Otto Soglow (1900–1975)
Original artwork for spot illustration, ca. September 1932
New Yorker Records, Manuscripts and Archives Division
Artist Spotlight
In today’s New Yorker, the spot illustrations within one issue center on a single subject or theme, but in the magazine’s early days, the subjects varied widely across an issue’s pages. Otto Soglow, a renowned illustrator and co-founder of the National Cartoonists Society, helped to establish visual cohesion among spot illustrations. He drew hundreds of simple black-and-white illustrations for “The Talk of the Town,” which are still used today.
WHAT IS A “SPOT”?
The miniature illustrations that pepper The New Yorker’s pages are called “spots,” and they have been a distinctive feature of the magazine since its debut in 1925. The New Yorker’s spot artists, whose stories are often untold, have shaped the magazine’s style and tone, adding a sense of surprise and delight to every page.
Learn more about spot illustrations from New Yorker creative director Nicholas Blechman in the audio guide.
: Manuscripts and Archives Division
Currently on View at Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
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