Saul Tepper, born 20 December 1899, was an American illustrator and songwriter. Tepper studied under illustrator Harvey Dunn at the Grand Central School of Art in New York City.
Tepper began his career with Albert Dorne as a letterer for fashion catalogs but went on to do story illustrations for the most popular magazines of the day. Additionally, his illustrations appeared in advertising for major companies such as General Electric, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Mobil, and Texaco.
Tepper was one of the last great "painterly" illustrators who worked in oils on canvas. By the latter part of Tepper's career, illustration had moved on to smaller, faster, water based paintings on cardboard that were better suited to the demands and timetable of modern publishers. By the 1950s he was working for second tier magazines such as Argosy and True. He found work as a photographer, teacher and musical composer.
In the 1950s, Tepper created television commercials while an art director for J. Walter Thompson. Later in life, he became a songwriter whose work was recorded by Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Glenn Miller, and Harry James.
Saul Tepper died January 1987. He was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 1980 and is best remembered for his distinct illustrations.
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