



1 / 12 Chevron Chevron “January 2, 1926,” by Rea Irvin.

The end of a year is a time to reëvaluate, resolve, and begin anew. It’s also a chance to celebrate and kick back before the harsh reality of a new year sets in. New Yorker covers have reflected both sides of the holiday: Father Time is a dreamy creature perched atop a cloud in Rea Irvin’s cover from 1927, but he shows his age when opening a fortune cookie in Edward Sorel’s image from 1996. In Victor De Pauw’s picture from 1946, Times Square is choked with throngs of midnight revellers, while in Ivan Brunetti’s cover from 2010, scientists work furiously to engineer a New Year Baby while old Father Time is relegated to mopping the floor. There is not one way to go about it, but we hope that—despite any trepidation about what lies ahead—you’ll approach 2017 with all the gusto of Mary Petty’s plucky maid from 1949, calling out the new year to a chilly winter night. Happy New Year!