He went on to pose for most of the leading artists, illustrators and photographers of the first half of the 20th century, including J.C. Leyendecker, Norman Rockwell, Alfred Cheney Johnston, Neysa McMein, Percy Edward Anderson,[9][10] John La Gatta, Bradshaw Crandall, McClelland Barclay, C.D.

The Minneapolis Tribune article referred to Thornton's face as one of the most well-known in America, due to his ubiquitous presence in 1920s advertisements.

Thornton's agent, John Robert Powers, offered the plaster heads to artists and sculptors to work from instead of the model.

Some of his models included Grace Kelly, [15] Lauren Bacall,[16] Arlene Dahl,[17] Peggy Ann Garner,[18] Dorothy Dell,[19] Lizabeth Scott,[20] Boots Mallory,[19] Dolores Donlon,[13] Anita Colby (model known as "The Face"),[21] Starr and Tucker Faithfull[19] Walda Winchell, a.k.a.

"Toni Eden" (columnist Walter Winchell's troubled daughter),[22] Cathy Downs,[23] Diana Lynn,[24] Dorothy McGuire,[25] Grace Bradley,[19] Hazel Brooks,[26] Jean Muir[19] and others.

The Thornton Agency also had a male model division, representing later Hollywood luminaries, including actors Joseph Cotten,[27] Alan Curtis, Brian Donlevy,[28] Bob Hutton[27] and Robert Kent among them.

Thornton's first discovery was a 19-year-old woman named Edythe Marrenner, who was nicknamed "The Brooklyn Bombshell" during her brief New York modeling career.

[36] By 1968 he had modeling schools in Toronto, Hamilton, St. Catherines, London, Welland, Niagara Falls, Belleville, Brampton, Oshawa and Barrie, among other cities.

At the peak of his popularity and success, Thornton and his agency created the concept of "The Pin-Up Girl" during the 1940s, working in tandem with the U.S. government to provide these morale boosters for overseas G.I.s.

[43][44] Thornton was quoted as saying in Time Magazine that the District Attorney who was prosecuting him, T. Vincent Quinn, didn't have a case and furthermore was just manufacturing a smoke screen, to cover for his own legal problems.

The case was dismissed on June 3, 1954, by Judge Peter T. Farrell of Queens County Court in Long Island City, NY.

Thornton spent the next four years pursuing legal action against the news outlets that had run the most defamatory headlines and articles about him.

[47] His "trial by tabloid," however, had its desired effect: Thornton's name and reputation were destroyed after the month-long flurry of fictional, front-page headlines.

They had six children together: Walter Jr., Roberta Virginia, Adriana Anabel, Nancy Louella, Richard Orlando and Ethel Ivette.

[4] He built a lavish, castle-like home, decorated with intricate mosaic tiling, where he raised his children and lived until his health diminished.