A Dog's Idea of the Ideal Country Estate

The Canine Cartography of John Held Jr

Click image to enlarge ~ Source

This charming 1925 pictorial map is by John Held Jr. - a multifaceted American artist whose vibrant illustrations captured the essence of the Roaring Twenties. Born in 1889, in Salt Lake City, Held’s creative journey unfolded against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world. His artistic talent began within his Mormon family, and by the tender age of nine, he was already selling his drawings.

Held never graduated from high school — finding his time was better spent honing his artistic skills, which he began at The Salt Lake Tribune as a sports illustrator from about 1905 to 1909.

John Held, Jr ~ Source

Held left Salt Lake City to seek his fortune in New York City. He re-connected with his high school classmate, Harold Ross, who went on to found The New Yorker magazine. Before long, Held was a sought after illustrator for major magazines of the era.

by John Held Jr ~ Source

“Fitzgerald christened it the Jazz Age, but John Held, Jr. set its style and manners. His angular and scantily clad flapper was accepted by scandalized elders as the prototype for modern youth, the symbol of our moral revolution… So sedulously did we ape his caricatures that they lost their satiric point and came to be a documentary record of our times.”
— Corey Ford, writer and humorist

As one of the most celebrated illustrators of the 1920s, Held’s iconic drawings depicted the flapper era with wit and flair. His characters danced, drove, played sports, and reveled in the spirit of the times.

Whether capturing the exuberance of the Charleston or the allure of speakeasies, Held’s art continues to define the Jazz Age for generations to come.

by John Held Jr ~ Source

In his prolific career, Held’s work graced the pages of prominent publications such as Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, and Life magazine. From the dance floors of the Cotton Club to the pages of glossy magazines, John Held Jr.'s illustrations remain a vivid snapshot of a time when the world swung to a syncopated beat, and flappers danced their way into history.

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Another Jazz Age map by John Held Jr

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