Charley Harper’s Ford Times Covers
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Saige Jedele is a former associate curator, digital content, for The Henry Ford
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Charley Harper (1922-2007), initially a commercial artist, became famous for simplified, geometric depictions of wildlife. Harper credited work for Ford Times, a promotional magazine published by Ford Motor Company, with encouraging his focus on wildlife and helping to shape his unique style. Harper’s Ford Times covers, created between 1951 and 1982, reflect his artistic development and remain among his most recognizable works.
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"Ford Times," April 1951
Ford Times provided Charley Harper opportunities to explore many subjects, including one that had captivated him since childhood: wildlife. His first cover for the magazine, published in 1951, depicted fish stocked for anglers in a lake near his hometown of Cincinnati. In total, Harper would illustrate 36 Ford Times covers, with many featuring wildlife subjects.
View Artifact"Ford Times," July 1952
Charley Harper adapted a Grand Canyon landscape he'd painted during his 1947 honeymoon for this 1952 Ford Times cover. A few years earlier, Harper had sent a portfolio of work from that trip to Ford Times, sparking a decades-long relationship that would change the course of his career.
View Artifact"Ford Times," October 1952
Leading up to Ford Motor Company's 50th anniversary celebration in 1953, Ford Times published a series of Charley Harper illustrations depicting automobiles at destinations across America. As he had with an earlier series of fish illustrations, Harper made and sold a selection of these images as prints through Ford Times. These printmaking projects encouraged Harper to produce even simpler and more geometric work.
View Artifact"Ford Times," November 1954
In 1954, Charley Harper created a series of bird illustrations at the request of the Ford Times art director. It was Harper's first real attempt at birds, which soon became his predominant focus. Through 1960, every November issue of Ford Times featured more of Harper's birds. With each series, Harper further refined his style and established himself as a wildlife artist.
View Artifact"Ford Times," September 1954
Charley Harper's work often reflected his sense of humor. He frequently penned funny descriptions for his illustrations and used puns in their titles. A caption printed on the back of this 1954 issue of Ford Times described Harper’s mobile on its cover: "Note the front and rear string suspension, the delicate balance, and bright fall colors. Add them together and you have an 'Autumn-mobile.'"
View Artifact"Ford Times," April 1959
A group of Charley Harper's ladybird beetles adorned the cover of this 1959 issue of Ford Times. Ladybirds — a favorite of Charley, his wife Edie, and their son Brett — became a hallmark of the Harper family.
View Artifact"Ford Times," November 1959
In 1959, Charley Harper collaborated with architect Rudy Hermes on illustrations of futuristic homes for Ford Times. Harper rendered Hermes' architectural designs, and the magazine photocomposed them over implausible yet stunning settings. Around this time, Rudy Hermes also designed Harper's home and studio in Cincinnati, Ohio.
View Artifact"Ford Times," June 1963
Work for Ford Times offered more artistic freedom than other commercial commissions. Many of Charley Harper's Ford Times illustrations highlighted his personal experiences and interests, often depicting the people and places of Ohio, where he lived, and West Virginia, where he was born and raised. This 1963 cover celebrated West Virginia wildlife.
View Artifact"Ford Times," July 1970
As Charley Harper honed his artistic style and focus on wildlife, he developed a passion for conservation and became known as an honorary naturalist. Many of Harper's later contributions to Ford Times reflect this shift. His cover for this special 1970 environmental issue relates to an article on the threat of pesticides to America's bald eagle population.
View Artifact"Ford Times," April 1978
Charley Harper's final Ford Times cover, published in 1982, conveys the fulfillment of his unique style. Fittingly, it depicts birds, the subject that had become Harper's signature thanks to his work for Ford Times.
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