An original New Yorker cartoon by Peter Arno published in the spring of 1939 was sold at auction on Sunday. The seller was Locati LLC of Pineville, PA. The art, framed and matted, came from a Philadelphia collection.
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| "I tell you, Poffinger, conversation is a lost art." Peter Arno Original art The New Yorker, April 15, 1939, p. 15 |
The two figures walking in the park are central to the composition. They occupy much of the cartoon and they wear apparel with the darkest tones in the image. Clearly, we are meant to see them first before noticing the activity that surrounds them. The older men stand and stroll; the speaker carries a walking stick. The amorous younger couples seated on the benches have found something better to do.
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| Detail of the men's heads |
We don't get to see Poffinger's face here; his name and bearing convey whatever we need to know about him. He is placed in the scene merely to receive the other man's observation, and his reaction to it, if any, is immaterial.
The artist is having some fun at the expense of his oblivious speaker. Arno's sympathies here, one gathers, are with the younger crowd enjoying the day nonverbally. At the time of the drawing's publication, Arno is thirty-five years old. He knows what his fans expect from him.
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| Peter Arno's signature |
The printed caption on the matte is no doubt clipped from a copy of the magazine.
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| Peter Arno Locati LLC auction listing accessed on Invaluable January 13, 2026, five days before the sale |
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| Peter Arno Locati LLC item description |
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| Bidding as of January 13, 2026, five days before the sale |
That $1900 hammer price comes with an additional buyer's premium of $532.
The cartoon appeared in The New Yorker on less than a full page.
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| "I tell you, Poffinger, conversation is a lost art." Peter Arno The New Yorker, April 15, 1939, p. 15 |
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| "I tell you, Poffinger, conversation is a lost art." Peter Arno Original art The New Yorker, April 15, 1939, p. 15 |
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| With a spot drawing by L.W. and a cartoon by Peter Arno |
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The spot drawing by L.W. on the page facing the Arno cartoon shows one of the tanks that used to store gas at various sites around the city. It's alongside some railroad tracks, which may be a clue to the location.
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| Spot drawing L.W. The New Yorker, April 15, 1939, p. 14 |
Note: Collectors fortunate enough to possess original art by Peter Arno that is crying out to be shared on this blog should contact me please.
Also, any reader who can provide the identity of spot artist L.W. is urged to get in touch. If you can recognize the site of the illustration, I await this information as well. Might this be one of the tanks that were located in Elmhurst?
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