The Gibson Girl: Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

The Gibson Girl was created by Charles Dana Gibson, one of the many illustrators selling their work to publishers of periodicals in Manhttan in the 1890s.

He was born in the Roxbury section of Boston on 14 September 1867, one of five children to a former lieutenant of the Union army in the Civil War and his energetic and generous wife. His father was an amateur artist who encouraged the boy's talent and taught him what he knew. Gibson was fortunate enough to be sent at high school age to the Art Students League in New York City where Thomas Eakins and William Merrit Chase taught. In two years he was forced to leave and find work to ease the financial strain his education imposed on the modest means of his family. He made the rounds of New York publishers and sold a small drawing (a dog chained to a post) to the old Life magazine in 1886. This was the beginning of a 30-year association with Life.

In time he acquired many more clients and was earning enough to rent his own studio. In 1889, when this illustration shown above appeared in The Century magazine for March he had saved enough money to finance a trip to London and Paris. The technique shown in this drawing is what I would call slash and scratch. It was all that most illustrators ever mastered in black and white, and is to be found as well in the work of most cartoonists of the period. It is a far cry from his famous, and so often poorly imitated, brilliant later style shown directly below.

While in England Gibson met the very famous writer, illustrator and wit, George du Maurier whose lyrical style of pen-and-ink illustration set him high above the rest of his peers. However good du Maurier was in depicting beautiful women, Gibson surpassed him. He became supercharged as a result of finally meeting his idol and returned to New York revitalized and truly reinvented himself with his "Gibson Girls."

This is a scan of an original Gibson drawing of 1903 entitled "The Weaker Sex," which the artist gave to the Library of Congress in 1935. Click on it, and the images above, to enlarge.

The incredibly beautiful teenage showgirl, Evelyn Nesbit, was the subject of this famous Gibson drawing entitled "Women: the Eternal Question," and published in 1905 when Nesbit was probably only 18. Evelyn Nesbit was the nubile object of prominent but profligate architect Stanford White's affection and the obsession of his murderer, the infamous Harry Thaw.

Next: Gibson imitators, and how they missed the mark.

Comments

[David Dorsey]

I have an ink sketch of a gibson girl signed C.D. Gibson. The signature appears to be the same as others I have compared it too. Just before the signature is the word "after" which could be the title of the drawing or it could mean possibly,'copied' Could there have been two drawings, "before" and "after? The word "after"seems to be in an ink differant than the signature. How would I find out if this is an original? Thanks

[Nicholas Steward]

Things to look for in Gibson original drawings.

1. Paper size: After about 1890 with the advent of photoengraving, illustrators could begin to draw larger, since before then the drawing needed to match the size of the printed work. For a double page illustration, Gibson usually worked on paper around 24Hx36W" and it would be reduced for printing. Drawing copies of his works would be the size of the reproduction.

2. Comparison: Since his works were reproduced, the original and reproduction should match except in size.

3. Printing marks: Often on the reverse of the drawing there would be a stamp of the magazine that was printing the illustration, such as Life. On the front there might be lines in pencil at the edges with a number under them such as ------8 meaning that that side needed to be reduced to 8 inches.

Hope this helps.

Best, Nick Steward

[Niroot]

Regarding the origins of the'Gibson Girl', I'm quite sure the very first inspiration came from the Langhorne sisters, one of whom became *MRS* Charles Dana Gibson (I'm afraid I don't remember her first name), and the other was the famous Nancy Astor. However the description may indeed have become popular after the fame of the drawings.

[Rebecca Powell]

Hello -
do you have any information on the value of an original Gibson drawing? Also, E. Stetson Crawford?
Thank you for any information you can help me with

[L]

My Great Aunt has 15 or so original Gibson drawings. All of them are of her Aunt Cashy, a friend of Gibson., except for one - which is "The Weaker Sex", drawing 1 which I've admired all my life. All his drawings look so perfectly effortless- it's just amazing to me.

[Mike Clements]

I am antique dealer. I was reframing an old print and there was what appears to be an original drawing behind the print. The last part of the signature says Gibson, but before it, it shows either C. C. or Co Co. Did he sign his artwork with round hollow periods? Also, underneath the signature it says "AY 1900". What would the A Y mean? thanks, mike

[Mary Riddle]

Hi,
I have two Original books of C.D.Gibson. I have The Education of Mr.Pipp,copyright 1899, and I also have A window & Her Friends, copyright, 1901 by Robert Howard Russell these are in great condition they were my Grand mothers. I may be interested in selling them. Mary

[Claudia Stone]

I have just found The Gibson Girl Book 1 and The Gibson Girl Book 2 in a storage room of family owned Victorian in San Francisco. Where would I go to have these books valued? They are dusty but in otherwise very, very good condition. They were found in the canning room where my great-grandmother put up her fruit and vegetables.
Thank you very much.
Best regards,
Claudia Stone

[sandy mannino]

sorry I forgot to put the year of 1904

[sandy mannino]

Hello ! I have volume No. 9 entitled Everyday People. Is anyone interested just feel free to email me.

[Paul Giambarba]

Arlene -- You might contact The Society of Illustrators in New York City. Someone there should be able to help you. Another source might be Walt Reed at Illustration House. Google them for addresses and contact information.

[Arlene O'Connor Bell]

I am trying to find out the value of, what my family believes to be, an orginal Gibson Girl drawing. In the early 1900's my grandfather was a scenic artist for the movie industry in Brooklyn, NY. Charles Gibson is believed to have personally given this drawing to my grandfather. How can I best find out the authenticity of this drawing?

[giam]

I have no way of identifying your grandmother as a Gibson Girl. It was a term in popular use and it's quite possible her beauty was described in that way. Your dates suggest that she would have been a woman of a certain age when Gibson began drawing his "girls" for publication.

[Georgiana Faith (Keesler) Barber]

My grandmother, Georgiana (Stafford) Kessler-Cline was supposedly a "Gibson Girl". She resided and worked at a bank in Jersey City, NJ and possibly the Bronx, NY from the 1860's until early 1900's. We are completing a fmily history and just learned of this possibility. Any confirmation or elimination of her as a Gibson Girl would be appreciated.