Peddling his pen-and-ink sketches, Gibson sold his first work in 1886 to
Life magazine, founded by
John Ames Mitchell and
Andrew Miller. It featured general interest articles, humor, illustrations, and cartoons. His works appeared weekly in the popular national magazine for more than 30 years. He quickly built a wider reputation, with his drawings being featured in all the major New York publications, including ''
Harper's Weekly, Scribner's and Collier's''. His illustrated books include the 1898 editions of
Anthony Hope's
The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel
Rupert of Hentzau as well as
Richard Harding Davis'
Gallegher and Other Stories. It is an oft-repeated urban legend that Gibson's wife and her elegant Langhorne sisters inspired his famous Gibson Girls, who became iconic images in early 20th-century society. The truth is that the first Gibson Girl appeared in 1890, more than two years before Gibson ever met the Langhorne family, and in later years it became fashionable for many of Gibson's friends and family to model for his illustrations. Their dynamic and resourceful father
Chiswell Langhorne had his wealth severely reduced by the Civil War, but by the late 19th century, he had rebuilt his fortune on tobacco auctioneering and the railroad industry. After the death of John Ames Mitchell in 1918, Gibson became editor of
Life and later took over as owner of the magazine. As the popularity of the Gibson Girl faded after World War I, Gibson took to working in oils for his own pleasure. In 1918, he was elected into the
National Academy of Design as an Associate member, and became a full Academician in 1932. He retired in 1936, the same year
Scribner's published his biography,
Portrait of an Era as Drawn by C. D. Gibson: A Biography by Fairfax Downey. At the time of his death in 1944, he was considered "the most celebrated pen-and-ink artist of his time as well as a painter applauded by the critics of his later work." == Personal life ==