Stephen Kroninger has sent a photograph of his copy of Rowland Emett's High Tea (1950) featuring the cartoonist's work from Punch. Emett specialized in fanciful trains, but he was skilled at depicting all manner of vehicle including, as the cover shows, an automobile adapted for camping in the wild.
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The drunk cartoon with penciled caption has had a chunk of paper torn off at left. Possibly an earlier version of something published, as it is definitely not a rough. Luckily I had some matching paper, and that, plus a matte, makes it quite presentable.
The drawing "Where's the reception committee?" falls into the different, better version category. The final version appeared [in The New Yorker of] Apr. 3 '65. The caption is an improvement, but the drunken husband falls short I think. Of course, Steig I suspect would have been quite content to draw drunken husbands all day long if he was in the mood.
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| Cartoon by William Steig |
Businessman dragging a clock. Scan is on the Swann website. A curious drawing which has grown on me.
Stairway to the stars. Again, scan on website. As a reader, and book buyer, this obviously appeals to me, and looks very nice on the wall. Probably done around the time of the clock drawing.
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| William Steig |
The dog and sleeping master is my favorite.
The satyr drawing is another favorite.
Watercolor: 10 x 10 but my scanner cut it off at the sides. The children are a bit generic for Steig, but the explosion of plants and color is quite nice. Unsigned.
The lovers: similar size to the above, and once again my scanner couldn't quite handle it. Looks like a rejected or preliminary drawing for Male/Female.
Small sketch of a man. Reverse has the handstamp of a Lewis Nichols of West 10th St. struck many times and clearly cut from a larger sheet. Perhaps Steig rescued some free art materials as he was strolling through the Village on garbage day.
Portrait of a woman. One of Steig's "odd ducks" to quote his widow. Signed in pencil.
Bird cage in the garden. Sweet but nothing special.
Medieval king. Unsigned, wear, notes in the same ink on back giving info on a Louise Spillia, including what appears to be a social security #, 2 addresses and 2 phone #s! In spite of the faults I rather like the guy!
Desk on the mountain. Smeared, in anger it seems, with the same pinkish ink as the clock drawing. Utterly without charm. Idea for some dopey ad or commercial? Awful.
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| "I'm going to try to dig up a man!" Barbara Shermund Pictorial Review, July 18, 1948
Scan by Dick Buchanan
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| "Dear, I simply must get away for a couple of weeks' rest." Julian de Miskey Pictorial Review, January 16, 1949
Scan by Dick Buchanan
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| "She's so dumb she thinks minks are little animals!" * * * "Joe's kept his word all these years— he's never looked at another woman!" Barbara Shermund Shermund's Sallies Pictorial Review, January 16, 1949, page 8
Scan by Dick Buchanan
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