Showing posts with label 4th of July. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4th of July. Show all posts
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Sail4th 250 Parade of Sail: Class B Tall Ships
On July 3, the Sail4th 250 Parade of Sail came down the East River with Class B tall ships from around the world. These traditionally-rigged schooners and sloops are less than 40 meters in length. They operate under motor power. They proceded from the Hell Gate Bridge to Gravesend Bay in Brooklyn. The larger Class A tall ships with square-sail rigs will be seen on parade in the Hudson River on Independence Day. These photographs were taken from the East River Esplanade by my family members and me in 100 degree heat. Roosevelt Island and a few other areas of Queens may be seen in the background.
Friday, July 3, 2026
Anatol Kovarsky: Fourth of July Fireworks at Coney Island
Anatol Kovarsky's New Yorker cover for the issue of July 6, 1963, shows a lone fireworks barge off Coney Island illuminating the night sky on the Fourth of July. The original art was sold by the CartoonBank on November 14, 2006 with a letter attesting that its value at the time was $9,000, presumably the selling price. This spring it came to eBay professionally framed alongside the printed magazine cover.
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The colors in the waves off Coney Island may have faded over time. It is also possible that the colors were enhanced in The New Yorker's printing process.
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| Anatol Kovarsky eBay listing accessed April 1, 2026 |
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| Anatol Kovarsky eBay item description |
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| April 2 |
By April 7, the price was reduced another $200.
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| April 7 |
Next came $5,200:
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| April 9? |
The seller next raised the price to $5,500, in order to make a seller offer of $500 off. Thus it sold on April 19 for the seller offer of $5,000.
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Thursday, July 4, 2019
Clipper Passing Statue of Liberty
The Boeing 314 Clipper was a large flying boat airliner in service for luxury transoceanic passenger flight between 1939 and 1948. Nine of the twelve Clippers produced went into service for Pan Am. The Yankee Clipper flew between Port Washington on Long Island and Southampton. The flyover of the Statue of Liberty shown on a vintage postcard would seem to be staged for publicity. The photograph looks doctored, which is perhaps why the back of the postcard has to state that it's an "actual photograph," although this may have been a common affirmation at the time.
Note: The final commercial flight of the Yankee Clipper at the outbreak of World War II is the subject of Ken Follett's 1991 novel Night Over Water.
Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:
Independence Day
Postcards
Attempted Bloggery's Airborne Index
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| Statue of Liberty eBay Listing Ended January 7, 2019 |
Note: The final commercial flight of the Yankee Clipper at the outbreak of World War II is the subject of Ken Follett's 1991 novel Night Over Water.
Independence Day
Postcards
Attempted Bloggery's Airborne Index
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Wednesday, July 4, 2018
Patriotic Parade: Helen E. Hokinson Preliminary New Yorker Cover Art
Helen E. Hokinson's preliminary art for what was to become the New Yorker's 1930 Independence Day cover depicts a festive parade float proudly bedecked with American flags, each then bearing 48 stars. Three of Hokinson's stately matrons offer a patriotic tableau in which one of them stands prominently representing the Statue of Liberty and the others sit cross-legged beside her. The art is strikingly beautiful even as it asks us to wink knowingly at the showy display. Surely it possesses all the earmarks of a fine New Yorker cover. Is there any way this could be improved upon?
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| Helen E. Hokinson Preliminary art The New Yorker, July 1, 1933 |
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| Helen E. Hokinson The New Yorker, July 1, 1933 |
Under the tutelage of the magazine's editorial staff, the cover has undergone a significant transformation prior to publication, as so many New Yorker covers do. The colors have become muted and the seated figures now wear laurels and are classically posed. The float has been altered to one with the theme of Washington crossing the Delaware, providing the two allegorical ladies with proper seats. The American flag is markedly less prominent here, allowing the three female figures to move into the center of the composition. Most tellingly, Lady Liberty has tossed her head back, clearly reveling in her role. The overall change from the preliminary art is remarkable; Hokinson's ladies have come to life.
Helen E. Hokinson
Independence Day
Attempted Bloggery's Star-Spangled Index
02595
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Hank Ketcham: Those Great Patriots
A color cartoon by Hank Ketcham that appeared in Collier's in the summer of 1949 takes us to Coney Island for a reflection on the meaning of Independence Day. Big, boxy portable radios are the hot new technology; the compact transistor radio is not yet on the scene. Another postwar innovation shown here is the bikini. Ketcham now is within two years of creating his iconic comic strip Dennis the Menace.
Note: Today, we in America send our thanks to Dick Buchanan for providing Attempted Bloggery with a beautiful scan from the legendary Dick Buchanan Cartoon Clip Files. This is his 29th contribution here. For two years and change Dick has contributed regularly to Mike Lynch Cartoons, most recently a seasonal post entitled "From the Dick Buchanan Files: Summer Gag Cartoons 1949 - 1954."
Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:
Independence Day
The Beach
The Radio
Dick Buchanan
Attempted Bloggery's Star-Spangled Index
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Hank Ketcham
"Today, we in America are paying tribute
to those great patriots, John Hancock,
Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin..."
Collier's, July 9, 1949, page 46
Scan by Dick Buchanan
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Note: Today, we in America send our thanks to Dick Buchanan for providing Attempted Bloggery with a beautiful scan from the legendary Dick Buchanan Cartoon Clip Files. This is his 29th contribution here. For two years and change Dick has contributed regularly to Mike Lynch Cartoons, most recently a seasonal post entitled "From the Dick Buchanan Files: Summer Gag Cartoons 1949 - 1954."
Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:
Independence Day
The Beach
The Radio
Dick Buchanan
Attempted Bloggery's Star-Spangled Index
02594
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Mischa Richter: Sporting Lady Liberty
Cartoonist Mischa Richter included Lady Liberty—usually accompanied by her partner Uncle Sam—as a recurring character in many of his New Yorker cartoons. Back in a 1977 cartoon, he showed her sporting side. Now, as the U.S. Open gets under way in Forest Hills, it seems a good time to revisit the original art, which was just sold on eBay.
Note: Attempted Bloggery seeks scans and photographs of original cartoon art by Mischa Richter and other New Yorker artists. If you are in possession of such artwork, the ball is in your court.
Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:
Mischa Richter
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| The item is marred by cracked glass in the corner of the frame. |
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| Detail showing the paper has signs of handling |
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| Detail |
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| Mischa Richter eBay Listing Ended June 4, 2017 |
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| Mischa Richter eBay Item Description |
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| Mischa Richter The New Yorker, August 8, 1977, page 28 |
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| Cartoons by Mischa Richter and James Stevenson The New Yorker, August 8, 1977, pages 28-29 |
Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:
Mischa Richter
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