Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Peter Arno's Lost Horse—and Other Macy's Cocktail Napkins

A set of cocktail napkins designed by Peter Arno was offered on eBay in 2013. There are seven napkins here; presumably one has been lost. It seems a horse has been lost as well, but perhaps not irrecoverably. Both the drawing and the caption seem a bit simple, but the overall style is recognizably Arno's. Similar cocktail napkins were issued in other designs and colors, generally celebrating the aftereffects of alcohol.

"I've lost a horse! Have you seen a horse?"
Peter Arno cocktail napkin

"I've lost a horse! Have you seen a horse?"
Peter Arno cocktail napkins


A few others from the series were sold by an Etsy store.

Peter Arno assorted cocktail napkins

"Gad! Stop that screaming"
Peter Arno cocktail napkin

"An' now a dash o' bitters."
Peter Arno cocktail napkin 

"I've lost a horse! Have you seen a horse?"
Peter Arno cocktail napkin



April 11, 2023 Update:  For sale at Macy's in 1936 and advertised in The New Yorker:

May 12, 2024 Update:  More Macy's cocktail napkins in four of the five black on sea green designs were sold on eBay:
"Just one, Miss Fitch!"                   "I know when I've had enough."
"I've lost a horse! Have you seen a horse?"    "An' now a dash o' bitters."

Arno was the first cartoonist to depict the inebriated with X's for eyes:
Peter Arno's printed signature


A set of four from the same seller, not yet sold, remains on eBay. This set is missing "An' now a dash o' bitters" but it includes "Gad! Stop that screaming!" Thus two of the napkins from the presumptive original box of ten have been lost in the years since 1936.
"I know when I've had enough."       "Gad! Stop that screaming!"
"Just one, Miss Fitch!"      "I've lost a horse! Have you seen a horse?"






Note:  An entirely different set of Peter Arno cocktail napkin designs, based on New Yorker cartoons, may be seen on Ink Spill.

Even if you haven't seen a horse, maybe you've seen these posts about Peter Arno.

Finally, don't miss Chris Wheeler's impeccable Arno archive.


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