JC Leyendecker: The Iconic Gay Artist We ALMOST Forgot

During the first quarter of the 20th century, JC Leyendecker's illustrations defined American style and culture. But by the midcentury, almost no one remembered him. What happened? Come learn with me about JC Leyendecker and Charles Beach, his model and life partner.

Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
1:48 JC's early life and career
11:58 Charles Beach's early life
15:57 Charles Meets JC
20:00 The Leyendecker Mansion
24:54 Family Feuds
29:17 Frank's tragic death
34:23 JC and Charles quiet life until the end
41:37 Conclusion
43:01 Outro and credits

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Sources:
Illustration Magazine #50, David Saunders
J.C. Leyendecker, by Lawrence and Judy Cutler
J.C. Leyendecker, by Michael Shau
Outlaw Marriages: The Hidden Histories of Fifteen Extraordinary Same-Sex Couples, by Rodger Streitmatter
My Adventures as an Illustrator, by Norman Rockwell
Country Life Magazine, June 1919 Issue
“The Father of the New Year’s Baby”, Gary Kriss, New York Times, Dec 27, 1998
“Arrow Collar Man- He Lives in the Echoes”, Ed Wallace, New York World Telegram And Sun, August 25, 1951
Gay New York: gender, urban culture, and the makings of the gay male world, 1890-1940, by George Chauncey
Chicago Fine Arts Building website
Ellis Island Passenger record of the SS Freisland- April 16, 1890- Ellis Island Website
Joseph Christian Leyendecker’s US Citizen Naturalization papers- US Dept. of Records
United States WW2 Draft registration card- Charles Allwood Beach- US Dept. of Records
United States WW1 Draft registration card- Charles Allwood Beach- US Dept. of Records
“‘Arrow Collar Man’ is Fatally Stricken”, The Central Jersey Home News, June 24 1954
New York State Census, 1940
Ancestry.com pages for JC, Charles, Frank, and Augusta
Considerations on a Gentleman’s Posterior, Shaun Cole
Gay Blades: Homoerotic Content in J.C. Leyendecker’s Gillette Advertising Images, Richard Martin
Art Students League 6th Annual Exhibition Pamphlet, 1899- AIC Archives
The AIC Catalogue of the Eleventh Annual Exhibition of Watercolors, Pastels, and miniatures by American Artists, 1899, pamphlet- AIC Archives
First Exhibition of Works by Former Students and Instructors of the Art Institute of Chicago, 1918, Pamphlet- AIC Archives
‘The Spirit of Transportation’ Competition Pamphlet- AIC Archives
Art Students League 5th Annual Exhibition, Pamphlet, 1898- AIC Archives
Chicago Whispers: A History of LGBT Chicago Before Stonewall, by St. Sukie de la Croix and John d’Emilio
FindaGrave.com, Charles Alwood Beach
Thanks to Tod Ruhstaller, CEO and Curator of History at the Haggin Museum
Coded Desire in 1920’s Advertising, David B Boyce
PVH Archives, Stories from the Archives: The Arrow Collar Man
American Fine Art Magazine Issue 21, May/June 2015
Thank you to @spinningrobo on Twitter for acquiring local New Rochelle articles!!!!!
“Leyendecker Remembered as Perfectionist”, Virginia Clair, New Rochelle Standard-Sun, July 26, 1951
Chicago Tribune, August 8, 1897, p28

Images:
Haggin Museum
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
David Saunders
The Saturday Evening Post
Heritage Auctions
Country Life Magazine
House and Garden Magazine
Life Magazine
Illustration House, NY
The Illustrated Gallery, PA
New York World Telegram and Sun
The Chicago Tribune

A massive thank you to the people who helped me in my research: Tod Ruhstaller of the Haggin museum for his help via email and for letting me goof around in the Haggin archives looking at JC’s stuff
To the Mount Tom Day School and Erin Dutton for taking the time to take me on a tour of the Leyendecker mansion
To the New York and New Rochelle Public Library staff for assisting my research
@spinningrobo on Twitter for sending me Charles’ interview
Lance Ringel, playwright of ‘In Love With the Arrow Collar Man’
My patrons on patreon who helped fund my research trip
And my family members who supported my research