Charles Dana Gibson — Portrait Photograph

This glass-plate negative portrait shows Charles Dana Gibson — identified by the caption 'CHAS. DANA GIBSON' printed at the lower left — seated in a caned wooden armchair, turned slightly in three-quarter profile. He wears a dark three-piece suit with white shirt cuffs prominent at the wrists, hands loosely clasped. Behind him sits an upholstered sofa with cushions; a decorative metal grate is visible at right. Gibson (1867–1944) was the dominant illustrator of Life magazine's golden era, whose 'Gibson Girl' defined American ideals of feminine elegance for a generation. The Bain News Service stamp at lower right places this among press photographs circulated to editors — an artist famous for pen-and-ink satire here subject, rather than author, of the image.