Today marks the birth of Howard Chandler Christy, (1873–1952)

Christy, one of the country's best-known illustrators, is featured in the online exhibit Posters American Style.

Howard Chandler Christy's illustrations appeared in a number of magazines and books, earning him considerable public recognition and popularity. Perhaps his most enduring image is the famous "Christy girl," the idealized American woman of the 1910s and early 1920s. She was featured in World War I posters designed to encourage young men to enlist.

Source: Therese Thau Heyman. Posters American Style. (New York and Washington, D.C.: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., in association with the National Museum of American Art, 1998).

Pictured: Portrait of Howard Chandler Christy (1873–1952), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Peter A. Juley & Son Collection