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Coby Whitmore
Born
Maxwell Coburn Whitmore

(1913-06-11)June 11, 1913
Died October 12, 1988(1988-10-12) (aged 75)
Known for Commercial art, Magazine illustration
Awards Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame

Maxwell Coburn Whitmore (born June 11, 1913, died October 12, 1988) was a famous American artist. He was known for painting and drawing pictures for magazines. You might have seen his work on the covers of The Saturday Evening Post. He also created art for advertisements, like those for Gallo Wine. Later in his life, he even designed race cars! In 1978, Coby Whitmore was honored by being added to the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame.

About Coby Whitmore

Early Life and Becoming an Artist

CobyWhitmoreSatEvePost3-53
Whitmore illustration for the March 28, 1953, issue of The Saturday Evening Post

Coby Whitmore was born in Dayton, Ohio. He went to Steele High School and studied art at the Dayton Art Institute.

After finishing school, Coby moved to Chicago, Illinois. There, he learned from a famous illustrator named Haddon Sundblom. Coby also worked for the Chicago Herald Examiner newspaper and took night classes at the Chicago Art Institute.

In 1942, Coby Whitmore moved to New York City. He joined a special art studio called the Charles E. Cooper Studio. At this studio, he created illustrations for many popular magazines and other commercial art projects.

Coby Whitmore and another artist named Jon Whitcomb were two of the best illustrators at the Cooper Studio. In the 1940s and 1950s, their art was seen everywhere. They drew pictures for magazines like McCall's, Ladies Home Journal, and Good Housekeeping. Their art often showed happy, middle-class families in new homes with new cars.

Besides women's magazines, Coby Whitmore also drew for Esquire, The Saturday Evening Post, and Sports Illustrated.

Later Life and Designing Race Cars

Coby Whitmore lived in Briarcliff Manor, New York. In the 1950s and 1960s, he teamed up with John Fitch. John Fitch was a former pilot and sold imported cars. Together, they designed and raced sports cars.

Personal Life

Coby Whitmore and his wife, Virginia, moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina, in 1968. He passed away there on October 12, 1988, when he was 75 years old.

Coby Whitmore's Influence

Coby Whitmore's artwork inspired many other artists. This includes comic-book artists like John Buscema and John Romita, Sr.. Glen Murakami, who produced the Teen Titans animated series, said that Whitmore's style influenced the backgrounds in the show.

Coby Whitmore's art was shown in a special exhibit at the Norman Rockwell Museum. This exhibit, called "Ephemeral Beauty," focused on American women's magazines from 1940 to 1960.

You can find Coby Whitmore's art in important collections. These include The Pentagon, the United States Air Force Academy, the New Britain Museum of American Art, and Syracuse University.

Awards and Honors

Coby Whitmore was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 1978. This is a very high honor for an illustrator.

He also received awards from important art clubs in New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

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