Lucretia J. Weed's Copy of Rehearsal's Off! by George Booth

New Yorker cartoonist George Booth presented many a friend with souvenir sketches of dogs or cats in corners. But, for Lucretia J. Weed, in her copy of his second collection, he drew a "Cat near but not in corner." The precision is laudable.

Cat near but not in corner.
George Booth

As an added bonus, there's a clipping from the Wall Street Journal of April 11, 1980 and another article documenting a visit to the artist with an interview. Both were kept folded inside the book, which is his 1976 collection Rehearsal's Off!

The elephant in the room—or, rather, the corner—is that the newspaper clipping was folded and kept against the inscription and drawing. The unfortunate result, after many years, is that the newsprint left a rectangular stain right on the prized part of the book.

Cat near but not in corner.
George Booth

Half-title page

Title page

This will be on the exam:

"Do you have a dinner jacket, sir?"

George Booth
eBay listing ended March 8, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/405533280915?_skw=rehearsal%27s+off+george+booth&itmmeta=01JP1F91A2DWT2QEK96Z391XTH&hash=item5e6baaca93:g:CjMAAOSwuEVnqO1F&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAABAFkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1emm82JBTMywLDjSbWZMCwDFAN8dWAOxGBjjbdUvZTc%2BqQtm2bq77VZmBx2O%2BSkB9%2FvgvZbHvmSAlxBZPzDwZZGSS8xEa0rYZsrQlA

Vm2yva0gz67QD6HbIZFVEbkTlqbV4bLcvyhI4S56XKo%2FQc5dTBDcvr99NkdnlitA8jwn0IefG9SrrU0KZzeXQx0J6C7HAlbd93spHFLE1JcqH27K5JoIujEZkR1%2BdfMMO7gKEcmUFbAD9vKyar4ughEpD1wq7iv1ULMYoJvGrxjtCFZHb3nZWg1ibZ4mXpj7XV9iGBsPDBbE14Ws1%2FNEKHhF4mgQ%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9CVpK-wZQ

George Booth
eBay item description

Note:  Who doesn't love to discover a new George Booth drawing? If you've got one you'd like to share here on the blog, please send some images my way.

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George Booth: The Poor Cat in the Corner

If I have a flaw, and my wife will tell you I have many, it is a willingness to ignore issues of condition where artwork is concerned—and, no, that's not even one from her list. For me, the story of an art object is the story of the artist's encounter with it. How this particular piece, let's say a book with an original drawing, has been cared for and preserved in the time since that encounter is an important issue, but for me ultimately a secondary one to how it came into being in the first place.

But there are always exceptions, even for me. A copy of Rehearsal's Off! (1976) currently listed on eBay has an original George Booth drawing, quite lovely indeed, of a cat sitting in the corner as seen from behind. It is a classic Booth feline and is listed at $175. I might almost spring for it, except for one problem:

There is significant damage to the book. There is an obtrusive stain that runs vertically right through the drawn image. Alas!

In the understated words of the eBay seller, "Some pages in the beginning have stain. Dust-jacket left a mark on first page. Otherwise good." 

I offered the seller $40, probably as high as I'm willing to go for the book in this "otherwise good" condition. The seller refused, then privately offered me the book at $150. Nothing doing.


It's a real shame, but despite the beautiful drawing, I don't think the book is worth my pursuing any further in this condition. The listing remains active on eBay for anyone who feels otherwise.

George Booth
eBay listing accessed January 19, 2021

https://www.ebay.com/itm/George-Booth-Cartoonist-Signed-Book-W-Original-Drawing-Rehearsals-Off-New-Yorker/274620207785?hash=item3ff0a3d2a9:g:ur4AAOSw6odf37oM

"Otherwise good."
George Booth
eBay item description

February 4, 2022 Update:  Sold (for an undisclosed best offer)!

Note:  Original drawings by George Booth are actively sought here for use in future blog posts.

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Sight Unseen: Rehearsal's Off! by George Booth Dedicated to Ron and Rosalie

A possibly unique copy of Rehearsal's Off! (1976) by George Booth presented this collector with the classic conundrum of buying books sight unseen: whether to purchase an inadequately-described book without the benefit of any photographs. To be sure, the bookseller's description was tantalizing: "Inscribed on FFEP with illustrations of two family cats." Who could possibly resist?

Still, there was some vagueness there. Inscribed with illustrations by whom exactly? One hopes it is the author and not a precocious child with a box of crayons. Lower down, though, the listing clearly stated "Signed by Author(s)." That was decidedly more promising. So if this is indeed a book with an original Booth illustration of two cats—"two family cats," whatever that means—then we had a pretty outstanding find for $50.

George Booth
AbeBooks listing accessed August 3, 2021

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/REHEARSALS-BOOTH.GEORGE-DODD-MEAD/30971212420/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook

Condition was called "very good +" with a dust jacket that was "very good minus." That wasn't quite reassuring, but I decided to go ahead and take the plunge. Wouldn't you?

And now we come to the outcome of this little experiment, as documented with my photographs of the book in question. I'm not sure that a dust jacket with some paper loss is truly "very good minus," but the seller was certainly honest about it and that counts for a lot.

And what of those "two family cats" the book dealer mentioned? It turns out they are indeed Booth family cats rendered by George himself. So that's a win, hands down. Meow!

Note:  Sarah Booth confirms, "Those were our kitties in the 70s." The cat's names were Savortooth and Jerry, the latter used interchangeably with Jerbones or Gerry.

I will continue to use Attempted Bloggery to showcase George Booth's outstanding books when they contain special inscriptions or drawings. Scans or photographs of such rarities are welcome.

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Guy Anderson's Copy of Rehearsal's Off! by George Booth

David from Manhattan writes with a photo of a very special copy of a 1976 collection by New Yorker cartoonist George Booth.

The attached is the front free endpaper for Rehearsal's Off! According to Jeffrey Long of Long Brothers Rare Books in Seattle, it was in the estate of artist Guy Anderson, who spent nearly his whole life in Washington. I was kind of hoping Booth had known Anderson, but a note from his daughter Sarah, makes that doubtful...Price was $175.

Note:  David from Manhattan comes through again with this, his 43rd contribution to this blog. Thanks, David.

The blog archives include Kay Sexton's somewhat related copy of the book here. Ms. Sexton managed the first B. Dalton Bookseller and her copy of Rehearsal's Off! also boast a Booth drawing featuring poultry and a pig.

Artist Guy Anderson's Wikipedia page leads with a disambiguation note so amusing I just have to share it: 

Meanwhile, George Booth's Wikipedia page mistakenly dates Rehearsal's Off! (1976) to 1977. More seriously, it misdates Think Good Thoughts About a Pussycat (1975).

Original drawings by George Booth, particularly those which are, like Chicken yard with dancing shoat, new to the internet, are what makes a blog like this one dance in a chicken yard—metaphorically speaking. Your contributions welcome.

03528

More Cartoon Books from the Collection of Newton Brand, Jr.

Back on September 25, we saw the copy of Warren Miller's Prince and Mrs. Charming (1970) that belonged to Texas banker Newton Brand, Jr. (1929-2011). It is signed and inscribed by Miller with an original drawing related to the title cartoon. The note that was included in the eBay listing suggests that this book had been mailed new to the cartoonist and subsequently personalized and returned.

An additional six cartoon books from Brand's collection, each signed by New Yorker artists—five of them with original drawings, were auctioned last week by a different eBay seller than the one who handled the Miller book. The cartoonists are Edward Koren, James Stevenson, Charles Barsotti, William Steig, George Booth, and Dana Fradon. Each book was sold, receiving between one and three bids. Without further ado, let's have a look at them.

We start with Edward Koren's Are You Happy? This is the fourth copy of this book we've seen on the blog and, one hopes, not the last.

Are You Happy? And Other Questions Lovers Ask (1978)
Edward Koren

James Stevenson's top-hatted gent is pretty classy. We've seen only one other copy of this book, and it had a drawing of a Stevenson bum.

Let's Boogie! (1978)
James Stevenson

The book by Charles Barsotti, Kings Don't Carry Money, does not bear the recipient's name, but it is listed in the same weekly grouping by the same eBay seller and is of the same exceptional quality as the other books. The other two copies of this collection we've seen here on this blog had drawings of songbirds. Inexplicably, this is the book that received only one bid.

Kings Don't Carry Money (1981)
Charles Barsotti

William Steig's The Agony in the Kindergarten (1950) is two decades older than the Miller book, and over a quarter century older than the other five books, which date from 1976 to 1981. Steig is the only artist who did not provide a drawing, but that was typical for him.

The Agony in the Kindergarten (1950)

William Steig

George Booth is the only cartoonist to include the date of his inscription and drawing. Therefore we know that he personalized his book four years after the date of publication. The drawing of a "Diseased Chicken" has a little bit of added color. The bidding was most aggressive for this book.

Diseased Chicken

Rehearsal's Off! (1976)
George Booth

Finally, Dana Fradon includes a self-portrait with his inscription. This is the third copy of this book we've seen here on the blog and the second with a self-portrait.

Insincerely Yours, (1978)
Dana Fradon

I'll include the full auction listing for the Koren book only, followed by the prices realized on eBay for each of the books.

Edward Koren
eBay listing ended January 16, 2021

https://www.ebay.com/itm/EDWARD-KOREN-NEW-YORKER-CARTOONIST-SIGNED-amp-INS-ORIGINAL-DRAWING-/233853425076?item=233853425076&ViewItem=&nma=true&si=0VRLNXcwB1AfKyLn9IovVbXUwvE%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Edward Koren
eBay item description

Edward Koren
eBay bid history
Three bidders compete and the highest bid, placed five minutes earlier than the last bid, gets it.

Note:  Attempted Bloggery would like to post images of other signed cartoon books from the library of Newton Brand, Jr., in the event there are any more. Any book with an original drawing by William Steig would be welcome; I don't think I've ever seen one. As for the other New Yorker artists, books that are uniquely inscribed or drawn upon are always eagerly sought after for future installments of this blog.

Has anyone else tried mailing books to cartoonists for signing? I would assume one sends them to the publisher.

03513