George Washington's birthday falls on February 22, a fact that was known to most Americans before the creation of Presidents' Day. An undated and unpublished New Yorker cover by Rea Irvin was intended, no doubt, to celebrate the great general on his day. That might just be Alexander Hamilton on the left side of the image handling his correspondence. The postage stamp, of course, is a deliberate anachronism—and the joke.
04886
The Purple Pussycat Boutique, Roz Chast's fictitious sex shop, is based on the Pink Pussycat Boutique located on West 4th Street in the Village. The gag in which the store appeared was published in The New Yorker of February 9, 1998, when the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal was making headlines. The drawing was part of an unusual two-page cartoon feature with multiple contributors called "Further Revelations."
The original art was sold by the Cartoon Bank in August of 2000 with a stated valuation of $1,200. It was first offered on eBay in November of 2020. The asking price was $1,500 in April of 2021, but it subsequently came down to $1,100. It sold in August 2021 for an undisclosed best offer. Comparison of the original art with the published cartoon reveals that the magazine corrected the placement of the apostrophe in Presidents' Day.
 |
| Roz Chast Original art The New Yorker, February 9, 1998, page 71 |
 |
| Roz Chast's signature |
 |
| The New Yorker, February 9, 1998, page 71 |
 |
| Roz Chast eBay listing ended August 9, 2021 |
 |
| Roz Chast eBay item description |
 |
| Roz Chast The New Yorker, February 9, 1998, page 71 |
 |
| Roz Chast Original art The New Yorker, February 9, 1998, page 71 |
 |
| "Further Revelations" Cartoons by Peter Steiner, Donald Reilly, Danny Shanahan, Edward Frascino, Roz Chast, and Bob Mankoff |
03880
 |
| Fields for President eBay Listing Retrieved July 5, 2019 |
 |
| Fields for President eBay Item Description |
 |
| "This is nothing. You should see the fuss he makes over Washington's Birthday[.]" Hank Ketcham Collier's, February 12, 1946, page 35
Scan by Dick Buchanan
|
 |
| "I don't care if Washington did stop here—this steak is tough." Barney Tobey, original art, Collier's, c. July 1940 Collier's Collects Its Wits, 1941 |
 |
| "I don't care if Washington did stop here—this steak is tough." Barney Tobey, framed original art, Collier's, c. July 1940 Collier's Collects Its Wits, 1941 |
 |
| Barney Tobey's signature |
 |
| Detail |
 |
| Detail |
 |
| Barney Tobey eBay Listing Ended February 4, 2017 |
 |
| eBay Item Description |
 |
| "I don't care if Washington did stop here—this steak is tough." Barney Tobey, original art, Collier's, c. July 1940 Collier's Collects Its Wits, 1941 |
 |
| Edward Sorel, George Washington |
 |
| Edward Sorel, Andrew Jackson |
 |
| Edward Sorel, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln |
 |
| Swann Galleries, January 22, 2015, Sale 2372, Lot 208 Hammer Price |
 |
| Price with Buyer's Premium |
 |
| Charles Addams, "That's the mental hazard on this hole." Original art. The New Yorker, July 1, 1939, page 18 |
 |
| Lewis Wayne Gallery |
 |
| http://www.comicartfans.com/forsalesearchresult.asp?txtsearch=charles%20addams |
 |
| Charles Addams, "That's the mental hazard on this hole." The New Yorker, July 1, 1939, page 18 |
 |
| Charles Addams, "That's the mental hazard on this hole." The New Yorker, July 1, 1939, page 18 |
|
| Charles Addams, "That's the mental hazard on this hole." Original art. The New Yorker, July 1, 1939, page 18 |
 |
| Charles Addams, "That's the mental hazard on this hole." Original art. The New Yorker, July 1, 1939, page 18 |
