Giving Thanks 2022

It's Thanksgiving already? Time to find a turkey...

George Booth
The New Yorker, November 26, 1973

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1973-11-26/flipbook/CV1/

Throughout these eleven years of blogging, I have benefited from the support of a number of generous contributors. Some send me submissions, some send me alerts, and some send me corrections. Some function more as behind-the-scenes advisors. Whatever the case, I owe a great debt to each of the individuals listed here for offering much-appreciated assistance to me over these past twelve months. Friends, I thank you all:

Amid Amidi

Tom Bloom

Scott Burns

joecab

Roz Chast

David from Manhattan

Joe Dator

Linda H. Davis

Bob Eckstein

Karen Green

Joel Jacobus

Stephen Kroninger

Michael Maslin

H. Kevin Miserocchi

Jeff Nelson

J. J. Sedelmaier

Steve Stoliar

Jessica Ziegler

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Helen E. Hokinson: Preparing the Feast

The pigments in Helen E. Hokinson's New Yorker cover original art of November 27, 1937, have faded somewhat over the years, but it hasn't lost its charm or its humor. Last year, New Haven auctions of Branford gave it an anemic estimate of $200 to $400. It sold for $3,250.

Helen E. Hokinson
Framed original art
The New Yorker, November 27, 1937

Detail of table and dog

Helen E. Hokinson
Original art
The New Yorker, November 27, 1937

Helen E. Hokinson's signature

Helen E. Hokinson
New Haven Auctions October 17, 2021

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/helen-hokinson-original-new-yorker-cartoon-1937-701-c-d724394bda

Helen E. Hokinson
Original art
The New Yorker, November 27, 1937

Helen E. Hokinson
The New Yorker, November 27, 1937

All the pen strokes are visible in high-res:

Helen E. Hokinson
Framed original art
The New Yorker, November 27, 1937

Note:   Yes, I did post this cover last Thanksgiving, but this year I've added the original art. Owners of art by Helen E. Hokinson can help me to give thanks for this wonderful cartoonist by allowing me to post scans and photos.

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Frank Modell: Turkeys in the Snow

New Yorker cartoonist Frank Modell's painting of two turkeys out in a snowfall views the birds from slightly behind with their heads turned away. Lightly signed Modell on the left in red, it is an unassuming composition and doesn't look like a published piece. The framed original bears a gift inscription that is equally unassuming: "For David, from one turkey to another—Frank."

The painting—is it a gouache?—has been available on eBay for more than two years. The listing uses twelve photos where two or three would suffice. The piece is listed at $599, but the seller is open to Best Offers.

Frank Modell
eBay listing accessed November 21, 2022

https://www.ebay.com/itm/124039047269?hash=item1ce14da865:g:HdUAAOSwqgFeDDF6&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4CqXrpofv3%2B7izXg5Zd7RVd%2BQRTN4%2FB44KZRVl52mTI1nHbSmJPtPCIQoH9sB%2F1yAdyo8yKdTSnkiLdm%2Fb42qWNmFcJMt%2FQMGvPkh8YgGoh6l%2BPAENDgeRQIwvhfXWT46Q6Z3WUdaKaQ7EuE9Idn4V6QHn9oenkdqu%2BO6fMtuEOYSshwHKnH72zld7VBSMUmdQXj6EN5QR0cU3fJF3uozAirMHQmQ9IzAPxe%2B9h%2Fa5uKamtiLyTQRSVzBdvBULxHTWjy11QKvfzLSLBda3CqZqr9NKsjsp%2FPFYiXDadzEUqT%7Ctkp%3ABFBMwoO805Nh

Frank Modell
eBay item description

September 1, 2023 Update:  Inflation, apparently.

May 5, 2024 Update:  Aha! This image is no doubt a study for The New Yorker cover of November 25, 1961. The original cover art was sold at Heritage Auctions on April 23, 2024 and may be seen in today's Attempted Bloggery post.

 

Note:  Some blogs thrive on original art by New Yorker artists like Frank Modell. This blog happens to be one of them. Images welcome.

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My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #828

I took a few extra strokes in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #828 from the issue of November 21, 2022. My caption is shown below. The drawing is by Harry Bliss.

"I'm stuck with a bogey."

These captions were under par:

"Why must it always happen on the eighteenth hole?"
"If I sink the putt, will I get vaporized?"
"I'm distinctly hearing a putt-putt."
"This is not as bad as the windmill."
"Would you mind rolling this into the lake."
"First, how about a round of frisbee?"
"Since we don't have a leader, let's take it to the clubhouse."
"Is this one of your damn drones?"
"If they're so smart, why don't they land in a sandtrap?"
"It's time to update the rulebook."

November 28, 2022 Update:  The Finalists

December 10, 2022 Update:  I voted for the caption from Glen Rock.

December 12, 2022 Update:  The Winner

04145

Richard Taylor: A Revised Statuary of Morse

In 1938 and 1939, readers of The New Yorker were treated to a series of satirical statue designs by cartoonist Richard Taylor. Presented singly in the magazine, they went under the shared title A Revised Statuary for the City of Tomorrow. One of the originals from the set, Morse, was sold this past summer at Winter Associates, Inc., of Plainville, Connecticut. The frame has a price sticker of $350, and the work was given a presale estimate of $200 to $400. It is correctly dated to the 1930s.

A Revised Statuary for the City of Tomorrow: Morse

Richard Taylor

Framed original art

The New Yorker, August 27, 1945, p. 20

Some explanation might be in order today. Morse, the main figure of the public sculpture who is seen standing at his writing desk, is Samuel F. B. Morse, the painter and also the inventor of Morse Code. The monument's inscription Don't Write, Send a Night Letter refers to reduced rate telegrams sent overnight and delivered the following morning. These night letters had been popular, necessitating the many sculpted telegram messengers sitting on the statue's wraparound bench, but they were well in decline by the late 1930s; thus the lone living telegram messenger seen in the drawing. The telephone was making the telegram obsolete.

A Revised Statuary for the City of Tomorrow: Morse

Richard Taylor

Original art

The New Yorker, August 27, 1938, p. 20

Taylor drew his signature onto the base as if it were incised in the stone, but he signed the matte loosely with his full first name. Now the signed matte is aging faster than the artwork it is meant to protect, and the new owner may have to make a decision about whether it should be removed and replaced.

Verso

Richard Taylor
Winter Associates, Inc., June 27, 2022 sale

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/richard-taylor-american-1902-1970-original-new-yo-246-c-6ea4454a74?objectID=171876273&algIndex=undefined&queryID=aa0c020fca4c89baa693e17aa9ca6599#

The $150 sale price does seem inexpensive for such a beautiful drawing, but then the gag itself may not have aged all that well for the modern reader who communicates by email and text message.

A Revised Statuary for the City of Tomorrow: Morse

Richard Taylor

Original art

The New Yorker, August 27, 1938, p. 20

Cartoons by Richard Taylor and Garrett Price

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1938-08-27/flipbook/020/

Most of the published Revised Statuary drawings, including Morse, were collected in The Better Taylors (1944).

https://www.fulltable.com/VTS/n/y/tt/b.htm

Then there are two others statues familiar to those who frequent Columbus Circle and Central Park:

A Revised Statuary for the City of Tomorrow: Columbus

Richard Taylor

The New Yorker, August 13, 1938, p. 21

A Revised Statuary for the City of Tomorrow: Cleopatra's Needle
Richard Taylor
The New Yorker, January 14, 1939, p. 27

A spot drawing by an unidentified artist [Tito?] and a cartoon by Richard Taylor

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1938-08-13/flipbook/020/

A spot drawing by Arthur Getz and a cartoon by Richard Taylor

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1939-01-14/flipbook/026/

Note: Having mentioned the book, I find it hard not to share a few images from a fine copy of The Better Taylors (1945 reprint edition from the World Publishing Company) currently listed on AbeBooks for $250, which is more, I'll just note, than the cost of the Taylor original seen above:

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30891484001&searchurl=an%3Dtaylor%2Brichard%26sortby%3D17%26tn%3Dbetter%2Btaylors%2Balbum%2Bcartoons&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title2

And, finally, here are a few of the other images from The New Yorker's pages. Can anyone identify this spot artist possibly named Tito?

Spot drawing

Artist Unidentified [Tito?]

Spot drawing

Arthur Getz

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