Evening star., 1944-12-24
Charles Dana Gibson,
Artist Who Created
Gay 9Os Model, Dies
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Dec. 23.-Charles
Dana Gibson. II, whose pen-and-
ink creation, the Gibson Girl, was
the model of American woman
hood from 1894 into the goth
century, died of a heart ailment
today.
The artist, who had been in failing
health for some time, succumbed
at 8 am. in his New York apart
ment. Mrs. Gibson, the former
Irene Langhorne of Virginia and
sister of Lady Astor, was at his bed
side.
Mr.. Gibson, native of RoXbury,
Mass, had built a solid reputation
as an artist by the time he was 25,
but with the publication of his
sketches of alluring and fragile girls,
the artist became an arbiter of
fashion and manner for the Gay
COS" era Women consulted the
latest Gibson Girl sketch before
they dared plan their wardrobes.
Inspired by Beauty.
Although he said he created the
Gibson Girl by inspiration drawn
from seeing beautiful girls wherever
he looked, he met his ideal model
in 1894, a year after his sketches
had started to attract widespread
attention.
Miss Langhorne, who came from
family of women known for their
beauty, was in Delmonico's when
Mr.. Gibson and party of friends
entered. Attracted Immediately, he
succeeded in having an introduction
arranged. They were married a
year later, on November 7, 1895.
Beginning with a sketch of a
small dog bowling at the moon,
which he sold for 81, Mr.. Gibson
was a steady contributor to the
old Life magazine for more than 40
years. In 1920, he bought a con-
trolling interest in the magazine
Although he had more or less
abandoned his best-knoWn medium
-ink-during recent years, Mr.
Gibson worked steadily in spite of
recurring heart ailment at his
summer home at Dark Farbor, Me.
He had completed an oil series of
aged covered bridges near his Dark
Harbor home when he suffered a
serious heart attack in September.
Besides his widow, he is survived
by a son, 1t. Comdr. Langhorne
Gibson of Richmond, Va, and a
daughter, Mrs. John J. Emery of
Cincinnati.
Mr.. Gibson, descendant of genera
tions of New Englanders and born
September IA, 1867, began his
career as a 15-year- -old messenger
boy in a Wall street Office, but a
81 prize for a sketch of President
Garfield thrust him into the field
of art. He dropped the life of
broker and studied at the Art
Students League.
It couldn't be taught a thing" he
said. L had to dig it out for my
self and I suppose my choice of
black and white as a medium was
an unconscious throwback of New
England heritage. Pen and ink are
as unyielding as rocky soil"
After two years of study there
came drab season while he peddled
portfolio of drawings that were
rejected by every one from publish
ers to Photographic engravers.
Eventually he sold a sketch to Life.
He placed another with Harper's:
and gradually built up a market
that was established by the time he
was 81.
Exhibited at 5.
Mr.. Gibson's first exhibit of pic
lures was a collection of dogs and
elephants cut from white paper and
hung in the family living room when
he was years old Fired by the
admiring comments of his relatives
he sold two of the animals to the
milkman for cents and determined
to become an artist.
The necessity of earning a living
as soon as he left grammar school
discouraged that ambition until his
President Garfield sketch convinced
him that his work deserved study
and his father consented to finance
his art course.
After he sold his drawing of a
small dog yelping at the moon he
was sure that he was made. The
next morning he walked jubilantly
into the same Office with a half
dozen sketches made the night be-
fore-and in half an hour walked
out with them again.
That rejection sobered young Mr..
Gibson. He dug his pen harder into
the unyielding soil of white paper
and gradually carved out a style of
his own. He drew his sketches at
night and hawked them by day.
When he finally established his
market and there was a demand
for his work, he was surprised at his
own success.
Il never really expected it to
last" he said in later years. ANY
minute I feared I might hear some
art editor say, Now this jokes gone
far enough"