Dick from Pittsburgh's Copy of The Art of The New Yorker 1925-1995

No doubt the most spectacular copies of Lee Lorenz's The Art of The New Yorker 1925-1995 were signed at the book's launch party by a number of the magazine's cartoonists, but there are other copies of interest as well. Edward Koren was one of the artists present at the original launch party, but there are copies of the book signed by him alone that were almost certainly signed elsewhere. One such copy was dedicated to Dick from Pittsburgh who was, it seems, an avid golfer. The book was sold on eBay for a best offer of $35 in February. 

Edward Koren
eBay listing accessed February 8, 2022

https://www.ebay.com/itm/350214259852?epid=494627&hash=item518a65848c:g:QRUAAOSwlMxhzzC-

Edward Koren
eBay item description

Sold for best offer of $35

Note:  Another copy of this book signed by Edward Koren—and only Edward Koren—is in the archives here.

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Mischa Richter's Copy of a George Grosz Monograph

In 1927, Marcel Ray published George Grosz, a monograph about the artist in French from the series Peintres et Sculpteurs. Scott Burns of Armadillo & Dicker Books writes:

I have a copy of a 1927 French monograph on George Grosz—it isn’t particularly rare and I don’t read French, but I couldn’t resist getting Mischa Richter’s copy! I know they both taught at the Art Students League in the 30s but don’t know if their years coincided.

Note:  Scott Burns has compiled Ralph Steadman: A Comprehensive Guide for Collectors located here. This is Scott's twelfth contribution to the blog.

It's hard to imagine an American cartoonist of the 1930s who wasn't influenced in some way by George Grosz. Mischa Richter, a contributor to the left wing New Masses, almost certainly admired Grosz but whether there was a relationship is probably unknowable. Richter purchased the book secondhand, one would think, twelve years after publication when he was about 29. Grosz was some 17 years his senior. Grosz's teaching at the ASL was sporadic so I don't know whether Richter's dates there, if known, would help all that much. I can tell you that M. Kay Flavell's George Grosz: A Biography (1988, Yale) makes no mention of Richter, but this is hardly surprising and doesn't rule out any casual encounters. Nevertheless, I would like to hear from anyone with information regarding any interaction the two artists might have had.

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The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #118

I can't put my finger on it, but there's something fishy about the Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #118. My three entries are shown below. The (unsigned) drawing is by Ernio Hernandez.

"Who are you going to trust, me or the sign?"
"I feel like a fish out of options."
"This never came up in school."

One final caption just didn't hold water:

"Aren't we already breaking the rules...of logic?"

March 24, 2021 Update:  The Winner

Once again Lawrence Wood, in his Caption Contest Commentary, mentions one of my entries:

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The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #116

Death visits the doctor in the Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #116. My three entries are shown below. The drawing is by Robert Leighton.

"You're in the wrong office."
"I'm sending you to a specialist I don't like."
"Everything looks good. Come back in fifty years."

March 13, 2021 Update:  The Winner

My caption did get a mention this week from Lawrence Wood, the seven-time New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest winner, in his commentary on the contest. This is the twelfth time one of my captions has been memorialized in this manner. Apparently I'm one of the few this week attempting to bear the standard of medical humor. Heaven help us.

https://more.cartooncollections.com/exit-interview-caption-contest-commentary-with-lawrence-wood/

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Helen E. Hokinson: Portrait of Hendrik Willem van Loon

Hendrik Willem Van Loon was a bestselling author who illustrated his own popular histories, most notably The Story of Mankind in 1921. He was the subject of not one but two New Yorker Profiles, in 1926 and 1943. The latter profile was published over the course of three issues, creating the need for three distinct illustrated portraits of the subject to appear at the head of each installment. It seems likely that Helen E. Hokinson's illustration of van Loon, pronounced "van Loan" from the Dutch, was intended to accompany one of the segments of this three-part article. Her original artwork of van Loon in black tie is currently listed by James Cummins Bookseller.

Helen E. Hokinson

Helen E. Hokinson
AbeBooks listing retrieved May 2, 2019

https://www.abebooks.com/Portrait-Hendrik-Willem-Loon-pen-ink/30312642675/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook

A younger and thinner van Loon was depicted with a cigarette holder in the Profiles illustration of June 19, 1926. The article is by Waldo Frank.

Al Frueh [?]

Section header by Rea Irvin, cartoon by I. Klein, and a Profiles illustration (by Al Frueh [?])

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1926-06-19/flipbook/018/

Helen Hokinson's artwork did not appear in any of the three sections of van Loon's 1943 Profile by Richard O. Boyer. The first part appeared in the March 20, 1943 issue with an illustration that does not try to hide van Loon's double chin, collar size 17 ½". Was having a cartoon on the facing page a consolation prize for Hokinson?

Will Cotton

Profiles illustration by Will Cotton, cartoon by Helen E. Hokinson

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1943-03-20/flipbook/024/

The March 27 issue has a Profile illustration by Abe Birnbaum that unflinchingly portrays van Loon's corpulence—he weighed 290 pounds—and his continued smoking. In the end, was Hokinson's portrait too flattering for The New Yorker's editors?

Profiles illustration by Abe Birnbaum, cartoon by Leonard Dove

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1943-03-27/flipbook/024/

 For the third installment, Miguel Covarrubias depicts van Loon with ambidexterity in his dual capacities as writer and artist. "He once drew a picture of himself confronting the world; of the two, van Loon was the larger and more impressive" writes Richard O. Boyer. Once again Hokinson's cartoon appears on the facing page. Just a coincidence?

Miguel Covarrubias

Profiles illustration by Miguel Covarrubias, cartoon by Helen E. Hokinson

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1943-04-03/flipbook/024/

Note:  At the time of this posting, Helen E. Hokinson's portrait of Hendrik Willem van Loon is still available from James Cummins Bookseller.

I have not been able to identify the illustrators of the 1926 Profile or of the March 30, 1943 Profile, so I would appreciate some assistance with this. I have assumed the Hokinson portrait was never published anywhere; please tell me if I'm wrong about this.


August 31, 2020 Update:  Tom Bloom has identified the signature on the March 30, 1943 Profiles illustration as Will Cotton's. It seems very plausible, even obvious, once pointed out. Thanks, Tom.

August 29, 2026 Update:  Social media denizen @walkinglife identified the June 19, 1926 Profiles illustration on X as the work of Al Frueh. Is she correct?

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Helen E. Hokinson

Abe Birnbaum

Will Cotton

Miguel Covarrubias

Al Frueh

Attempted Bloggery's Index of Mankind

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