Saturday Evening Post, June 3rd, 1916

Norman Rockwell would begin his work as illustrator of the Saturday Evening Post at 22. His career at the Post, which would last over 45 years, started on May 16th, 1916, making this Rockwell’s third Post cover. In 1916, the First World War was at its height, and although the United States Army would not enter the war until 1917, the tension of the conflict was still felt on the homefront. This issue shows these rising tensions in the Post article Men Wanted for the Navy. 

Saturday Evening Post, April 26th, 1919

World War One ended in November of 1918, and due to the magnitude of the war and the new technology, many American men deployed on the Western Front would come home with stories of untold horrors. In this issue of the Post from April 26th, 1919, we can sense the moral implications of World War One being felt by both soldiers and the public alike. In the story from this issue titled The Second Elder Gives Battle, we can read the story of a veteran who killed twenty German Soldiers to free hundreds of prisoners of war. 

Saturday Evening Post. March 1st, 1924

When looking at the United States a century ago, we can see trace milestones in our journey to being the Land of the Free. In 1920, with the passing of the 19th Amendment, women got the right to vote- a freedom very much owed to the hard work of the suffragettes. Four years later, in this issue of the Saturday Evening Post from March 1st, 1924, we get a continuation of the story of voting. The article follows three fictional women and their authentic thoughts on politics leading up to the 1924 election of Calvin Coolidge and John W. Davis. Even a century later, many of these concerns hold, as well as an unrelenting hope for the future. 

Saturday Evening Post, January 12th, 1929

Published January 12th, 1929, a mere eight months before Black Tuesday, the Post would publish a story called The Great Bull Market. In this article, we can read a grim foreshadowing of Black Tuesday and the coming of the Great Depression that would mark the end of the Roaring Twenties. Read below to see how much the Post got right! 

Saturday Evening Post, January 30th, 1932

While we have been exploring issues of the Post that do not show their age, the one below certainly does. In the article The Disarmament Conference at Geneva, we learn about the Post's contemporary feelings surrounding the prevention of another world war. Eerily enough, the article has an optimistic outlook and puts its faith in the League of Nations, the Treaty of Versailles, and the Geneva Convention. The article is intriguing to read, with the knowledge of what will soon come.

Saturday Evening Post, February 7th, 1942

In December 1941, the United States entered into the Second World War after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The full-fledged effort of the United States military, which led to the deployment of millions of American men,  would leave many women home. This change would open jobs, allowing many women to fill these positions.  Although at the time of this Saturday Evening Post issue, the United States was involved in the War for only three months, another major event was coming up on the homefront… Valentine's Day. Look at this ad from the Wartime Valentine's Day Gifts post.

Saturday Evening Post, November 24, 1945

In September of 1945, World War Two would officially end, bringing hundreds of thousands of soldiers home. Looking into all of the Saturday Evening Post Covers from 1945, including this special edition Thanksgiving cover, we can see the sheer optimism and relief of the returned veterans and their families. However, The Post and its advertisers were aware of this new audience of returning veterans. In this issue of the Post, we can see an insurance company offering jobs to Veterans who may have had unstable lives before heading to War.

Saturday Evening Post, August 21, 1954

In the wake of World War Two, we can see a shift in the aesthetics of the Saturday Evening Post covers. The focus shifts to domestic life at home and shows our everyday lives. This is also very much felt in the articles from the Post. This is not to say that the Post began to stop publishing severe articles. A new issue had arisen in the States. In this article from this issue of the Post, we can read about the outbreak of Polio in the United States. Eventually, the Polio Vaccine would be created by American research, a vaccine many of us have today.

Saturday Evening Post, February 13, 1960

After illustrating for the Saturday Evening Post for 44 years, Norman Rockwell would be recognized by the vast American public for his iconic imagery. In this issue of the Post, we learn of Norman Rockwell’s thoughts and artistic journey. 

Saturday Evening Post, November 5, 1960

The 1960 election occurred during a turbulent time in America. The question of civil rights was on every American's mind on the homefront while the threats of nuclear war loomed from outside forces. We can even see on the cover of this issue a mention of Castro a year before he declared Cuba a socialist state and two years before the Cuban Missile Crisis. In this issue of the Saturday Evening Post, we get a rare look at the Kennedy campaign trail and how his campaign catered to contemporary problems.