Twelve drawings created by cartoonist
Gregory d'Alessio for a 1937 Macy's advertising campaign were sold on eBay in 2015 for $57. Each drawing illustrates a rhyming couplet which ends with "Macy's is open 'til nine tonight."
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| Twelve drawings by Gregory d'Alessio for the Macy's campaign |
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Play all day long if it's your delight,
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
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Play all day long if it's your delight,
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
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Don't leave your kitchen looking a sight,
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
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Time to find bargains if hubby is tight,
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
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If your ship comes in late, be calm, sit tight,
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
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Don't gulp your lunch, have more than a bite,
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
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Plenty of time to buy what's right,
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
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Forgotten Aunt Kate? Don't be contrite,
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
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No need to scramble, no need to fight,
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
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No need to fly with suspense at its height
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
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No need to fly with suspense at its height
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
This one has lost its caption. I suggest:
No need to dodge traffic, wait for the light, Macy's is open 'til nine tonight.
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[?]
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
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Don't be impatient, rough, impolite,
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
One of the twelve is missing from the eBay listing, but it was scanned by the new owner and posted on the
Comic Art Fans page:
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Tired after work? There's time for respite,
Macy's is open 'til nine tonight. |
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Gregory d'Alessio
eBay Listing Ended July 12, 2015
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Gregory d'Alessio
eBay Item Description |
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Gregory d'Alessio
eBay Bid History
Three bids: two early failed bids and one late successful bid. Isn't that the way of the world? |
Now owner Rob Stolzer has rescanned these and posted the entire beautiful set on the
Comic Art Fans page where they are for sale for $600 plus $25 shipping. Excluding shipping costs, that's a markup of 953%, but it isn't unreasonable.
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Comic Art Fans Marketplace Listing as of September 16, 2017
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Note: "Macy's is open 'til nine tonight?" The advertising copy should read till and not 'til. No wonder there was a Depression.
The eBay seller dates these ads to 1937 while Rob Stolzer dates them to 1938. If anyone knows their true publication history, chime in. Also, one of the ads—that of the woman standing in the middle of traffic—is missing its original advertising copy and, while I am happy to offer my own suggestion above, I know we'd all prefer to see evidence of what the real caption was. Cartoon sleuths, get cracking!
A couple of weeks back I thought we were done with
Gregory d'Alessio for the time being, but I was mistaken.
Now we're done. Still,
Attempted Bloggery continues to seek scans or photographs of original cartoon art by Mr. d'Alessio and other
New Yorker artists, the famous and the obscure. Scans of cartoons and illustrations from
College Humor, Collier's, Esquire, the
Saturday Evening Post, and other publications will always be appreciated. Remember, I can blog all day, but I simply don't have any scanning skills.
Mr. d'Alessio's obituary in
New York Times may be seen
here.
Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:
Gregory d'Alessio
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