Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Richard Decker: The Card That Says Everything

In a cartoon published in Life magazine's December 1933 issue, Richard Decker presents us with a woman who is engaged in the quintessential Christmas season activity of shopping for the perfect card. She wants to find one that will very specifically do the work of two, a get-well card and a Christmas card.

Aside from that, note the disorderly way the individual cards are displayed on the countertop, the way they are organized by price—ten or fifteen cents—rather than by intended recipient, and the presence of a dedicated saleswoman at the table. It all seems rather chaotic and labor-intensive compared with a modern card rack. But it must have been helpful to have a salesperson with whom to discuss the perplexing card choices one faced.



"I want a card for an aunt who is ill at Christmas."
Richard Decker
Life, December 1933, page 42

Scan by Dick Buchanan




Note:  Thanks to Dick Buchanan for providing Attempted Bloggery with a scan of this forgotten cartoon from deep inside the festive Dick Buchanan Cartoon Clip Files. Dick regularly contributes to Mike Lynch Cartoons, most recently a post entitled, "From the Dick Buchanan Files: Holiday and Winter Cartoons 1948 - 1960." 'Tis the season.

Richard Decker
doesn't get enough play here on the old blog. Readers are encouraged to contribute scans or photos of original Decker art or of rare published cartoons.


Get Well Soon and Merry Christmas to all.



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