Summer Idylls: Helen E. Hokinson New Yorker Cover Art

Helen E. Hokinson's New Yorker cover of August 21, 1948 is unusual in several respects. It is rendered delicately in just a single shade of red, perhaps in ink. The design includes four separate scenes, with the most prominent being at the top center incorporating the magazine logo. In fact, Hokinson has gone to the trouble of hand-drawing that New Yorker's logo and having some leaves intertwine around the letters. The original art was offered for sale on eBay starting at $2,800, if memory serves, but, despite a prominent mention of this and a second Hokinson cover on Ink Spill last August, no interest was shown until the price was lowered to $499.99.

Helen E. Hokinson, Original cover art, The New Yorker, August 21, 1948

Helen E. Hokinson, Detail of original cover art, The New Yorker, August 21, 1948

Helen E. Hokinson's signature

Helen E. Hokinson, Detail of original cover art, The New Yorker, August 21, 1948

Helen E. Hokinson, Detail of original cover art, The New Yorker, August 21, 1948

Helen E. Hokinson, Detail of original cover art, The New Yorker, August 21, 1948

Helen E. Hokinson, Detail of original cover art, The New Yorker, August 21, 1948

Helen E. Hokinson, Detail of original cover art, The New Yorker, August 21, 1948

Helen E. Hokinson, Detail of original cover art, The New Yorker, August 21, 1948

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The New Yorker Magazine, Inc., Copyright Notice

EBay Item Listing Ended September 5, 2014

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HELEN-HOKINSON-CARTOONIST-THE-NEW-YORKER-COVER-DRAWING-AUG-21-1948-ORIGINAL-17-034-/261578693416?pt=Art_Drawings&hash=item3ce74e1b28&nma=true&si=MY%252BVlM1DDf4MNMNGGnCdh3m%252FHQQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

EBay Item Description

Bid placed during the last 90 seconds of the eBay auction

The published cover:

Helen E. Hokinson, The New Yorker, August 21, 1948

Helen E. Hokinson, Original cover art, The New Yorker, August 21, 1948

Note:  While I'd love to have come up with the "Summer Idylls" title on my own, credit goes to the poetic folks over at the Jumping Frog.

Helen E. Hokinson's art has been gracing this blog for years. Go ahead, have a look.

While you're at it, go see some more original New Yorker cover art.

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