Sitting on an Easter Egg: Oscar Berger Proposed New Yorker Cover Art

Proposed cover art for The New Yorker by Oscar Berger (1901-1997) shows a broody hen sitting on a decorated Easter Egg. The fanciful image portrays the hen smiling despite the inflated dimensions of the egg she has produced. The color palette is limited to red, black, and white.

Oscar Berger
eBay Listing Ended February 14, 2020

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Oscar-Berger-Signed-New-Yorker-Cover-Sketch-original-Art-NR-/143528805946?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc

Oscar Berger
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Oscar Berger
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03584

Louis M. Glackens: Easter 1908

Louis M. Glackens (1866-1933) provided the cover illustration of Puck for Easter 1908. The artist, brother of Ashcan School founder and American Impressionist William Glackens, did work for the satirical magazine from the 1890s until its sale in 1914. The 1908 Easter cover is a bit quirky. It depicts a rainswept Easter Parade and one older gentleman's odd predicament because "his wife was ill."

HIS WIFE WAS ILL.
Louis Glackens
Puck, April 15, 1908

Scan by Dick Buchanan

Somewhat more cryptic are the figures prancing about the border. There seem to be an octet of red devils chasing and tormenting an octet of robed blue witches. At the top are two Easter Bunnies matching the color schemes of the devils and witches—and the very act of pursuit as well.

Note:  My thanks to Dick Buchanan for this, his fifty-third contribution to Attempted Bloggery. That's one for every week of the year and one more for good luck. Dick, to his everlasting credit, maintains the monumental Dick Buchanan Cartoon Clip Files. He also contributes regularly to Mike Lynch Cartoons, most recently a splendid post entitled "From the Dick Buchanan Files: New Yorker Cartoonists 1935 - 1962." You won't want to miss this one.

Louis M. Glackens, I confess, is new to me and hence new to this blog.

I want to identify that church on the Glackens cover as Trinity Church, but I'm not completely sure. What of the armory-like building in the background? Can any reader identify these architectural elements as they existed in 1908 New York?

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Charles Addams: Rabbit Ears

The New Yorker's Easter 1983 cover was created by Charles Addams. The bunny family of four are gathered in front of the television set, a jeweled egg reminiscent of Fabergé. Cable television was not yet universal and the TV set therefore has an antenna often called—very appropriately in this case—rabbit ears. A rare cover signed by the artist was sold at Heritage Auctions in 2014.

Charles Addams, Signed cover, The New Yorker, April 4, 1983

Heritage Auctions, April 20, 2014

http://comics.ha.com/itm/memorabilia/new-yorker-magazine-cover-only-autographed-by-charles-addams-new-yorker-1983-/a/121416-10553.s#Photo

Note:  Visit the archives for further blog reading about the following topics:
Charles Addams
Easter
Signed magazine covers

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Walt Disney's "Funny Little Bunnies" (1934)

Walt Disney's Silly Symphony "Funny Little Bunnies" from 1934 has none of the famous Disney characters, but there are lots of cheerful, industrious bunnies and a few extremely productive hens as well. They are all hard at work making Easter eggs.

Image added April 13, 2014

"Funny Little Bunnies" (1934)
Walt Disney Studios

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Peter Arno's Bunnies

Here are a pair of New Yorker covers featuring Easter bunnies by artist Peter Arno.

Peter Arno, The New Yorker, April 1, 1961

Peter Arno, The New Yorker, April 17, 1965

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