Country United States | First awarded 1965 | |
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Awarded for Excellence in illustration Presented by Society of Illustrators | ||
The Hamilton King Award is an annual award, presented to one individual, for excellence in illustration by the Society of Illustrators.
History
The Hamilton King Award was established in 1965 by Mrs. Hamilton King in memory of her husband through a bequest and is presented annually for the best illustration in the annual exhibition executed by a member of the Society of Illustrators.
Hamilton King (1871–1941) was a prominent illustrator who worked in the late 1800s and early 1900s. King illustrated the "Coca-Cola girls" for calendars from 1910 to 1913. The Coca-Cola calendar work was considered significant because the artist's signature appeared in all printed matter for Coca-Cola, including serving trays.
King became well known for his "Hamilton King Girls", significantly working on behalf of Turkish Trophies Cigarettes. A majority of this collection is held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Additional collections of the artist are held by the Smithsonian Institution.