As an illustrator whose work appeared in countless magazines, dozens of books, and on scores of posters, Howard Chandler Christy set his mark on the popular culture of his time. Christy's subjects ranged from romantic interludes in high-society New York to historic battles on the Scottish Highlands, but he was best known for his creation of "the Christy Girl" whose lovely face and form graced magazine covers and stories, sold Christy-style hats and dresses, and convinced young men to join the navy and marines in both world wars. He did most of his book illustrations from 1895 to 1920, worked on posters during the two world wars, and turned almost completely to painting portraits after 1921.

Born on 10 January 1873, Howard Chandler Christy had the kind of childhood that can be thought of with nostalgia as typically American and old-fashioned. Growing up on his parents' farm in Duncan Falls, near Zanesville, Ohio...