The June 9 auction of Illustration Art at Swann Galleries included three works by Richard Taylor dating from the second World War, none of them known to be published, but all likely intended for The New Yorker. The proposed cover art of a "Worried Hitler" clearly dates from a time when the war was going badly for Germany, presumably between late 1943 and early 1945. The cover was rejected.
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| Richard Taylor Proposed New Yorker cover art |
The lot also includes a proposed New Yorker cartoon:
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| "The Captain says he'd like the potatoes with their jackets on." |
That rough for The New Yorker needed a little editorial work on the caption, which it received. The drawing was reworked as well, changing the setting to one far more claustrophobic, and surely more true to life. Still, it is hard not to admire the sweeping view of the rough.
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| "The Captain thinks it would be nice to have them boiled in their jackets tonight." Richard Taylor The New Yorker, February 24, 1940, page 21 "The Navy Relief Show" program, Madison Square Garden, March 10, 1942, page 71 |
One assumes this cartoon was also intended for The New Yorker:
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| "I certainly wish my family wasn't so damn sure I'd been sent to Iceland." |
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| Richard Taylor Swann Galleries Hammer price |
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A spot drawing by David Preston and a cartoon by Richard Taylorhttps://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1940-02-24/flipbook/020/ |
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| Bowling spot by David Preston |
Note: In 2014, Michael Maslin wrote about editor Harold Ross's determination not to put "specific people," i.e., recognizable individuals, on the cover of The New Yorker. There were, apparently, only three exceptions to this, two for Halloween issues, and all included images of Hitler's face. This is a good time to review the Ink Spill post here. Nowadays, of course, the magazine puts images of specific individuals, especially political figures, on innumerable covers. Many of these soon lose their relevance when the context of the week's current events is forgotten.
While I'm pretty certain none of these drawings were published in the form seen here, I can never be absolutely certain, particularly with that last gag, which might have appeared anywhere. I would like to hear from anyone who can prove me wrong or add something of relevance to this post or, indeed, to any post in the archives.
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