Shaping Visions in U.S. American Magazines: Women Illustrators and the Visual Culture of Femininity, 1890-1920

Between 1890 and 1920, white U.S. American women experienced unprecedented sociopolitical changes - a dynamic era vividly captured but also creatively and profoundly shaped by successful female illustrators within a burgeoning magazine market. This study highlights five groundbreaking, yet largely forgotten, artists - Rose O’Neill, Nell Brinkley, May Wilson Preston, Jessie Willcox Smith, and Alice Beach Winter. Their work for mass and little magazines reached and inspired a large female readership, while participating in broader dialogues about women’s roles in society. Four case studies explore the creative possibilities of visual-textual expression across magazine covers, advice columns, advertisements, and illustrated serials. ＂Shaping Visions＂ not only chronicles an important era for visual and periodical culture but also makes a compelling case for recognizing female illustrators alongside male contemporaries like Charles Dana Gibson. Featuring previously unexplored illustrations, this book offers scholars and enthusiasts of art history, gender, or media studies fresh insights into the intersections of art, femininity, and magazines at the dawn of the twentieth century.

Annabel Friedrichs, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany.