The Saturday Evening Post
Founded in 1728, The Saturday Evening Post is America's oldest magazine. Purchased in 1897 by Cyrus H. Curtis, The Saturday Evening Post rose to the coveted status of "America's Magazine" by showcasing the best American writers, artists and illustrators of the Twentieth Century. Curtis paid $1,000 for the magazine, which had origins back to 1728 and Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette. Starting with a handful of worn type, some paper, and a modest circulation of 2,000, he published the first issue under the imprint of Curtis Publishing and brought the magazine's circulation to more than a million by 1908. By 1960, the circulation had soared to over six million.The magazine's success was no accident. Curtis's editor George Lorimer, succeeded in luring the top writers and most talented illustrators of the day, which fostered "America's Golden Age of Illustration". Artists including Norman Rockwell, J.C. Leyendecker, John Clymer, Stevan Dohanos, Sarah Stilwell-Weber, John LaGatta and dozens more gained their fame with The Saturday Evening Post.
The magazine continued to thrive through the Great Depression, World War II, the Baby Boom years and well into the 60's. In 1970, noted industrialist and entrepreneur Dr. Beurt SerVaas, with his wife and Publisher Dr. Cory SerVaas, revitalized The Saturday Evening Post, now published bi-monthly. The Curtis Publishing Company, under the dynamic leadership of Owner and CEO Joan SerVaas Durham, has evolved as an art licensing industry pacesetter.