Long-time Westporter Eve Potts was thumbing through her copy of The Complete Book of New Yorker Covers when she recognized Compo Beach pavilion on a cover by Westport artist Albert Hubbell. This led her to wonder how many other New Yorker covers were produced by local artists and she discovered that the answer was an incredible 767!
This discovery led to an exhibition at the Westport Historical Society called “Cover Story.” The show was a great success and that’s when Andrew Bentley approached the Westport Historical Society about producing a book on the subject. It took several months to get copyright approval from Condé Nast during which time Eve and Andrew selected 50 covers and reached out to many Westporters—artists, historians, old-timers, business people, writers and anyone who would listen — and put together stories about our town.
The result is a handsome 112-page coffee table book which starts with an Art Deco-style cover by James Daugherty from the first year of the New Yorker’s publication through familiar scenes from around Westport that document the transition of Westport from a rural community to a commuter suburb of New York. All of the artists are local and a few were even among the most prolific cover artists that ever graced the covers of the New Yorker. Some, like Charles Addams, are world famous while a few had only one or two covers to their names over their entire careers. The covers are arranged in chronological order so the changing style--and price--of the New Yorker is evident as you advance through the book. Accompanying each cover is pithy commentary that mixes history with legend and little-known facts about the remarkable town of Westport.
To be in the first wave of those who receive one of the 1,000 inscribed copies of this exciting new book, written and designed by Eve Potts and Andrew Bentley, order online at www.westporthistory.org or call (203) 222-1424 to reserve your copy for pick-up after August 1 at the Society’s headquarters, 25 Avery Place, Westport, CT 06880. All proceeds benefit Westport Historical Society. The price of the book is $40.