In July of 1985, seventeen works of original cartoon art by Peter Arno published in the magazine College Humor were brought to the Nicholls Gallery in New York. All of them were believed to have been published in the mid-1930s but the specific dates were unknown. Over the years, I have been hunting down various issues of the magazine to identify the print history of each of the drawings in the consignment. Now, forty years after the Arno trove was left with the gallery, I have located the final three cartoons hiding out in the February 1937 issue.
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| Modeled by Bil Baird Color photo by Dudley Lee College Humor, February 1937 |
As usual, Peter Arno's "Side-Show" includes three cartoons.
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| "It's the master's idea—says it keeps them out of the Stork Club." |
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| "It isn't every student I'd let mark her own examination paper, Miss Dawson." * * * "You may shut off the heater now, Oglethorpe!" |
The original art for these cartoons were included on the photographic contact sheet given to the consignor:
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| "It's the master's idea—says it keeps them out of the Stork Club." February 1937 |
The original art was sold by the Nicholls Gallery at a Guernsey's auction in March of 1986:
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| "It's the master's idea—says it keeps them out of the Stork Club." Guernsey's March 1986 illustration art auction catalogue Lot A720 Image added November 14, 2016
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A private collector has shared the piece with the blog:
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| "It's the master's idea—says it keeps them out of the Stork Club." Peter Arno Original art College Humor, February 1937, p. 18 |
The Miss Dawson cartoon is also on the contact sheet:
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| "It isn't every student I'd let mark her own examination paper, Miss Dawson." February 1937 |
As is the Oglethorpe cartoon:
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| "You may shut off the heater now, Oglethorpe!" February 1937 |
If you thought I couldn't come up with original art a second time, you'd be wrong.
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| "You may shut off the heater now, Oglethorpe!" Peter Arno Original art College Humor, February 1937, p. 19 |
Here's the full spread in all its glory:
This February 1937 issue is surprisingly hard to find today given that back in the day every Arno fan in America should have wanted a copy. I eventually came across one on eBay, paired with another issue:
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| College Humor eBay listing ended March 10, 2025 |
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| College Humor eBay item description |
Even though the publication history of all the Arno cartoons in the Nicholls Gallery consignment now have been identified, the quest is not over. There are other issues of College Humor with Arno art that is often quite wonderful but has never appeared in any Arno cartoon collection. Readers with access to such issues of College Humor with obscure Arno cartoons not already on the blog are invited to get in touch.
There are now fifty Attempted Bloggery centennial posts. About a quarter of them have some Arno content. Happy browsing.
The Attempted Bloggery Centennial Posts 💯
Blog Post No. 100
Blog Post No. 200: A Shaggy Dog Story
Blog Post No. 100
Blog Post No. 200: A Shaggy Dog Story
Blog Post No. 2900: My Copies of The Ultimate Cartoon Book of Book Cartoons
Blog Post No. 3000: The Vatican Museums 2019
Blog Post No. 3100: Frank Beaven's Dickensian Christmas
Blog Post No. 3200: St. Patrick's Day 1938—Will Cotton Original New Yorker Cover Art
Blog Post No. 3300: "Give Up?" by Whitney Darrow, Jr.
Blog Post No. 3400: The 1942 Navy Relief Show Program
Blog Post No. 3500: William Steig's "What is Art?"
Blog Post No. 3000: The Vatican Museums 2019
Blog Post No. 3100: Frank Beaven's Dickensian Christmas
Blog Post No. 3200: St. Patrick's Day 1938—Will Cotton Original New Yorker Cover Art
Blog Post No. 3300: "Give Up?" by Whitney Darrow, Jr.
Blog Post No. 3400: The 1942 Navy Relief Show Program
Blog Post No. 3500: William Steig's "What is Art?"
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