Guernsey Moore

Biography from the Archives of askART

The following biography is provided to AskART.com by Nancy Underwood, great-grand daughter of Guernsey Moore. She sent a copy of Moore's obituary and also wrote: "The lettering style he designed for the 'Saturday Evening Post,' referred to in the obituary, is now called Post Old Style and is the style used for the title of the magazine on most covers.

T. Guernsey Moore, Noted Artist, Dies

Succumbs at His Home in Swarthmore to Dilatation of Heart

Famed as Decorator

Thomas Guernsey Moore, widely known artist, designer and decorator, died

suddenly early today at his home on Princeton Avenue, Swarthmore, from

acute dilation of the heart. He passed away while asleep. He had not been

in good health for about a year.

Shortly before Christmas he suffered a severe heart attach resembling a

stroke and for a time his right side was partially paralyzed. He rallied

from this attack, however, and hopes were held for his complete recovery.

Mr. Moore came from an old Germantown family. He was an authority on

Colonial art. His work in design and in decoration was familiar to

thousands throughout the country.

Educated in This City, Mr. Moore was born in Germantown February 14, 1874. He obtained his early education at Germantown Academy and in 1891 entered the Academy of the Fine Arts. In his later life, in recognition of his work and his ability, he was made a fellow of the Academy.

In his youth, he was employed for a time in the art department of the

"Philadelphia Press." Later he had a studio with George Gibbs, the

illustrator, and devoted his time largely to perfecting himself in design.

In 1900, he designed a new style of lettering for the "Saturday Evening Post,"

and he aided in evolving a number of new art features for that publication.

Four years later he became art editor of the "Post."

From 1906 to 1908, he devoted himself largely to magazine, advertising and

art work. In 1908, he assisted Ellis P. Oberholtzer in designing the

costumes and decorations for Philadelphia's great Founders' Week. The

following year he became art director for the Beck Engraving Company.

The year 1912 was a busy one for Mr. Moore. He was art director for the

George L. Boyer Company in New York City, and for Calkins & Holden, also of

New York, and he was designer and director for the large historical pageant

held in Fairmount Park.

Designed Pageant Settings

Until 1914 his time was entirely taken up with magazine and art work. In

1915 he designed the costumes and stage settings for the pageant "Amulet,"

staged at the Bellevue-Stratford by the Matinee Musical Club.

One of his largest pageantry achievements was in December, 1917, when he

designed and directed the Red Cross pageant here. He became art editor of

the "Country Gentleman" in 1917. He directed his last pageant, that

depicting the progress of Woman Suffrage, in Philadelphia in 1921.

Save for a short period in New York, Mr. Moore lived for his entire life in

Philadelphia and vicinity. For the last eleven years he had made his home

at Swarthmore; before that he lived in Germantown.

He had the distinction of designing the first color cover to appear in the

"Saturday Evening Post." He was a member of the Society of Illustrators and

the Franklin Inn Club.

"I respected him as a great authority on costume and on design," Ellis P.

Oberholtzer said today. "He was rated highly."

In the last few years he had devoted himself largely to decoration and

design. He possessed a number of fine articles of Colonial art, most of

which had descended to him from his ancestors.

"He was an acknowledged authority on lettering and designing and

decoration, especially of the Colonial period," Charles D. Mitchell, one of

his associates, said. "He was also known as a colorist of rare ability; in

fact, his delicate colors formed one of the chief charms of his work. His

illness interfered seriously with his work, and he had to forego numerous

opportunities because of this."

Recently he accepted a position as special instructor at the School of

Design for Women, having one class in decoration each week.

He is survived by his widow and two sons, Lawrence and Theodore Moore.