Ronald Searle: A 1936 Autograph Page

Ronald Searle's 1936 drawing from an autograph album that belonged to one Patricia M. Frost of Cambridge is not by a long shot "possibly the earliest work known by him," as claimed by Rainford & Parris Books of Bishop's Stortford, but still it may be the earliest drawing that an interested collector can expect to come across. By August of 1936, the sixteen year old's cartoons had been appearing weekly in the Cambridge Daily News since the previous year and it's stunning that he was well known enough locally to be sought after for the autograph at all. Searle's signature from this period has the middle initials W. F., for William Fordham. The accompanying cartoon reportedly represents a teacher, but more likely it is a graduating student, cigar and all. The cartoon looks reasonably accomplished for its day, but it doesn't in any way foretell the illustrator's future greatness.

Ronald Searle
AbeBooks listing accessed June 6, 2023

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31524317550&searchurl=kn%3DRonald%2BSearle%26sortby%3D1&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp2-_-title25

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A Walt Disney Sketch of Mickey Mouse

So many purported Walt Disney autographs were actually signed by his personnel that it's refreshing to see an autograph penned by Disney himself when he was away visiting his family in Ireland, far from the usual studio set of secretaries and animators. Of course, it's all the better that there is a drawing included of the world's most beloved mouse.

Presale estimate

"To ANNE
WITH BEST WISHES
WALT DISNEY"

Judy Garland's autograph

Autographs of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

The autograph album

Walt Disney
RR Auction
February 2020

https://www.rrauction.com/PastAuctionItem/3424108

Note:  Readers in possession of their own autograph albums this breathtaking, or nearly so, might want to make other readers envious by sending a few heartbreakingly beautiful scans to Attempted Bloggery. My readers can take it.


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Walt Disney

Judy Garland

Laurel and Hardy

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03170

An Art Young Autograph

Cartoonist Art Young is known for his political work, particularly for the left-wing magazine the Masses and later at the New Yorker. A rare, full album page signed by him in New York and dated January 21, 1931 was sold last month on eBay for $95. The album page was signed during the period Young's work was published in the New Yorker, 1925-1933.

Art Young, autograph album page

Art Young's signature

Art Young
eBay Listing as of August 1, 2017

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Art-Young-Cartoonist-Left-Wing-Political-Magazine-1911-Autograph-Rare-/381654353817?hash=item58dc5f4799:g:s4wAAOSwnNBXT0rE

Art Young
eBay Item Description

Sold on August 10, 2017 for $95.

Note:  Art Young's dates at the New Yorker are taken from his capsule biography on Ink Spill. Attempted Bloggery welcomes images of original art by Art Young from throughout his career.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

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Autographs

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02317

Gluyas Williams's Autograph

A tip of the hat to illustrator Gluyas Williams, who signed a page in a fan's autograph album decades ago and included a caricature of himself tipping his hat.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GLUYAS-WILLIAMS-NEW-YORKER-CARTOONIST-S-ORIGINAL-SELF-CARICATURE-/231065071049?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35cc8d2dc9&nma=true&si=UB68sj2DvLx%252F9kdb54zXrlCgzYs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 

Note:  Previous posts about Gluyas Williams, including another self-portrait, may be seen here.

Other pages from autograph albums, including two others with drawings from this very album, may be seen here.

0945

An Off Syd Hoff Autograph

Fred is the autograph collector and Syd Hoff is supposedly the cartoonist who signed and drew on a page of his autograph album.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SYD-HOFF-NEW-YORKER-CARTOONIST-S-1930s-ORIGINAL-DRAWING-NICE-/231065070579?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35cc8d2bf3&nma=true&si=UB68sj2DvLx%252F9kdb54zXrlCgzYs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

I don't know of any other cartoonists named Hoff, but Syd Hoff's signature usually has a small h, as in the offbeat 1939 magazine cartoon below. He may very well have altered the h of his signature in the autograph drawing to a capital letter H resembling a switch with the on position above and the off position below, that off doubling as the last three letters of his name.

Syd Hoff, "Milton, Come out of that amnesia--I'm Rebecca."
Unknown magazine, May 1939

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1939-Cartoon-Sid-Hoff-Husband-Wife-Amnesia-Rebecca-ORIGINAL-/370902645167?nma=true&si=UB68sj2DvLx%252F9kdb54zXrlCgzYs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

March 17, 2014 Update:
Here's another Hoff autograph with the unusual capital H. It is from the same autograph dealer, so it may possibly come from the same collection.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SYD-HOFF-NEW-YORKER-CARTOONIST-SIGNED-VINTAGE-DRAWING-/370990521478?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5660c21c86&nma=true&si=UB68sj2DvLx%252F9kdb54zXrlCgzYs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Note:  I'd love to hear of any other instance of Syd Hoff signing his name with a capital H. I'd also love to know in what magazine this 1939 cartoon was published. Does anyone out there have a good Syd Hoff archive? Well, there's always the official website www.SydHoff.org.

I have one earlier post on Syd Hoff and it's quite painless. See it here.

More autograph album pages may be seen here, including another one from this album signed by Chon Day.

0944

Chon Day: Brother Sebastian with a Policeman's Cap

An autograph album page signed by cartoonist Chon Day with an original illustration of Brother Sebastian sold last month on eBay for $25 to a lone bidder. The policeman's cap must have been a way of personalizing the drawing for the recipient, who most probably was employed in law enforcement.

Chon Day autograph drawing signed of Brother Sebastian with a policeman's cap

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CHON-DAY-BROTHER-SEBASTIAN-CARTOONIST-S-VINT-ORIGINAL-DRAWING-OF-THE-BROTHER-/370909746028?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item565bf1936c&nma=true&si=UB68sj2DvLx%252F9kdb54zXrlCgzYs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Chon Day autograph drawing signed of Brother Sebastian with a policeman's cap

Note:  More posts about Chon Day may be seen here.

Other autograph album pages may be seen here.

0943

Stitch and Lilo

As I'm sure I've mentioned, it is now about five years since my last trip to a Disney park, and I'm beginning to miss the magic. Recently, I have been carefully going through old park photographs in the hopes of rekindling my fond Disney memories.

To be sure, nothing with Stitch really qualifies as a "fond Disney memory" for me. I can't even tell you what he's doing in Disney's Animal Kingdom. Shouldn't he be in Disney's Alien Kingdom?

A young visitor is held by Stitch while Lilo signs his autograph book.
Disney's Animal Kingdom, March 19, 2008

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