness • Beauty • Health • Truth • Knowledge." This contest was conducted by the Art Alliance of America, an organization that brought together craft workers and manufacturers. There were between two and three hundred submissions. The six-judge panel consisted of W. T. Benda, Ray Greenleaf, Rockwell Kent, John La Gatta, Neysa McMein and Edward A. Wilson. Martin's model for the poster was Barbara Smith, a 14-year-old from Darien, Connecticut. Her parents and Martin were lifelong friends. He even served as at their wedding back in 1904. His winning entree earned him a first-place check, from the Girl Scouts' National Director Josephine Schain '. This exchange took place at their then national headquarters on Lexington Avenue in New York City. Also, right after the second and third place winners received their monetary prize. National President Mrs. Frederick Edey was one of three consultants, along with executives Anne Hyde Choate and Genevieve Garvan Brady. This poster ' later appeared with three raised fingers instead of a salute, on the cover of Girl Scout Equipment catalogs for Fall 1932 and Spring 1933. It faithfully and strikingly captured the spirit of their character-building movement. Martin said at the award ceremony, "Barbara seems the personification of all that Girl Scouting means. She is the very spirit of radiant, happy and wholesome young girlhood, and my mind naturally turned to her immediately when I learned of the competition."
His drawings also ended up on Gerlach Barklow calendars, ink blotter cards and prints for business advertising, such as one titled "Singin' in the Rain" from 1931. It showed a boy sheltering several pups from the rain with an umbrella, while sitting down '. Another showed a boy reading about scientific theories with some difficulty. Martin's paintings often included a cute and friendly pup. He drew covers for such trade publications as Advertising & Selling, Good Hardware, Progressive Grocer and Silent Hostess between 1920 & 1931. Coincidentally, the helmet-wearing kid for H-O Oats ', later served as Progressive Grocer's associate editor from 1956-62. Martin's first two signed covers were for this food-oriented magazine. His work appeared in many different types of print media.
Another credit is mentioned in a publication by the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 1932. As follows: "The cover design on this issue of Foreign Service is a two-color reproduction of the official 1932 Buddy Poppy poster. The original was painted in oil by the late Paul Martin, noted New York poster artist, who died suddenly on March 19th following a serious operation. The poster has been pronounced as one of the most striking and appropriate designs ever used, to depict the symbolism of the Buddy Poppy. It was completed shortly before the artist's death and is believed to have been his last important assignment . Those familiar with Paul Martin's career as an artist, declare the 1932 Buddy Poppy poster to be one of his best creations."

Fisk Tire Boy

Prelude: The Fisk Rubber Company was producing automobile, bicycle and carriage tires by 1901. Its factory was located along the riverfront in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. It pumped out 230,000 tires in August 1921. Fisk struggled financially during most of the 1930s. They were bought out by U.S. Rubber, U.S. Royal. Its worldwide divisions were given a singular, unifying name in Uniroyal. They merged with Goodrich and became Uniroyal Goodrich. Its tire division was sold to Michelin. Fisk tires had a dormant period after 1977. This model was revived by Michelin, and produced exclusively for Discount Tire.
He completely reshaped one of the most famous characters in the history of American advertising. It was the Fisk Rubber Company's boy, who shouldered an oversized tire while dangling a lighted candle. It came with the catchphrase "Time To Re-tire". This slogan had a simple. The boy's yawn became a smile in early 1929. Martin was then commissioned✯ to come up with a slightly more aged, modern-day figure in late 1929. The objective was to update the heavily publicized trademark, while still maintaining its charm and familiarity. The little lad's one-piece sleeper became a two-piece pajama set, during the changeover process. The stylish slippers were also added. His four-year-old nephew was used as the model. Still, the pose and all-important props remained basically intact. This new look was described by the publicity manager at Fisk, to a national magazine writer in early 1930. As follows:
   "a happy, smiling, 100-percent American boy in his little two-piece pajama, radiating good cheer, ruddy-cheeked and tousle-headed, snappy and wide awake, standing in the old-time pose."
The now-updated version was first used by Fisk Tires, to showcase its newly introduced "Air-Flights" in advertisements. This included twelve times in The Saturday Evening Post, between Feb. 8 and Aug. 23, 1930 '. It was offered to the public as a "suitable for framing," 11x14 colorful art print. The cheerful mascot then appeared on many different products. These were either with or without a facial touch-up '. For instance, on the front cover and endpapers of children's books in 1931. Subjects : Candy Land, Jack and the Bean Stalk, Little Black Sambo, Peter Rabbit, Pied Piper, Three Bears, Three Little Kittens and Three Little Pigs. They were all subtitled, "Time to Re-tire / A Bedtime Story." It also appeared on ashtrays, bridge score pads, cigarette cases, electrical clocks, jigsaw puzzles, matchbooks, posters and rubber heel replacements for shoes. These were complimentary items for customers. Martin's figure was used by Fisk retailers on their data books, display windows, letterheads and mailing envelopes . It showed up in a scaled-down form, in Boys' Life and other magazines from 1930-34. Fisk Tires then went back to the original sleepy boy in 1935. The public always preferred that one, even though other companies had successfully modernized their own mascot. Incidentally, Norman Rockwell drew many paintings featuring the trade character, which were published in 1917-20, 24-25.
Timetable. Three stages of the pajama-clad boy : a. 1910-28, 35-onward. b. 1929-30. c. 1930-34. His credits include all of the version with the two-piece pajamas. Its grand debut was in The Saturday Evening Post issue of February 8, 1930.
✯He received the important commission, due to having build up a repertoire for drawing boys. It was then common practice among artists, to create their own niche. The subjects of boys, dogs and pretty women were all popular themes in that era.

Personal life and tennis

He was born to Hannah A. and Robert C. Martin in New York City on June 6, 1883. He was the youngest of nine children. The family home was on Manhattan's 31st St., between 8th and 9th Aves. throughout the 1880s. The Martin clan moved way up to Central Harlem on Edgecombe Ave. in 1890. They relocated within Central Harlem, to 129th and 5th in 1898. They belonged to the Twenty-fourth Street M. E. Church and Calvary M. E. Church. Paul's father Robert was the superintendent of their Sunday schools. Martin immensely enjoyed drawing as a boy. He studied commercial art at the National Academy of Design in New York City from 1902-06. He worked as the New York Tribune's art manager from 1906-13. Martin and family members moved from Upper Manhattan to Maplewood, New Jersey, 1908. He started competing in sanctioned tennis tournaments, 1909. Martin married Lauretta Willey in 1912. Their first rented home was in the University Heights section of the Bronx, 1912. They relocated a block away in 1915. He was employed with the O. J. Gude Company 1913-19 & Gotham Studios 1919-20. Those two were giants in the advertising industry. Martin joined the Artists' Guild and went freelance in January 1921. Paul and Lauretta moved from the Bronx to a rural area of Millwood, New York, August 1925. Their first owned home doubled as a working studio from 1925-32. Its centerpiece was a long flat-top table that held the canvases, drawing pads, paint brushes and tubes. Also nearby were art books, easels, photo shoot props, and an adjacent darkroom. Natural northern light came in through the large window. He occasionally used family members as models. Uncle Paul's niece Edna is shown, writing down the license number of a boy's wagon, on the Liberty cover of September 12, 1925. She's also highlighted on an American Junior Red Cross poster. His mother-in-law is shown basting a turkey for Thanksgiving, on the People's Home Journal cover of November 1928.
He was ranked among the top thirty tennis players in the New York metropolitan area, from 1920-25. His strength was in making accurate shots. Martin won numerous trophies in singles, doubles and mixed doubles between 1919 & 1931. This included, for example, one for capturing the inaugural championship at Sunningdale Country Club in 1920. Others were for the Lake George and Lake Mohonk Championships of 1924. Martin's opponents included future Hall of Famers Fred Alexander, Jean Borotra, Francis Hunter, Gerald Patterson, Vincent Richards, Bill Tilden, John Van Ryn, Marie Wagner & Watson Washburn. Other standouts were Herbert Bowman, Wylie Grant, Walter Merrill Hall, Robert Kinsey, Percy Kynaston, Nathaniel Niles, Dr. William Rosenbaum, Howard Voshell & Charles Wood. A doubles partner and longtime clubmate was newspaper columnist Franklin P. Adams, who wrote "Baseball's Sad Lexicon." A teammate was the reigning national boy champion, 14-year-old Vincent Richards.
Martin competed with Bill Tilden in well over a dozen tournaments, including the National/US Open Championships of 1920, 21 & 24. The latter was played at newly built Forest Hills Stadium, and on its outlying courts in Aug-Sep 1924. His opening round opponent was two-time Wimbledon champion, Gerald Patterson of Australia. 41-year-old Martin won a set, though lost the match 4-6, 4-6, 9-7, 0-6. He also competed at Forest Hills, in four straight National Championships for veterans from 1928-31. Martin was a standout singles and doubles player, for both the University Heights and County Tennis Clubs. He was unwittingly caught up in the famous player-writer dispute of 1924. The distinction between amateurism and professionalism was hotly contested from Feb.-Dec. 1924. He often acted as the women's referee. He organized tournaments for youngsters, as a committee member of the Briarcliff Lodge Sports Club. The Westchester County Tennis League is the oldest continuously running of its kind, in the United States. They hold the annual Paul Martin Singles Tournament. The winners of this event have their names engraved, on one of his prized cups '.
Martin died of ulcers at age 48, following a major operation at Ossining Hospital in 1932. The funeral service was held at Highland Methodist Church in Ossining. Survivors included three brothers and one sister. His wife Lauretta "Lolly", outlived him by forty years. They both played in the singles draw of the US Open and were regular mixed doubles partners. She donated the tournament trophy named after her husband. His painting "Serve Your Country" was once prominently displayed, in the main room of the International Tennis Hall of Fame Museum. Its gift shop periodically offered a coffee mug and postcard version '. He was known for his athletic ability, active participation, friendliness and sportsmanship. Bronxville Press column from 1932. Excerpt: "His presence was always felt by topnotchers, as well as by those who could play only an average game. Paul Martin was a synonym for all that was clean and wholesome in the game."

Total finals and more

This list only includes open or invitational tournaments, which were sanctioned by the United States Lawn Tennis Association. Their results largely determined the player rankings, and who qualified for the Nationals. These are categorized by the event's host. Total finals. Documented breakdown follows. Wins. SINGLES: 1920-Sunningdale CC. 1924-Lake George & Lake Mohonk Tennis Clubs. CONSOLATION SINGLES: 1915-Merriewold TC. DOUBLES: 1922-New York Athletic Club. 1924-Lake George & Lake Mohonk. 1925-Lake George & West Side Tennis Club. 1931-Lake George. MIXED DOUBLES: 1920-New York TC. Runners-up. SINGLES: 1919-Woodmere Club. 1922-Essex County CC & Powelton Club. 1923-Amackassin Club & Harlem TC. 1924-Oritani Field Club & Stamford Yacht Club. 1925-Lake George & Lake Mohonk. 1930-Lake George. DOUBLES: 1921-Greenwich CC & Milford Field Club. 1925-Lake Mohonk. 1926-South Yonkers TC. 1930-Lake George. 1931-Lake Mohonk. MIXED DOUBLES: 1921-Milford. 1925-Lake George. 1930-Lake George. Misc. These are the ones known. He also won many tournaments, which were open only to members of the County Tennis Club in Hartsdale.
Grand Slams. This list is based solely on appearances. He lasted until the stated rounds. National Singles : 1920-1R. 1921-2R. 1924-2R. National Veterans' Singles for ages 45+ : 1928-4R. 1929-4R. 1930-3R. 1931-3R. It was renamed the US Open in 1968.
University Heights TC. A longtime committee and playing member, who lived in the immediate area. He competed in their annual North Side tournaments between 1913 & 1929. These open events typically drew a large entry. Singles : 1915-5R. 1916-3R. 1917-2R. 1918-4R. 1919-5R. 1920-3R. 1922-3R. 1923-4R. 1924-SF. 1925-3R. 1928-SF. 1929-2R. Doubles : 1913-SF. 1915-3R. 1916-3R. 1919-1R. 1920-3R. 1921-1R. 1922-discontinued. Mixed Doubles: 1923-1R.
Memberships. These spans were compiled from newspaper and periodical accounts. Maplewood FC 1909-12. University Heights TC 1913-26. County TC 1926-32. He played on the circuit for 23 straight years 1909-31.
Featured Match. Eastern New York State Championship of 1925. A first-hand account by New York Times sportswriter, Allison Danzig. Excerpts: "This afternoon Bill Tilden| Tilden and Strachan advanced from the semi-finals of the doubles, by putting out Alfred D. Hammett and Paul Martin at 6-4, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3.... It required some of the best tennis that Tilden has played here all week, before the Philadelphians were able to overcome the New York pair. Hammett and Martin were always contenders, except in the third set when they slumped badly; and in order to hold them off, Tilden constantly found it necessary to invade his partner's territory and play the opposing pair single-handed.... There was nothing to choose between the two teams in the first and second sets. In the third set, Hammett and Martin went to pieces as Tilden became rampant and raked their court with placement drives and volleys. After the Phlladelphians had gained a commanding lead , the New York pair allowed the set to go without making much effort, preferring to save their strength for the next chapter. But after the rest period, Tilden returned to the courts to play perhaps his best tennis of the match. Both Martin and Hammett fought with everything they had and their team work was splendidly coordinated, but all counted for nought against the individual brilliance of Tilden" .

Magazine cover illustrator

Most of them are artist signed. The rest are imprinted with the words "Cover by Paul Martin." His signature remained fairly consistent; with curvature P & M's, diagonal crossed t's, and an underline mark. Also with the placement of given name above surname.
His artwork featured on Foreign Service was initially sold to Parents in 1930. It went unused and so was dealt to American Lithographic. They then sold it to the Veterans of Foreign Wars for their publication, in early 1932. Martin's artwork featured on Die Hausfrau of a boy with five pups ', was initially used by the Gerlach Barklow Calendar Company. Farm & Firesides name changed to Country Home in early 1930.
Parents 25th anniversary issue came out in October 1951. Its unique cover featured twenty-five of their former covers, reproduced in miniature form. Three of Martin's made it onto this edition. Their issued dates were Oct. 1928, Aug. 1929 and Oct. 1930. He therefore,, won their coveted "Cover of the Year" award for 1928, 29 & 30.
The following list contains thirty-seven known credits, including three from September 1925. They are all from consumer magazines. The latter are noted under "Graphic artist".
● The American Girl : 10-1931.

● Collier's : 5-26-1923, 2-2-1924 ', 6-28-1924, 10-25-1924 ', 11-22-1924, 12-27-1924, 5-2-1925, 5-30-1925, 6-27-1925 ', 7-4-1925, 7-25-1925, 9-19-1925, 10-31-1925, 1-16-1926, 2-13-1926, 5-22-1926, 12-25-1926, 2-26-1927, 8-13-1927, 8-27-1927.

● Everybody's : 9-1925.

● Farm & Fireside / Country Home : 11-1923, 8-1930.

● The Farmer's Wife : 1-1931.

● Foreign Service : 5-1932.

● Die Hausfrau : 4-1936.

● Liberty : 9-12-1925.

● Parents : 10-1928, 2-1929, 5-1929, 8-1929, 10-1929, 2-1930, 10-1930.

● People's Home Journal : 5-1928 , 11-1928.

Book illustrator

The aim was to accurately interpret the text. His artistic contributions to short stories, include the following: 1. Saturday Evening Post. Short Turns and Encore by Dorothy Parker and others, July 29, 1922 p. 16. 2. Collier's. The Blanket by Floyd Dell, October 16, 1926 p. 18. 3. Collier's. The Unfairway by Burford Lorimer, December 25, 1926 pp. 22-23. 4. Scribner's Magazine. Tragedy by Eve Bernstein, April 1928 p. 479. 5. Scribner's Magazine. On the Dark Trail by Franklin Holt, July 1928 p. 71.
The first six listed below, are fictional or semi-fictional books for children. It includes a collaboration with Howard R. Garis. This genre sometimes required a more expressive, imaginative and vigorous drawing style.
● Philus, the Stable Boy of Bethlehem; and Other Children's Story-Sermons for Christmas... . Edmund J. Cleveland, with foreword by the Rt. Rev. Charles L. Slattery, Sept. 1927. It contains eleven short stories covering the church year. The opener is about a stable boy, who was present at the Nativity. These are with a moral message.

● Puck Chasers Incorporated. Charles G. Muller, Sept. 1927. This is one of the earliest books with an ice hockey theme. Its predecessors tended to be on a combination of winter sports, instead of solely on ice hockey.

● . Helen Cady Forbes, Nov. 1927. Araminta turns eleven years old and finds a kidnapped baby.

● The Prince and the Pig's Gate, and Other Sermons in Story. Robert Hugh Morris, May 1928.

● The Baseball Detective. Charles G. Muller, Aug. 1928. It's a story of baseball, competition, friendship and intrigue at the Fisk School for Boys.

● Chad of Knob Hill: The Tale of a Lone Scout. Howard R. Garis, Sept. 1929. Republished in 2013. This book has a Boy Scouting theme. Garis created stories about Uncle Wiggily, a gentlemanly, -stricken rabbit.

● Stories of To-day and Yesterday... . Frederick Houk Law, editor, Feb. 1930. An instructional guide for older students; on reading, writing and appreciating short stories. It includes questions and topics for classroom discussion.

● The Bookshelf for Boys and Girls. Clara Whitehill Hunt, lead editor, 1930–31 and 1931–32 editions. The best books for children are carefully selected. Catalog format with descriptive notes. An authoritative guide for parents.