Ronald Searle: Strength Through Joy

Strength through joy?

I suppose Ronald Searle did indeed give his drawing of a wicked St. Trinian's girl flipping over her teacher the title of Unarmed Combat—twice, it seems—and that certainly describes the action well enough. But that is not how it appeared in print.

The titles of Searle drawings were generally afterthoughts. In his classic collection Souls in Torment, as promising a name for a cartoon book as one could hope to find in 1953, the present work is one of three drawings under the alternative heading Strength Through Joy.

The term "unarmed combat" actually appears as part of a caption on the page opposite. Thus, grouping these three drawings under an Unarmed Combat heading would have detracted from the caption on the following page. At least, that's a conjecture of what went on, and why Searle abandoned his presumptive title for this drawing when it was published in a book even though it fit perfectly.

The signature appears to be later than 1953 by more than a decade. Searle must have signed it whenever the drawing eventually left his studio.

Ronald Searle's signature

In 1991, this piece was offered by London dealer Chris Beetles. Despite Beetles noting the publishing history, the title he listed is the one that Searle wrote on the work. After all, it is a better title. 

At auction, many a tempting work seems reasonably priced before the bidding gets underway.

Ronald Searle
Chiswick Auctions listing accessed March 21, 2026, ten days before the sale

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/Ronald-Searle-C.B.E.-British,-1920-2011-Unarm-168-c-BEBFCC408C?utm_source=alerts&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=artistalerts&utm_content=378696&utm_term=378696

Ronald Searle
Chiswick Auctions item description

And yet it sells on March 31 at Chiswick Auctions for more than twice the high estimate.

Here it is on the printed page as one of a trio of Strength Through Joy drawings. On the opposite page is "Some little girl didn't hear me say 'unarmed combat'." The captioned cartoon shows an earlier version of Searle's signature.

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T3RcLoQuSZA/TrHj7rZjIFI/AAAAAAAAX7k/-SmvpXssYq0/s1600/Searle11.jpg

Image added July 5, 2026

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Ronald Searle: A Strange Procession

For the occasion of a christening held in St. James's, London, on November 24, 1951, cartoonist Ronald Searle created a presentation drawing for the child's family. The paper backing the frame is inscribed, "With love from Kaye & Ronald Searle" so it seems the Searles framed the drawing themselves before giving it to the recipients. The child depicted is attended by four girls, two of whom are clearly winged angels. They are easily recognized as Searle's popular St. Trinian's girls by their trademark black stockings. The drawing, which has some color, was sold yesterday at Sworders in the Modern and Contemporary Art sale.

"A strange procession
seen passing into
Saint James' thiſ day
Novemb^r 24 1951."
Ronald Searle

"A strange procession

seen passing into

Saint James' thiſ day

Novemb^r 24 1951."

Ronald Searle

Framed original art

"With love from Kaye & Ronald Searle"

Ronald Searle
Sworders item presale description accessed April 7, 2024

https://www.sworder.co.uk/auction/lot/lot-200---ronald-searle-1920-2011/?lot=496

443&so=0&st=searle&sto=0&au=&ef=&et=&ic=False&sd=0&pp=96&pn=1&g=1

Sold!

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Marcelle Methlin's Copy of Médisances by Ronald Searle

Médisances is Ronald Searle's 1953 cartoon collection published for the French market. It is marketed as "Humour anglais" and presents Searle's postwar British black comedy with French captions. There is a generous helping of St. Trinian's cartoons depicting Searle's murderously wicked schoolgirls who proved so wildly popular in England.

For Valentine's Day of 1962, Searle embellished a copy of the book with a full-page ink and wash drawing of a St. Trinian's girl holding a shedding floral bouquet and a wine bottle. It is inscribed to Marcelle, whom I take to be Marcelle Methlin, the proprietor of the Restaurant des Beaux-Arts on the Left Bank of the Seine. Searle and his girlfriend Monica Koenig, later his second wife, found an artistic and culinary home in Methlin's establishment. Searle was poor in cash but rich in gratitude this February, when he also gave Methlin a personalized copy of his new English-language book Which Way Did He Go? seen in yesterday's post.

Médisances translates as backbiting, gossiping, or mudslinging.

Ronald Searle
eBay listing ended September 24, 2023

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124015197978?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20200818143230%26meid%3Dce4bccc444ee47ae92ec1b8790a37a64%26pid%3D101

224%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D392594507350%26itm%3D124015197978%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4429486%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWebV9BertRefreshRanker&_trksid=p4429486.c101224.m-1

Ronald Searle
eBay item description

Offer of 1,610 Euros accepted

Note:  I've never seen this book before; it scarcely crosses the English Channel, let alone the Atlantic. Regardless, this copy easily qualifies as a "best copy" in that it has one of the most elaborate original St. Trinian's drawings in any Searle book I've come across. I don't know whether I've mentioned it before, but Attempted Bloggery is always eager to show outstanding copies of books by Ronald Searle, including those difficult to define but easy to recognize "best copies." Your submissions are encouraged.

"Bohème," as I mentioned yesterday, is Matt Jones's 2014 post on the Ronald Searle Tribute blog concerning the in-crowd at the Restaurant des Beaux-Arts. Check out Searle's menu design for the place.

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A Bank Manager's Copy of The Terror of St Trinian's by Timothy Shy and Ronald Searle

Those wicked Searle schoolgirls! A copy of The Terror of St. Trinian's (1952) by Timothy Shy and Ronald Searle was dedicated by the illustrator to his bank manager at Christmas in the year of publication. Searle added a full-length drawing of one of his St. Trinian's girls in the act of—what else?—robbing a bank.

The book was offered for sale Thursday at Forum Auctions in London. With a presale estimate of 1,500 to 2,000 GBP, bidding started at 1,000 GBP. Is the British public still taken with Searle's St. Trinian's drawings? You bet.

July 12, 2023

Ronald Searle
Forum Auctions lot 172

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/155968406_searle-ronald-timonthy-shy-the-terror-of-st-trinian-s-or-angela-s-prince-charming-original?from=alert&utm_source=SavedAlert&utm_campaign=SearchAlert_20230626_A&utm_medium=email&utm_content=item

November 27, 2023 Update:  The dedication page alone is offered at Chris Beetles in The Illustrators sale for 2023. The price of 6,500 GBP is a 200% markup over the 1700 GBP hammer price plus the 26% buyer's premium.

https://chrisbeetles.com/artwork/36258/bank-robbery

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The Ronald Searle Calendar: 1959

The Ronald Searle Calendar for 1959 collects some of the English cartoonist's popular gags from the 1950s and doles out two each month. The calendar's cover reuses the illustration on the dust jacket for Merry England, etc. (1956), but this time without any red ink. At least one drawing of St. Trinian's schoolgirls is included. The drawings are reproduced in two tones, black and shades of blue. The item is uncommon today which is surprising as it must have been difficult to throw away when 1960 came around.

The Ronald Searle Calendar:  1959
eBay listing ended November 27, 2020

https://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-RONALD-SEARLE-CALENDAR-1959-Illustrated-VINTAGE-24-CARTOONS-St-Trinian-039-s-/133581720040?hash=item1f1a1749e8%3Ag%3Ag4UAAOSwJiBftoY%7E&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

The Ronald Searle Calendar:  1959
eBay item description

03987

Vip Digs Searle: A Cartoon Blurb

Who says blurbs in books have to be written? It would seem the most natural thing in the world for one cartoonist, say, to draw rather than write a blurb for another cartoonist's book, as Virgil Partch, or Vip as he calls himself, does for Ronald Searle in the American edition of The Female Approach (1954). At the same time, Max Beerbohm (in a letter) and Li'l Abner cartoonist Al Capp write blurbs for Searle the conventional way, with words.

There simply have got to be more, perhaps many more, examples of blurbs for books that are drawn rather than written. So why can't I come up with any?

[January 16, 2022 Update:  Harry Bliss did create a cartoon about the ultimate blurb for the back cover of his own collection Death by Laughter (2008). It is funny, of course, but not an endorsement like Vip's.]

Image added January 16, 2022

Bob Eckstein did one too, also somewhat meta, for a collection he himself edited. I refer to The Ultimate Cartoon Book of Book Cartoons (2019) which we have seen here before. Personally, I think it's brilliant, but, like Bliss's, it isn't really a cartoon blurb à la Vip but rather a cartoon about blurbs.


If I could think of any more examples I would note them here. Since I've drawn a blank, I might as well just continue with the remainder of the eBay listing from which the Vip scan comes:

Ronald Searle
eBay listing accessed September 7, 2020

https://www.ebay.com/itm/ESP002-Vintage-FEMALE-APPROACH-Hardcover-St-Trinian-Ronald-Searle-Knopf-1954/132880021630?hash=item1ef044387e:g:9hAAAOSwHOZcCZFc

Ronald Searle
eBay item description

Note:  At the time of this posting, the Searle book remains available for purchase on eBay. It's one heck of a nice copy.

The published book cover for the American edition of The Female Approach is in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, quite naturally if unexpectedly. See it here.

I would love to hear from anyone with access to that Vip original. Or any of the Searles. I'm not particular.

The year 2020 is the centenary of Ronald Searle. Any reader happening upon the vicinity of Hannover, Germany, should be sure to check out his show at the Wilhelm Busch Museum and then please drop a note here with your impressions. Through November 22.

https://www.karikatur-museum.de/programm/ausstellungen/ronald-searle-100/

I'd also like to hear word of additional drawn cartoon blurbs created by one cartoonist for another's book. They must be out there somewhere. Please send me examples.

The Ultimate Cartoon Book of Book Cartoons edited by Bob Eckstein should be in the library of everyone who reads this blog and of everyone who reads books. I have three copies.

It's funny how these posts come about. I've been writing about Searle and about Partch quite a bit recently. I only got around to thinking about blurbs for books last week when Michael Maslin's Ink Spill featured discussion of a very brief blurb written by James Thurber here.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Virgil Partch (Vip)

Ronald Searle

Bob Eckstein

Attempted Bloggery's Well-Reviewed Index

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