Jack's Copy of Helen E. Hokinson's When Were YOU Built?

Helen E. Hokinson's collection of New Yorker cartoons, When Were You Built?, was published in October of 1948. It was popular enough to go into a second printing that November. Etsy currently offers a copy signed by the artist on this second printing's title page. She wrote an additional gift inscription to Jack from Faith for Christmas of 1948 signed with her initials HEH. This book is offered for $186 with gift wrap and shipping included.

"Oh, I always send condolences—providing I've known the dog."   "I know what! Let's have an Old-Fashioned before we start talking French."
* * *
"I'm sorry, but I am murdering Mr. Hodgson to the best of my ability!"   "There aren't any bulls who would object to my blouse, are there?"

"Jack—
Christmas 1948
Love,  
         Faith—       
as signed by HEH"

Signed title page with the title cartoon

Helen E. Hokinson
Etsy listing accessed June 13, 2023

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1036023666/when-were-you-built-by-helen-e-hokinson?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=signed+Yorker&ref=sr_gallery-1-13&frs=1&organic_search_click=1

Helen E. Hokinson
Etsy item description

Note:  Attempted Bloggery is the place to share outstanding signed copies of books by New Yorker artists. Your submissions are welcome.

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Helen E. Hokinson's When Were You Built?

Last month one eBay seller concurrently listed five books by Helen E. Hokinson, two of which were signed copies associated with James Reid Parker, her collaborator and caption writer. One can only wonder whether the other three unsigned books were at one time in his library as well. At any rate, it's always worth having a look at a copy of When Were You Built? This first edition dates from 1948.

Helen E. Hokinson
eBay listing ended August 22, 2020

https://www.ebay.com/itm/143684621363?nordt=true&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2546137.m43663.l10137

Helen E. Hokinson
eBay item description

Helen E. Hokinson
eBay bid history
One bid

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Helen E. Hokinson

James Reid Parker

9/11

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Books Signed by Helen E. Hokinson and Charles Saxon

In a recent eBay listing, copies of the cartoon collections When Were You Built? (1948) by Helen E. Hokinson and "Oh, Happy, Happy, Happy!" (1980) by Charles Saxon were offered at auction in far from pristine condition. They nevertheless were desirable copies, containing two of the harder-to-find New Yorker cartoonist signatures.

Cartoon collections When Were You Built? (1948) by Helen E. Hokinson and "Oh, Happy, Happy, Happy!" (1980) by Charles Saxon

Helen E. Hokinson, When Were You Built? (1948)
Endpapers

Helen E. Hokinson's signature

"I just want to say that I'm perfectly willing to serve as treasurer, provided
every penny doesn't have to come out exactly even."

Helen E. Hokinson, When Were You Built? (1948) title page

"Surely you can't have misplaced the Eighteenth Armored                              "Elizabeth Connor McMeekin, '15?"                               
          Division again, Miss MacEldowny!"                                                "Present. After graduation, I started to take an M.A.
                                                                                                               at Teachers College, but gave it up to marry Roy
                                                                                                                      McMeekin, Cornell, '12. My husband was only a plant
                                                                                                                      engineer with the telephone company at the time and
                                                                                                                            had not yet become an executive. We lived in Columbus,
                                                                                                                     Ohio, until 1927, when Mr. McMeekin was called to
                                                                                                                        New York, and we built a home in Westchester. 1 have
                                                                                                                      two children, a girl, Elsie, aged nineteen, and a boy,
                                                                                                                        Donald, aged seventeen. I want to say that I think this
                                                                                                                   Alpha Delta Alpha alumnae picnic  wonderful idea
                                                                                                                                and that Penny Trowbridge should be congratulated on                                                                                                                                      getting it up. I hope we can get together next                                                                                                                                      summer and repeat it with all the same people."

Charles Saxon, "Oh, Happy, Happy, Happy!" (1980)
Endpapers

Charles Saxon's signature

Charles Saxon, "Oh, Happy, Happy, Happy!" (1980)
Title page

Picasso at the Museum of Modern Art

Helen E. Hokinson and Charles Saxon
eBay Listing Ended June 14, 2017

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Yorker-Cartoon-Books-Charles-Saxon-Helen-E-Hokinson-AUTOGRAPHED-1st-Editions-/391811014301?nma=true&si=YQGb25QThn5Fxe78BW8tTy6VzZY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Helen E. Hokinson and Charles Saxon
eBay Item Description

eBay Bid History
One bid

Note:  Wouldn't you know it? I didn't record this seller's eBay auction of the rare book signed by Mary Petty. Did any reader happen to grab a photo or two?

By the way, I'm always looking for scans and photographs of rare and unusual books by the likes of Helen E. Hokinson, Charles Saxon, Mary Petty, and other New Yorker artists. I'd be more specific, but often the most wonderful finds are things I never dreamed were out there.

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Helen E. Hokinson

Charles Saxon

Signed Books

Attempted Bloggery's Happy, Happy, Happy Index

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