Louisville Magazine 1971–86

Louisville Magazine was the platform that I built my creative career on. Two years after signing on, I formed my own design firm and retained the magazine as a client for the next thirteen years. In my publishing career, I was able to redesign and art direct over 32 regional and national magazines. In addition, I launched Kentucky Lawyer and Kentucky Business Monthly; consulted with Spain’s Ministry of Education and Science for over fourteen years regarding their USA publishing program; and purchased Annapolis Magazine and Eastern Shore Magazine.

Working with the publisher and editor, Hall selected John Peters — noted New York magazine design consultant and former art director of McCalls — to work with Hall in the redesign and reposition the city magazine.

Cover art direction and illustration by Stephen Hall

Hall designed and illustrated the Louisville Magazine cover for the 100th Running of the Roses—the Kentucky Derby. Hall chose to commemorate the event by featuring black jockeys, who were the first jockeys to ride to the wire in the first Kentucky Derby in 1875. The carousel theme made the horses seem like they were flying around the track.

The original Sumi ink drawing (22” x 28”) depicts four of the major black jockeys of horse racing: in the lead is Oliver Lewis riding Aristide in the first Kentucky Derby in 1875 followed by Isaac Murphy, Jimmy Winkfield and James “Soup” Perkins. Available for the first time, Bloodline Publishers is offering a limited edition print of the artwork in tribute to the black jockeys of horse racing. If you would like to see a larger image or learn more about the early black jockeys, you may view it at www.bloodlinepublishers.com.