George Booth's cartoons are exceedingly popular, but one doesn't find much of his preliminary artwork on the market. It is therefore noteworthy that not one but two pieces of preliminary unsigned Booth art were sold together on eBay, along with a signed book. The original recipient of these pieces was a friend of the artist who served with him in the Marines. After the owner's death, the artwork was thrown into a dumpster by his children and subsequently rescued by an enterprising neighbor.
The answering machine gag is unusual: a scene of complete torpor with a long, recorded message for an intentionally ungainly caption. Between the rough and the published version, Henry and Leona Wells have become Henry and Maureen Wells, perhaps because at the time the name Leona was closely-associated with Leona Helmsley.
The cover rough is an odd proposal for The New Yorker: a gun check girl, if you will, at a swanky party. I don't care for it much personally, and I don't think it compares well with most of Booth's published covers.
July 9, 2013 Update: The buyer of this Booth collection relisted the cover proposal artwork and the signed book for reasons he sort of explains, although he apparently kept or gave as a gift the original preliminary artwork for the answering machine cartoon. This eBay sale occurred approximately seven months after the first sale above. It is now more apparent that the proposed cover artwork had originally been glued together, but it has since come apart into individual pieces which pose a framing challenge.
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The answering machine gag is unusual: a scene of complete torpor with a long, recorded message for an intentionally ungainly caption. Between the rough and the published version, Henry and Leona Wells have become Henry and Maureen Wells, perhaps because at the time the name Leona was closely-associated with Leona Helmsley.
The cover rough is an odd proposal for The New Yorker: a gun check girl, if you will, at a swanky party. I don't care for it much personally, and I don't think it compares well with most of Booth's published covers.
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| George Booth, "You have reached the home of Henry and Maureen Wells. If you are selling something, press 1; if you are asking for money, press 2; if you want to talk about phone service, press 3." The New Yorker, January 20, 1997, p. 75 |
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| George Booth, "You have reached the home of Henry and Leona Wells. If you are selling something.....press ONE; if you are asking for money.....press TWO; if you want to talk about phone service.....press THREE......" Preliminary Artwork for The New Yorker, January 20, 1997, p. 75 |
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| George Booth, Cover Concept Proposal for The New Yorker, c. 1994 |
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| George Booth Signature |
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George Booth Preliminary Art, eBay Winning Bid
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George Booth Preliminary Art, eBay Item Description
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George Booth, "You have reached the home of Henry and Maureen Wells.
http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/You-have-reached-the-home-of-Henry-and-Maureen-Wells-If-you-are-selling-New-Yorker-Cartoon-Prints_i8474108_.htm?AID=644589833If you are selling something, press 1; if you are asking for money, press 2; if you want to talk about phone service, press 3." The New Yorker, January 20, 1997, p. 75 |
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| George Booth, "You have reached the home of Henry and Maureen Wells. If you are selling something, press 1; if you are asking for money, press 2; if you want to talk about phone service, press 3." The New Yorker, January 20, 1997, p. 75 |
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| George Booth, "You have reached the home of Henry and Maureen Wells. If you are selling something, press 1; if you are asking for money, press 2; if you want to talk about phone service, press 3." The New Yorker, January 20, 1997, p. 75 |
July 9, 2013 Update: The buyer of this Booth collection relisted the cover proposal artwork and the signed book for reasons he sort of explains, although he apparently kept or gave as a gift the original preliminary artwork for the answering machine cartoon. This eBay sale occurred approximately seven months after the first sale above. It is now more apparent that the proposed cover artwork had originally been glued together, but it has since come apart into individual pieces which pose a framing challenge.
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George Booth New Yorker Cover Proposal, eBay Item Listing, Ended April 27, 2013
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-George-Booth-New-Yorker-Cover-Original-Art-Illustration-watercolor-collage-/261207529681?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd12e98d1&nma=true&si=VJo29%252F7WbHpl1SY9gWmnl4%252FkT80%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 |
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| George Booth New Yorker Cover Proposal, eBay Item Description, Ended April 27, 2013 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-George-Booth-New-Yorker-Cover-Original-Art-Illustration-watercolor-collage-/261207529681?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd12e98d1&nma=true&si=VJo29%252F7WbHpl1SY9gWmnl4%252FkT80%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 |
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