Donald Reilly: A Fish Story

Today's haul of original New Yorker art is by Donald Reilly. His cartoon from the December 21, 1992 issue of the magazine takes a popular maxim and gives it an unexpected turn. But a good cartoon has to be more than just clever wordplay. Fortunately Reilly has drawn for us a richly atmospheric setting in which to ponder the thoughtful words of the fisherman's father.

Donald Reilly
"My father had a saying: 'If you sell a man a fish, you'll make a good living;
if you teach a man to fish, you're stupid.' "
Original art
The New Yorker, December 21, 1992, page 94

Donald Reilly
"My father had a saying: 'If you sell a man a fish, you'll make a good living;
if you teach a man to fish, you're stupid.' "
Original art
The New Yorker, December 21, 1992, page 94

Donald Reilly
"My father had a saying:  'If you sell a man a fish, you'll make a good living;
if you teach a man to fish, you're stupid.' "
The New Yorker, December 21, 1992, page 94

Donald Reilly
eBay Listing Retrieved February 11, 2018

https://www.ebay.com/itm/273063866468?ul_noapp=true

Donald Reilly
eBay Item Description

The accepted best offer was $250.

Donald Reilly
"My father had a saying:  'If you sell a man a fish, you'll make a good living;
if you teach a man to fish, you're stupid.' "
The New Yorker, December 21, 1992, page 94

Donald Reilly
"My father had a saying: 'If you sell a man a fish, you'll make a good living;
if you teach a man to fish, you're stupid.' "
Original art
The New Yorker, December 21, 1992, page 94

Cartoons by Donald Reilly and Peter Steiner

https://archives.newyorker.com/?i=1992-12-21#folio=094

Note:  My father has a saying too: "Seek out inspiring images of original art by Donald Reilly and other New Yorker artists for the blog." He's a pretty shrewd guy, my dad.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Donald Reilly

Original New Yorker Cartoon Art

Fishing

Attempted Bloggery's Waterlogged Index

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Donald Reilly: Coming to America

Cartoonist Donald Reilly's New Yorker original from June 3, 1974 gives us a humorous look at the pilgrims and what may or may not have been their motivations for coming to America. There is nothing humorous though about how the artwork has been treated. The drawing bears a small inscription that looks like "For Colin." Colin apparently has done a frightful job framing the work, apparently forcing it into a standard size frame and matte. Note how the matte cuts off the entire upper mast, shifting the pilgrims toward the top of the image when Donald Reilly had them so carefully centered. Even worse, when we see the art photographed out of the frame it's clear that the paper was inexcusably trimmed right into the drawn image, cutting off the uppermost areas of the top mast. Furthermore, the paper has been discolored by matte burn, a reaction with the acid in the matte. This must be what the eBay seller means by "In good sound condition..."

To avoid doing irretrievable damage to original artwork, always respect the integrity of the paper and never trim for convenience. Make sure that only archival, acid-free materials come into contact with the paper. Finally, avoid exposure to sunlight. Properly cared-for drawings can continue to look pristine for many decades. Most reputable framers will adhere to these basic principles. And besides, it costs more to frame it right.

Donald Reilly
"Religious freedom is my immediate goal
but my long-range plan is to go into real estate."
Framed and matted original art.
The New Yorker, June 3, 1974, page 46
Published as "Religious freedom is my immediate goal,
but my long-range plan is to go into real estate."

Donald Reilly
"Religious freedom is my immediate goal
but my long-range plan is to go into real estate."
Original art removed from its frame.
The New Yorker, June 3, 1974, page 46
Published as "Religious freedom is my immediate goal,
but my long-range plan is to go into real estate."

Donald Reilly
"Religious freedom is my immediate goal
but my long-range plan is to go into real estate."
Original art. The New Yorker, June 3, 1974, page 46
Published as "Religious freedom is my immediate goal,
but my long-range plan is to go into real estate."

Donald Reilly's signature
Inscribed "For Colin[?]"

Donald Reilly
eBay Listing Ended February 16, 2017

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Orig-1974-New-Yorker-Magazine-Donald-Reilly-Cartoon-Art-/232239558913?hash=item36128e7101%3Ag%3ACMkAAOSwTuJYonrC&nma=true&si=YQGb25QThn5Fxe78BW8tTy6VzZY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

Donald Reilly
eBay Item Description

Donald Reilly
eBay Bid History
The top bidder bids twice to help assure a win.

http://archives.newyorker.com/?i=1974-06-03#folio=046

Note:  I would love to add more examples of original art by Donald Reilly or other New Yorker artists as documented in scans or photographs. So, industrious readers, scan or photograph away.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Donald Reilly

Original New Yorker Cartoon Art

Columbus Day

Attempted Bloggery's Even-Keeled Index

02328

Edward Koren Mousing Around

Cartoonist Edward Koren made this full-page original drawing of a mouse in a copy of The New Yorker Cartoon Album 1975-1985. Tomorrow the long-time New Yorker cartoonist is to be appointed the State of Vermont's new Cartoonist Laureate. Vermont is the only state with a Cartoonist Laureate; Alaska had one a few years back, but hasn't kept up the appointment. The idea, when you first hear it, seems so obvious it's brilliant. Even more obviously brilliant is the choice of Ed Koren. They really know how to govern up in Vermont.

Edward Koren
Drawing of a mouse inscribed "For/Sherry Seymour,/Best/Ed. Koren"
in The New Yorker Cartoon Album 1975-1985

The New Yorker Cartoon Album 1975-1985

Cartoons by Jean-Jacques Sempé, George Booth, Donald Reilly, and Edward Koren.
The New Yorker Cartoon Album 1975-1985

Edward Koren
Drawing of a mouse inscribed "For/Sherry Seymour,/Best/Ed. Koren"
in The New Yorker Cartoon Album 1975-1985

Note:  I have more posts about cartoonist Edward Koren here.

Other examples of signed books with original drawings may be seen here.

01064

"Cover Story: The New Yorker in Westport"

On January 26, I visited the Westport Historical Society for the opening of two exhibits highlighting the Westport area's connections with the New Yorker magazine. The show in the Mollie Donovan Gallery is called "Can't Tell a Book by Its Cover." The book in question is the New Yorker's landmark issue of August 31, 1946. The magazine's cover by Charles E. Martin depicted a lively summer park scene. There was nothing on the cover to indicate that inside the issue the entire magazine was given over to a single article for the only time in its history. It was Hiroshima by John Hersey, a report on the terrible impact of the first atomic bomb dropped on Japan, and one of the most important pieces ever published in the magazine. Hersey moved to Westport soon after its publication. The exhibit is curated by Brian O'Leary.

Charles E. Martin
The New Yorker, August 31, 1946
The issue's sole editorial content is John Hersey's Hiroshima.

Hiroshima by John Hersey
The New Yorker, August 31, 1946, page 15

The larger exhibit by far is "Cover Story: The New Yorker in Westport," an examination of the region's extraordinary attraction for a number of talented and prolific New Yorker cover artists. James Geraghty was hired by the magazine initially as an "idea man" in 1939. He went on to serve as the New Yorker's art editor from 1939 to 1973. Encouraged by Perry Barlow and Dorothy Hope Smith, James and Eva Geraghty relocated to Westport, Connecticut and began a family. Later, in turn, Geraghty introduced many of the magazine's new generation of artists to the Westport-Weston community.

Albert Hubbell
The New Yorker, August 20, 1973

Compo Beach, Westport, CT, July 3, 2013
Westport News

http://www.westport-news.com/news/article/Westport-s-Independence-Day-holiday-begins-with-a-4646623.php#photo-4876819

No fewer than 17 New Yorker artist came to live or spend weekends in the Westport and Weston area and collectively they were responsible for an extraordinary 767 covers through the years up to 1989. This remarkable statistic was discovered by exhibit curator Eve Potts. The artists are Charles Addams, Perry Barlow, Whitney Darrow, Jr., James Daugherty, Edna Eicke, Arthur Getz, Alice Harvey, Helen E. Hokinson, Albert Hubbell, Lee Lorenz, Reginald Massie, John Norment, David Preston, Garrett Price, Donald Reilly, Mischa Richter, and Charles Saxon. Reproductions of many of their covers are on display in the Scheffer Gallery. There are also a few examples of original art. The descendants of Mr. Geraghty and of some of the artists were involved in the creation of this show, and we even get to enjoy some rarely-seen Geraghty family photos.

The exhibition focusses on cover art and not on cartoons. This drawing by Whitney Darrow, Jr., is not part of the show and it was obviously not created for the New Yorker but rather for a local branch of the Red Cross. I include it here to serve as an example of the kinds of ties to the community the New Yorker's artists were to develop.

Whitney Darrow, Jr.
"Congratulations, Mr. Hinton, and welcome to Westport."
American Red Cross, Westport, CT

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/20282172_new-yorker-cartoonist-whitney-darrow-and-saxon-lot

My visit to the Westport Historical Society began here on the front porch. The Society's annual meeting preceded the opening of the exhibits, so the event was very well-attended. The WHS is now open on Sundays for the duration of the exhibits, effectively extending the show by one day to April 27.

"Cover Story:  The New Yorker in Westport" and "Can't Tell a Book by Its Cover..." exhibition banner

The Westport Historical Society, January 26, 2014

Even before the New Yorker published its first issue in 1925, a community of artists and writers had become established in the Westport area including George Hand Wright.

George Hand Wright
City Slickers, early 1920's, Scribner's
Collection of Edward F. Gerber, President of the Westport Historical Society

In 1925, the New Yorker took note of an early generation of Westport artists.

Introductory remarks in the Scheffer Gallery

Members of the Geraghty family

Family members of some of the artists and of Mr. Geraghty

John Norment
Original cover art for the New Yorker, January 28, 1980
Gouache and ink on paper
Framed alongside the published cover
Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection #1121

Garrett Price's preliminary 1954 cover sketch showed homes with garage doors opened and garage lights turned on for the returning commuters. These details were minimized in the published cover, which instead emphasized the lights within the homes.

Garrett Price
Preliminary cover art for the New Yorker, February 6, 1954
Ink wash and watercolor on paper
Framed alongside the published cover
Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection #1121

Just look at how Arthur Getz's original cover artwork retains its vibrant colors after 55 years!

Arthur Getz
Weekend Painters Packing Car
Original cover art for the New Yorker, August 30, 1958
Private Collection

Arthur Getz
The New Yorker, August 30, 1958

Sorry, but I couldn't keep the reflections of the opening reception out of this photograph of framed original cover artwork by Arthur Getz. You'll just have to go and see it for yourself. It's on view through Sunday April 27.

Arthur Getz
Weekenders Goodbye
Original cover art for the New Yorker, September 1, 1962
Private Collection

Arthur Getz
The New Yorker, September 1, 1962

March 22, 2014 Update:  The popular exhibition has been extended through July 5, 2014.


Note:  The website of the Westport Historical Society is here.

Michael Maslin looks at some photographs from the exhibit on Ink Spill here.

Arthur Getz produced more covers for the magazine than any other artist. A few of my blog posts about him appear here.

Albert Hubbell appears here in this blog post.

My favorite cartoon by John Norment is one of my favorite cartoons by anyone. It appears in a Valentine's Day post here.

Garrett Price was mentioned on Attempted Bloggery here.

Did James Geraghty's retirement result in the New Yorker running two very similar gags in the magazine? I have no idea, but see for yourself what happened when Three Cartoonists Walk Into a Bar here.

01046

Signed by Five New Yorker Cartoonists

The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975 was the first New Yorker collection I ever purchased. The hardcover volume sold for about $15 and I had to make a very deliberate decision to commit that amount of money to a mammoth book of cartoons. As it turns out, it had a profound and long-lasting effect on me. Can you tell?

A copy is currently available on eBay with the original signatures of five New Yorker cartoonists. I got to know the work of these cartoonists primarily through the magazine and collections such as this one. Indeed, I started collecting older out-of-print New Yorker albums fairly passionately and by this means I became familiar with the work of the pantheon of cartoonists who contributed to the magazine over the years.

The eBay seller has included a generous selection of images from the book and the cartoons are, of course, brilliant. Interestingly, though, the seller hasn't included any cartoons by the five signing cartoonists, which I would have thought good salesmanship. Still, there is an awful lot of Peter Arno instead and who can argue with that?

The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975 signed by Herbert Goldberg, Edward Frascino, William Hamilton, Warren Miller, and Everett Opie. In the eBay listing, the seller has mistaken Edward Frascino's signature for Joseph Farris's.

Peter Arno
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Ralph Barton, Alice Harvey, Helen E. Hokinson, Garrett Price
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

John Held, Jr., Rea Irvin, Alfred Frueh
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Rea Irvin, Constantin Alajálov, Barbara Shermund, Peter Arno
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Ralph Barton, James Thurber, William Steig, John Held, Jr.
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Perry Barlow, George Price, Peter Arno
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Mary Petty, Garrett Price, Richard Decker
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Peter Arno, Garrett Price, Chon Day, Helen E. Hokinson
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Robert Kraus, Richard Taylor, Peter Arno
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Leslie Starke, Richard Taylor, Peter Arno
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Garrett Price, Joseph Mirachi, Gardner Rea
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Peter Arno, Garner Rea, Charles E. Martin
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Richard Taylor, Saul Steinberg, Barney Tobey, George Price
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Peter Arno, Frank Modell, Robert Day
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Charles Saxon
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Alan Dunn, Carl Rose, Peter Arno
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Mischa Richter, James Stevenson, Lee Lorenz, Richard McCallister, Ed Fisher
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Donald Reilly, Leslie Starke, John Corcoran
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

Donald Reilly, J. B. Handelsman, Niculae Asciu, Mischa Richter
The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

The artists represented in The New Yorker Album of Drawings 1925-1975

The image-hosting service Auctiva allows up to twenty-four photos per eBay auction listing, and this seller is determined to use them all. This is number 23. Instead of this close-up of the back cover, I think it would have been more helpful to photograph pages that include some of the cartoonists who signed this book.

Again, this is really an unnecessary photograph.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-New-Yorker-Album-Of-Drawings-SIGNED-MILLER-GOLDBERG-HAMILTON-OPIE-FARRIS-/390614415738?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item5af26ef97a

As stated above, the eBay seller has mistaken Edward Frascino's signature for Joseph Farris's. Tsk tsk.

Say, did I happen to mention that the eBay seller has mistaken Edward Frascino's signature for Joseph Farris's?

For the record, this is what Joseph Farris's signature looks like:

http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/Looks-good-For-lunch-all-12-want-pastrami-on-rye-and-coffee-Cartoon-Prints_i8638301_.htm?AID=644589833

October 6, 2013 Update:  Sold!

Note:  Yesterday, I was thrilled to see that my recent post about Rea Irvin in the Virgin Islands was mentioned on Ink Spill here. If you're interested in the very latest about New Yorker cartoonists--and why on earth would you be reading this post if you weren't?--then you should be following Ink Spill. 

As if that weren't enough, today I'm quoted on Perpetua, the Ronald Searle tribute blog! The topic is Ronald Searle and the Berlin Wall. The post would be outstanding even if I weren't mentioned. See it here.

I have a daily newspaper panel drawing by William Hamilton on the blog here.

An Edward Frascino sandbox drawing is part of a larger post about New Yorker cartoons at auction. I still don't know whether Mr. Frascino's drawing was ever published. You can see it all here.

Then if you still have the energy, some of the other signed books featured on this blog can be found here. Happy reading!

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