BROWN, Howard V(achel)

(1878-1945)

   US illustrator. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, HVB studied at the Chicago Art Institute and became based in New York. He was cover artist for Scientific American c1913-31, typically showing human figures dwarfed by gigantic technological projects. His first cover for an SF MAGAZINE proper was for ASF Oct 1933, although he had earlier (1919 on) painted almost 50 covers for SCIENCE AND INVENTION. One of the Big Four sf illustrators in the 1930s (with Leo MOREY, Frank R. PAUL and H.W. WESSO), he helped soften the colours that appeared on magazine covers. Starting with a simple, almost primitive style, HB rapidly developed into one of the most dramatic cover illustrators of that era. Most closely associated with ASF, he also appeared in Thrilling Wonder Stories and Startling Stories, for which he did his best work. He specialized in BEMs, which he depicted with exciting vigour. He painted 90 sf covers in all to 1940, even though he was in his late 50s before he started.

   JG/PN

   See also: ASTOUNDING SCIENCE-FICTION; THRILLING WONDER STORIES.