James Thurber: The Best Years

My maternal grandparents had separate beds like the ones in a 1935 James Thurber cartoon. I hope they didn't also have conversations like the one shown in the drawing which was just sold in Heritage Auction's Tuesday Illustration Art Signature sale. Thurber's caption underwent some considerable rewriting between his handwritten original and the drawing's appearance in The New Yorker. Was it thus improved upon? I'm not so sure.

"And after I've given you the best years of my life, too."
James Thurber
Original art
Published as "You've taken the best years of my life, that's what you've done!"
The New Yorker, March 23, 1935, p. 11
Thurber, James, and Rosen, Michael J., ed. People Have More Fun than Anybody: A Centennial Celebration of Drawings and Writings. Harcourt Brace, 1994

The woman's raised right arm is somewhat disturbing to me, as it articulates well below where the shoulder should be. But then, Thurber was no anatomist.

"And after I've given you the best years of my life, too."
James Thurber
Matted original art
Published as "You've taken the best years of my life, that's what you've done!"
The New Yorker, March 23, 1935, p. 11
Thurber, James, and Rosen, Michael J., ed. People Have More Fun than Anybody: A Centennial Celebration of Drawings and Writings. Harcourt Brace, 1994

James Thurber
Heritage Auctions, April 25, 2023

https://fineart.ha.com/itm/mainstream-illustration/james-thurber-american-1894-1961-and-after-i-ve-given-the-best-years-of-my-life-too-ink-on-paper-8-3-8-x-10-7-8-inches-213/a/8114-71042.s?ic16=ViewItem-BrowseTabs-Inventory-BuyNowFromOwner-ThisAuction-120115#auction-description

The lot sold for a $3,100 hammer price plus the 25% buyer's premium.

"You've taken the best years of my life, that's what you've done!"
James Thurber
The New Yorker, March 23, 1935, p. 11

"And after I've given you the best years of my life, too."
James Thurber
Original art
Published as "You've taken the best years of my life, that's what you've done!"
The New Yorker, March 23, 1935, p. 11
Thurber, James, and Rosen, Michael J., ed. People Have More Fun than Anybody: A Centennial Celebration of Drawings and Writings. Harcourt Brace, 1994

Cartoons by Alain (Daniel Brustlein) and James Thurber

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1935-03-23/flipbook/010/

What's wrong with the Alain caption? I bet I don't even need to tell you. Getting a laugh by stereotyping the Irish was a common practice back then. For the most part we rightfully condemn this sort of thing today, but it's important to also recognize how widespread the practice was—and how widely accepted. 

Note:  My thanks once again to New Yorker cartoonist and Ink Spill blogger Michael Maslin for his expert detective work in finding a nine-decade-old Thurber cartoon working from a caption that had been highly edited prior to publication.

I'm curious what others think about the two versions of the James Thurber caption seen here. As I indicated, I prefer the original, shorter, handwritten caption which has never before seen the light of day until this Heritage auction.

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