Emsh's Human-Powered NYC Taxi, Galaxy Science Fiction June 1952

Illustrating 'Gravy Planet' (later republished as 'The Space Merchants') by Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth, this cover envisions a consumerist future Manhattan where human-pedaled yellow checkered taxis navigate elevated highways. A blonde passenger and her driver occupy the cab while a green-suited courier pedals a matching yellow scooter alongside. Flying saucers, rocket ships, and dome-topped skyscrapers crowd the smoggy skyline — satirizing Madison Avenue excess projected onto a teeming, overcrowded tomorrow.