Original "Harem Girls" cartoon art by E. Simms Campbell from the August 1945 issue of Esquire was sold in December on eBay for an undisclosed Best Offer less than $825. Ten years earlier, it had been sold with a frame for $480, including the iGavel 20% buyer's premium. The cartoon depicts an enterprising GI with several cases of cigarettes hoping to strike a deal with the sultan. Readers of Esquire knew just what sort of a deal that might be.
Esquire is twelve years old now in 1945 and so are the "Harem Girls" who were there from the start. Campbell's series is versatile enough to incorporate major events like the second World War, but the women remain alluring and passive, the sultan continues to react to situations beyond his control, and the jokes don't really vary all that much. Why mess with the formula—or the fantasy?
If the "Harem Girls" seem interchangeable, it's because they are. All five could be drawn from the same model. The women's hands are largely hidden from view, but the men's hands are expressive and, in the case of the soldier, somewhat rude and pushy. The hand holding the cigarette cases, though, is very crudely drawn, but so what? If that's what we're looking at, we've missed the point of the cartoon.
The exotic locale is hinted at economically by the costumes, the cushions, and the arched doorway. Some geometric patterns might have enhanced the atmosphere. The cat, of course, is Persian.
The caption leaves room for improvement. Chum is meant to be informal, but it doesn't strike quite the right note. Chief, perhaps? The caption seems to end a word too soon. Adding got just before the ellipsis might help...
Ten years earlier, the piece was sold on iGavel Auctions back when it still had a frame for $480:
External Links:
E. Simms Campbell's Wikipedia Entry
E. Simms Campbell on Ink Spill
E. Simms Campbell in Christopher Wheeler's Cartoon(ist) Gallery
E. Simms Campbell in Print: Insider Histories: Black Cartoonist E. Simms Campbell. Robert C. Harvey intervied by Michael Dooley. March 3, 2015
E. Simms Campbell on We Too Were Children, Mr. Barrie. October 6, 2012
E. Simms Campbell at American Art Archives
E. Simms Campbell on Eli Stein Cartoons.com: "We All Have to Start Somewhere" Department. Case in Point No. 15. September 6, 2011
E. Simms Campbell in Potrzebie. October 10, 2007
Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives
E. Simms Campbell
Esquire
Attempted Bloggery's Chummy Index
Attempted Bloggery Supports Net Neutrality.
Esquire is twelve years old now in 1945 and so are the "Harem Girls" who were there from the start. Campbell's series is versatile enough to incorporate major events like the second World War, but the women remain alluring and passive, the sultan continues to react to situations beyond his control, and the jokes don't really vary all that much. Why mess with the formula—or the fantasy?
If the "Harem Girls" seem interchangeable, it's because they are. All five could be drawn from the same model. The women's hands are largely hidden from view, but the men's hands are expressive and, in the case of the soldier, somewhat rude and pushy. The hand holding the cigarette cases, though, is very crudely drawn, but so what? If that's what we're looking at, we've missed the point of the cartoon.
The exotic locale is hinted at economically by the costumes, the cushions, and the arched doorway. Some geometric patterns might have enhanced the atmosphere. The cat, of course, is Persian.
The caption leaves room for improvement. Chum is meant to be informal, but it doesn't strike quite the right note. Chief, perhaps? The caption seems to end a word too soon. Adding got just before the ellipsis might help...
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| E. Simms Campbell "Now look, chum, I've got more cigarettes than I need and you've..." Detail of original art Esquire, August 1945 |
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| E. Simms Campbell "Now look, chum, I've got more cigarettes than I need and you've..." Original art Esquire, August 1945 |
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| E. Simms Campbell's signature |
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| E. Simms Campbell "Now look, chum, I've got more cigarettes than I need and you've..." Original art Esquire, August 1945 |
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| E. Simms Campbell "Now look, chum, I've got more cigarettes than I need and you've..." Original art Esquire, August 1945 |
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| Detail with cigarette boxes |
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| Caption |
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| Detail with cat |
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| Detail with rude hand gesture |
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| Verso |
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| E. Simms Campbell eBay Listing Ended December 5, 2017 |
Here's how the cartoon looked published in Esquire:
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| E. Simms Campbell "Now look, chum, I've got more cigarettes than I need and you've..." Esquire, August 1945
https://www.ebay.com/itm/E-SIMMS-CAMPBELL-Illustration-ESQUIRE-Soldier-and-Harem-Girls-/282845143217
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Ten years earlier, the piece was sold on iGavel Auctions back when it still had a frame for $480:
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| E. Simms Campbell "Now look, chum, I've got more cigarettes than I need and you've..."Original art Esquire, August 1945 |
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| E. Simms Campbell "Now look, chum, I've got more cigarettes than I need and you've..."Original art Esquire, August 1945 |
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| E. Simms Campbell's signature |
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| Caption |
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| Detail |
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| Detail |
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| Detail of cat |
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| Detail |
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| Detail |
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| Verso |
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| Verso |
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| E. Simms Campbell iGavel Auctions, January 31, 2008 |
Note: Attempted Bloggery is taking a good long look at the work of cartoonist E. Simms Campbell (1906-1971). Readers can help by providing scans or photos of original Campbell art or of obscure published works.
According to the official blog rules, the publication history for this cartoon remains incomplete without a page number. Can you provide one?
According to the official blog rules, the publication history for this cartoon remains incomplete without a page number. Can you provide one?
External Links:
E. Simms Campbell's Wikipedia Entry
E. Simms Campbell on Ink Spill
E. Simms Campbell in Christopher Wheeler's Cartoon(ist) Gallery
E. Simms Campbell in Print: Insider Histories: Black Cartoonist E. Simms Campbell. Robert C. Harvey intervied by Michael Dooley. March 3, 2015
E. Simms Campbell at American Art Archives
E. Simms Campbell on Eli Stein Cartoons.com: "We All Have to Start Somewhere" Department. Case in Point No. 15. September 6, 2011
E. Simms Campbell in Potrzebie. October 10, 2007
Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives
E. Simms Campbell
Esquire
Attempted Bloggery's Chummy Index
Attempted Bloggery Supports Net Neutrality.
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