Cabinet 18: Robert A. Maguire

Photograph of a model posing for Edgar Box’s Death before Bedtime (1952)

Cover of Edgar Box’s Death before Bedtime (1952). Private Collection

Photograph of Robert Maguire’s favourite model posing for Inge Carnelle’s Joy Ride (1967)

Photograph of a model posing for Inge Carnelle’s Joy Ride (1967)

Robert Maguire’s sketch for ‘Hot Lead’

Cover of Inge Carnelle’s Joy Ride (1967)

In 1953, Gore Vidal penned Death before Bedtime under the name Edgar Box. Robert Maguire was commissioned to do the cover for the reprint. As usual, Maguire enlisted help from one of his models who, after having her attire tweaked and hair-colour changed, appears in the final cover.

Below is a photograph of Maguire’s favourite model, who, with towel in hand, poses for him to work his magic on the cover of Inge Carnelle’s Joy Ride (1967).

Within this suite of images, there is a rough sketch by Maguire titled ‘Hot Lead’, another dark-haired model in a similar pose to his favourite model, and the final cover art. The girl’s shapely leg in the final cover seems to follow the contours of the dark-haired model’s leg.

It is no wonder that Maguire’s reputation as an artist-illustrator in the field of pulp art covers is so well regarded. He also designed art covers for video games and for music cds.