Who drew the first-edition cover art for The Catcher in the Rye?

E. Michael Mitchell drew the cover art for the first edition of The Catcher in the Rye.

Mitchell created the striking dust-jacket image for the novel's 1951 first edition. The design features a carousel horse against a vivid two-tone background, with the title and Salinger's name prominently displayed. The carousel connects directly to the novel's closing scenes, when Holden watches his sister Phoebe ride at the Central Park carousel.

The cover is especially notable because Salinger became unusually protective of the book's presentation and public image. He disliked the idea that readers might judge the novel by a portrait of its author or by promotional material, and later editions famously used very spare designs. The original Mitchell artwork nevertheless became one of the most recognizable covers in modern American literature.

Mitchell was a Canadian artist and is also remembered for his friendship with Salinger. He served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War before pursuing an artistic career. Chip Kidd and Seymour Chwast are important figures in graphic design, but neither created the first-edition cover; Edward Gorey is likewise unrelated to this particular jacket.