Coded Voices: A Quiet Revolution in American Life

Drawing Desire: J. C. Leyendecker’s Vision and Sexuality Shaped the American Male

Take a second and picture what masculinity means to you. The vision that most likely comes to mind is one of strength and dominance. Often stoic, independent, and powerful, or big, burly, and gruff. In America, we either picture the big, imposing jock or the well-put-together businessman in control. Now, if I asked you to picture gay men as part of that vision, would you be able to do that? Our culture often makes gay men and masculinity the antithesis of each other. But it is a gay illustrator from the early 20^th century who was a significant factor in shaping American masculinity to what it is today.

Joseph Christian Layendecker was one of the most commercially successful artists in American history. Born in 1874 in Germany, Leyendecker and his family immigrated to Chicago in 1882, and this is where the start of his 60-year artistic career would begin. He spent much of that early career freelancing, apprenticing, and taking art classes at night in Chicago. Then in 1896, he would be chosen as the winner of the Century Magazine’s poster and cover contest. This win would be the springboard for the rest of his career. He would use his winnings to study art in Paris at the Académie Julian.

Upon returning to America, Leyendecker continued to freelance for many local companies in Chicago. But with his gaining both national and international recognition, it wouldn’t be long before the next big step in his career would take place. In 1899, he would have his first cover commission from the Saturday Evening Post, and this would solidify a 44-year-long partnership. That partnership would lead him to create 322 covers for the Post, some of them being the most iconic covers in the Post’s history.

After moving to New York City, Leyendecker was hired by Arrow Collars in 1905 to design a new brand image. Not only was he a brilliant illustrator, but Leyendecker also had a deep understanding of successful marketing campaigns. And his new vision for Arrow Collars would be so successful that they would become the most successful men’s wear brand at the time, raising their sales by $32,000,000 a year, and this is where American masculinity would be defined.

Leyendecker’s campaign created the Arrow Collar Man, an everyman character that was the predecessor to others like the Marlboro Man. The Arrow Collar Man was successful with both men and women, and many saw him as a perfect example of well-dressed masculinity.

Looking back on these works from the perspective of the 21^st century, the homoeroticism and sexual tension between the male subjects are abundantly evident. But for the time, it passed as hetero-normative, because Leyendecker was subtle. This was imperative for Leyendecker’s commercial and cultural success.

Not only did Leyendecker succeed in his work with the Arrow Collar Company, but he also had a 44-year-long working relationship with The Saturday Evening Post. He would create many of their most iconic covers, like the baby new year series, his seasonal holidays (Christmas/Thanksgiving), and patriotic covers. His sexuality was also visible in this work but it was much more subtle.

At this time in American history, we were post-World War I and pre-World War II. We were in a significant cultural and economic growth period, the Roaring 20s. This was a time when the Harlem Renaissance and the Pansy Craze were coinciding. The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural growth and rebirth for the Black community that celebrated art, music, and expression. It fostered spaces for diverse gender expression and sexualities. The Pansy Craze saw the visibility of drag queens and queer entertainers grow in popularity. But it was also a time that stigmatized and criminalized queerness. Queerness was defined as a mental disorder, and “Lewd Acts” like holding hands or kissing a same-sex partner were criminalized. For queer people like Leyendecker, the ability to “pass” as heterosexual was imperative.

As far as we know, Leyendecker never publicly spoke about his sexuality. But in his private life, he and his partner Charles A. Beach lived together, threw lavish parties, and worked together professionally. They met in 1903 at Leyendecker’s art studio when Beach came to model for him. They would have a loving relationship that would last nearly 50 years until Leyendecker passed away in 1951. While subtle at the time, Leyendecker’s sexuality played a significant role in his work and helped to shape American masculinity; at a time when the two concepts couldn’t be more diametrically opposed. In the years since, we are able to look back and understand this, especially as our definition of masculinity is once again in flux.