August 4, 1821: the first Saturday Evening Post

On this day in 1821, The Saturday Evening Post published its first edition. At its peak, it would enjoy the largest circulation of any magazine in the country.

It is best known as the launching point of Norman Rockwell, who captured timeless scenes of Americana for the magazine. His family had shared a studio with a staff cartoonist, who urged him to apply. From 1916 to 1963, Rockwell was responsible for 323 covers.

In 1962, the Post published a story alleging that two college football coaches – Bear Bryant of Alabama and Wally Butts of Georgia – colluded to fix games. The Supreme Court, in Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts (1967), found the company liable for damages.

Under the weight of the outcome, the magazine folded in 1969, but was revived in 1971. It still exists, although it now publishes on a bimonthly basis, so the name is a bit of a misnomer.

Image: Norman Rockwell, Willie Gillis in College, the cover of the October 5, 1946 edition.