Arthur Getz's preliminary cover art for The New Yorker issue of October 1, 1960 depicts the height of the campaign season during a presidential election year. The candidate at the top of the boarding stairs is indistinct, but he doesn't especially resemble either Nixon or Kennedy, the Republican and Democratic nominees, respectively, for the presidency. The actual published cover zooms in on the candidate but his features remain blurry; the colors are more muted and the activity on the ground largely eliminated. For some, therefore, the bold preliminary art offered at auction in Atlanta on January 14 may be more visually satisfying than the actual published cover.
The title noted on an information sheet accompanying the work, Hail to the Chief, seems out of place. Eisenhower was still finishing up his second term as president, and he was the only person this anthem would have been appropriate for. The auction house's notion that the aircraft depicted is Air Force One seems questionable for the same reason. Both Nixon and Kennedy campaigned by air in 1960 as did numerous candidates for lower office, no doubt.
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| Arthur Getz Preliminary cover art The New Yorker, October 1, 1960 |
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| Arthur Getz's signature |
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| Arthur Getz Preliminary cover art The New Yorker, October 1, 1960 |
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| Arthur Getz AbeBooks listing accessed January 7, 2022 |
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| Arthur Getz Preliminary cover art The New Yorker, October 1, 1960 |
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| Arthur Getz |
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