On View for First Time, Over 70 Artworks by One of New York’s Original “Mad Men”
The Museum of the City of New York invites members of the press to preview Mac Conner: A New York Life-the first exhibition of more than 70 original artworks by illustrator McCauley (“Mac”) Conner, one of New York’s original “Mad Men.” From the 1940s – 60s, Conner’s captivating advertising and editorial illustrations graced the pages of major magazines, including Cosmopolitan, Redbook, and The Saturday Evening Post, helping shape the popular image of postwar America. The latest in an ongoing series of exhibitions that examines the lives and influence of New Yorkers, Mac Conner: A New York Life explores one man’s prolific career in New York as the world’s media capital and the country’s publishing center in the pivotal years after World War II. Mac Conner: A New York Life will officially open on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 and will remain on view until Sunday, January 19, 2015.
Illustrator McCauley (“Mac”) Conner (b. 1913) grew up admiring Norman Rockwell magazine covers in his father’s general store. He arrived in New York as a young man to work on wartime Navy publications and stayed on to make a career in the city’s publishing industry. As the first exhibition of his work, Mac Conner: A New York Life will present more than 100 vintage sketches, original tear sheets, and hand-painted illustrations created for advertising campaigns and women’s magazines like Redbook and McCall’s. With overt references to gender, sexuality and fashion, Connor’s work demonstrates how commercial artists helped to redefine American style, culture and identity during the boom years following World War II. Co-sponsored by The Modern Graphic History Library at Washington University in St. Louis and the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies.
The Museum of the City of New York celebrates and interprets the city, educating the public about its distinctive character, especially its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation. Founded in 1923 as a private, nonprofit corporation, the Museum connects the past, present, and future of New York City. It serves the people of New York and visitors from around the world through exhibitions, school and public programs, publications, and collections.For more information, visit www.mcny.org.