GLR September-October 2023

thirty-year age difference. This setback didn ’ t faze the artist, who continued to create ads depicting men gazing longingly at each other — in one case, while admiring a phallic golf club; in another, while one man offers his glove to another, suggesting a proposal of some kind. While many believe that Leyendecker ’ swork “ subverted het erosexual imagery, ” his ads reflected the relatively relaxed atti tudes of this era (the “ Roaring Twenties ” ). Society permitted and encouraged men to engage in homosocial interaction in spaces such as fraternity houses, locker rooms, sporting events, and men ’ s clubs, which facilitated male bonding and rituals with a degree of physical and emotional intimacy that is generally out of bounds even today. These were the all-male environments that provided the backdrop for much of Leyendecker ’ s work. No one questioned these scenes because they simply reflected the reality of male behavior and were consistent with American norms, notwithstanding the sly glances and suggestive poses of some of the men in these depictions. The success of Arrow Collar prompted other men ’ s compa nies, such as Kuppenheimer and Interwoven Socks, to hire Leyendecker as well. The ads he produced could only hint at a subculture that was burgeoning in cities like New York. His “ met rosexual ” men (as we would say), such as the languid males ca ressing their sheer stockings in Interwoven ads, offered a glimpse into a fashion world that echoed the dandy culture of Oscar Wilde ’ s time. These men flouted the sexual and gender protocols of mainstream society with flamboyant styles of clothing, man nerisms, and conversation, presenting these affectations as signs of upper-class sophistication. George Chauncey described this dynamic in Gay New York (1994): “ The effeminate ‘ fairy ’ was so visible in New York that it came to represent all homosexuals in the public mind, ” blinding people to the true persona of the “ refined metrosexuals ” depicted by Leyendecker. A contemporary artist, Charles Demuth (1883 – 1935), por trayed this subculture in sexually provocative watercolors that he was unable to exhibit during his lifetime. In contrast, Leyen decker ’ s ads portrayed a social world in vaguely homoerotic ads that showcased ambiguous relationships between unam biguously masculine men. An ad for Gillette featured an older and a younger man sharing an intimate bathroom space. Are they father and son, or a “ daddy ” with his younger lover? The meaning of the scene was in the eye of the beholder. This strat egy worked like magic. Women were attracted to these men, men wanted to be like them, and gay men picked up on the in timacy and sexual tension, projecting their own desires into these scenarios. W HILE LEYENDECKER was helping to shape the zeitgeist, he also reimagined the American magazine with his covers for The Saturday Evening Post , turning it into the main venue for mass market brands to sell a lifestyle to the American public. When he was hired in 1899, magazine covers featured an illustration from a story in that issue. Leyendecker ’ sapproach was to create a stand-alone image that grabbed the browser ’ s in terest and sold magazines. His covers for holidays such as Easter, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas became an event, even shaping the way in which they were celebrated. For

Valentino. Arrow Collar received some 17,000 letters, many containing marriage proposals, in just one month. Little did Beach ’ s fans realize that their ideal man was the partner of the artist, who had turned him into a superstar. The Arrow Collar Man became a phenomenon, inspiring popular songs and a Broadway musical, and changing how the clothing industry marketed itself. Arrow Collar cornered 96 per cent of the market, destroying its competition with sales of over $32 million in 1918. Leyendecker ’ s illustrations embodied the elegance of the Great Gatsby era even before Fitzgerald ’ snovel was published in 1925. When Daisy tells Gatsby, “ You always look so cool, like the advertisement of the man, ” she must be re ferring to the Arrow Collar Man. Leyendecker was arguably the most famous artist in Amer ica, and Beach ’ s likeness was so familiar that strangers stopped him in the street. Their movie star lives, with lavish parties at their mansion, personified the Gatsby themes: the lure of the American dream and its symbols of wealth and style, starting with a well-pressed shirt. When gossip columnist Walter Winchell reported on these parties, he never mentioned the hosts ’ relationship, probably for fear that he would no longer be invited to these coveted events. However, there were clouds on the horizon. In 1923, Frank and Mary Augusta moved out of the family home after a huge fight with Leyendecker and Beach, leaving them alone and, more importantly, unable to conceal the nature of their relationship. It was around this time when, worried that rumors would destroy their career, Leyendecker tried to set up an arranged marriage with one of his favorite female models, Phyllis Frederic. Despite Beach ’ s opposition, he asked Phyllis ’ father for her hand and even provided a business plan. Her father refused, citing their over

Saturday Evening Post cover for Thanksgiving, 1928.

TheG & LR

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