Ernest Hamlin Baker: Artist, Illustrator & Poughkeepsie High School Graduate!

Franklin D. Roosevelt ‘Man of the Year’ cover; 5 Jan 1942: created by Ernest Hamlin Baker

By Bill Kleppel

Print magazines have been a dying medium since the turn of this century. Today, most legendary periodicals are hanging on by an existential thread, or no longer exist.

The once giant Time magazine gets a slightly significant mention twice annually for their “Person of the Year” and “100 Most Influential People” issues.

Every week during the twentieth century, Time magazine was produced, distributed, and devoured like food by American families. Since 1923, it was as ever-present in people’s homes as their daily newspapers. Copies flew off newsstands whenever a seismic event shook the nation.

Newstands…. Oh for goodness sake, you don’t know what a newsstand is? Really? You awful millennial Gen-Zers, or whatever you call yourselves! Damn you! (…My apologies for being an “old.” Get off my lawn!).

In one of the magazine’s golden periods, an artist named Ernest Hamlin Baker created more than 300 cover illustrations for Time. From 1940 to 1957, Baker was hailed as one of their finest artistic contributors… And of course, he grew up right here in Poughkeepsie on Church Street!

Ernest was actually born on the west coast of Lake Champlain in the town of Essex, New York, near Lake Placid and White Face Mountain. Before Ernest turned one, his father, Clarence Hamlin Baker, relocated the family to Poughkeepsie to begin a job at a shirt factory. Clarence eventually ran his own shirt factory over Von Der Linden’s Sporting Goods Store at 52 Market Street. He was active in the Prohibition Party, and was involved in bringing attention to civil service reform efforts.

Ernest graduated early from Poughkeepsie High School at the age of 14. After graduation, while working alongside his father at the shirt factory, he took a drawing correspondence course. Ernest’s inspiration was the great illustrator Thomas Nast.

At the age of 17, he landed a position as an editorial cartoonist for the Poughkeepsie Evening Star. From the years 1906 to 1910, he created over 100 illustrations for the paper. He was also hired by the Poughkeepsie Eagle during and after his years at college.

With help from his alumnus brother Irving, Ernest enrolled at Colgate University in 1910. Like his life in Poughkeepsie, he worked hard at various jobs off campus in order to pay for his tuition. He also sold illustrations to students and faculty members for profit. His work was featured in all of Colgate’s annual yearbooks while he attended the school.

Ernest excelled not only as an artist, but as a musician, becoming proficient at playing the violin. A star track athlete at Colgate, he was a member of the relay team. Individually, he broke the college record time for the 440 yard run. He was the chief staff artist for the yearbook (Salmagundi), and class president in his senior year.

At a summer job in Lake Placid between his junior and senior years, he met Syracuse University student Ernestine Pendorf. They quickly became inseparable. The couple decided to get married before they both graduated in 1914. An artist in her own right, Ernestine was a life-long business partner with Ernest. They were together for the next 59 years.

After graduating, the couple moved back to Poughkeepsie for a brief stint. Then it was on to New York City where they found an apartment and studio space on West 42^nd Street.

Ernest started working as a freelance artist… with tremendous success! During the onset of the U.S. entry into World War I, he designed stamps and created posters for the cause.

While still keeping their apartment and studio in the city, Ernest, Ernestine, and their young daughter, Jean, moved to Carmel, New York, in 1930. Ernest continued as a freelancer. His big break came when he was hired by publishing magnate Henry Luce. Luce ran Time magazine and other big selling periodicals. Baker’s first big gig was as an illustrator for Luce’s Fortune magazine.

Baker illustrated a dozen covers for Fortune between 1931 and 1937. His freelance work also increased during the late 20s and throughout the 30s. He created advertisements, posters, large murals and other public works.

Many people were devastated by financial troubles during the Great Depression. Baker’s connection with Luce was a saving grace for him and his family. In 1940, Luce contracted Baker to work almost exclusively for Time magazine. This partnership would last for 17 years.

The Baker’s decided to give up their New York City apartment in the early 1940s. Ernest continued his outstanding and prolific work, while the family’s daily life became centered in both Putnam and Dutchess Counties. When the United States entered into World War II, Ernestine became Putnam County’s director for volunteer civilian mobilization and defense activities. She also helped run a local radio program, Civilian Defense, by booking guest speakers every week.

After Ernest’s long run with Time ended, the Baker’s retired to Hendersonville, North Carolina. Ernest moved to Norton, Massachusetts, after Ernestine’s death in 1972. He died three years later in 1975, at the age of 86.

References

• Baker, Ernest Hamlin. “Time Magazine Cover: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Man of the Year - Jan. 5, 1942.” Time, Time Inc., content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19420105,00.html. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
• “Who Was Ernest Hamlin Baker?” South County History Center, South County History Center, southcountyhistorycenter.org/ernest-hamlin-baker. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
• “Colgate University Libraries - Digital Collections.” Colgate University Library Digital Collections, Colgate University, digitalcollections.colgate.edu/islandora/object/studentyearbooks%3A37363. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
• Baker, Ernest  Hamlin. “Pokip’s Own Day at the Fair Makes Fine Food for the Eagle Cartoonist.” Com, The Poughkeepsie Eagle, 12 Sept. 1914, www.newspapers.com/image/114094421/.
• Baker, Ernest  Hamlin. “For Every Fighter a Woman Worker Y.W.C.A. : Back Our Second Line of Defense /.” Library of Congress, 1 Jan. 1970, loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3b52923/.
• 6) Pittenger, Donald. “Ernest Hamlin Baker’s Fortune Magazine Covers.” Ernest Hamlin Baker’s Fortune Magazine Covers, Mar. 2023, artcontrarian.blogspot.com/2023/03/ernest-hamlin-bakers-fortune-magazine.html.
• 7) “Time Magazine Cover: Joe Louis - Sep. 29, 1941.” Time, Time Inc., content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19410929,00.html. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
• “Time Magazine Cover: Howard Hughes - July 19, 1948.” Time, Time Inc., content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19480719,00.html. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
• “Defense Liaison Officers Designated .” Com, Poughkeepsie New Yorker, 16 Oct. 1941, www.newspapers.com/image/115051688/
• “Over The Local Skyways  .” Com, Poughkeepsie New Yorker, 9 Mar. 1942, www.newspapers.com/image/114973984
• “Lonely Vigil.” Com, Sacramento Union, 4 Apr. 1943, www.newspapers.com/image/998890033/?match=1&clipping_id=new.