""Fencing at M. De Florette's Academy," Philadelphia Blended Whisky Ad" Lot no. 543
By Edward Everett Henry
1950 (Estimated)
20.00" x 24.00"
Gouache on Board
Signed Lower Right
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From a series of historic prints designed as advertisements to promote Philadelphia Blended Whisky. Later published in Gerald W. Johnson's book Pattern for Liberty: The Story of Old Philadelphia, published by McGraw Hill in 1952, where the full caption reads: "When Every Gentleman was a man-at-arms -- Fencing at M. De Florette's Academy."
In the 1940s, the Continental Distilling Corporation commissioned artists Simon Greco, James Bingham, and Edward Everett Henry to create a series of historical images of Philadelphia to promote its Philadelphia Blended Whisky, which it referred to as “The Heritage Whisky.” By highlighting key moments that led to the founding of the country and the city’s cultural heritage in its advertising, the company sought to position Philadelphia Blended Whisky as having a rich and enduring legacy.
The advertising copy links the City of Brotherly Love with “a legendary heritage of hospitality,” which is “one of the proud traditions established by Colonial Philadelphia.” Despite the textual emphasis on hospitality, the corresponding illustrations don’t touch upon the friendly reception or entertainment of guests, nor do they include any imagery of whisky-drinkers. Separated from the advertising copy, it would be difficult to determine the product these images were commissioned to sell. This lack of emphasis on the product in the imagery may in part be due to the fact that the Continental Distilling Corporation also released the illustrations as lithographs, likely with the hope the pictures would be treated as home decor. Some illustrations from the series were later published in Gerald W. Johnson's book Pattern for Liberty: The Story of Old Philadelphia, published by McGraw Hill in 1952. Of the 32 illustrations published in the text, The Illustrated Gallery has held around 20 of the original paintings in its collection.
Explore related art collections: Action / 1950s / Men / Violence/Guns / $100 - $5,000 / Advertisements / Liquor/Beer / Philadelphia Whisky Ads / Newly Researched
See all original artwork by Edward Everett Henry
ABOUT THE ARTIST
E. Everett Henry was an advertising artist during much of his career, which he began in the ‘twenties, and he illustrated many advertising campaigns.
Henry brought to his work a thorough academic training through study at the Art Students League, the School of Fine and Applied Art, New York University and Columbia University. He also did some teaching at the School of Fine and Applied Art in New York.
In 1935, he painted murals for the Ford Company Building at the San Diego Fair. This led to many other mural commissions, several of which he executed in collaboration with Allen Saalburg and Louis Bouché. These included decorations for twelve club cars for the Pennsylvania Railroad, designs in the Westinghouse Building, the U. S. Government Building and the Building service center, all at the New York World’s Fair in 1939-40. He also painted both murals and easel pictures for private collectors, and is represented in the permanent collection of the Whitney Museum.