I’ve been a happy New Yorker magazine subscriber for more than 20 years. And one of the highlights of this particular publication is its commitment to original cover art. Every week, a new copy arrives at our home with an intriguing artwork on the front that invariably invites detailed perusal. Usually, these reflect an aspect of the city as well as the season––fall leaves on a Brooklyn sidewalk or a crowd of ice-cream eaters in Central Park, for example.

 

Among my favourites, though, are the magazine’s Christmas season covers. Since launching in 1925, the New Yorker has marked the holidays with festive-themed artworks that might be wistful and nostalgic one year or colourful and chintzy the next. They’re always worth looking at, and they always signify the Christmas season to me.

 

With the New Yorker now approaching its centenary, I’ve gone through the archives and found some of my favourite festive covers from each decade of the magazine’s existence. If you find one you really like here, you can order an official print from the Conde Nast online shop via this link.