?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 5,000 - $ 7,500
GEORGE HERRIMAN, WINSOR McCAY; et al. "Daffydils." A festschrift for Harry Hershfield, signed with cartoons and caricatures, often with inscriptions, by 18 famous cartoonists of the day, including entries by Herriman, McCay, Gustav Michelson, Tom McNamara, Fred Burr Opper, T. E. Powers, Herb Roth, Merle De Vore Johnson, and others (Chicago, 1911.) 152x191 mm; 6x7 1/2 inches, cloth-backed boards with paper cover bearing an illustrated title by Tad Dorgan, cover chipped but still legible; some internal wrinkling and browning (see full condition report).
A unique autograph book from 1911 signed by the major cartoonists of the day, to the American cartoonist and humor writer, editor, and radio personality. Hershfield had his own comic strips including Desperate Desmond and Abie the Agent, and was well known for his popular radio shows which included "Stop Me If You've Heard This One" and "Can You Top This?"
The great cartoonist, George Herriman, begins the book with signed cartoon of his iconic characters Krazy Kat and Ignatz, inscribed "To Old Kid Hash" (Hershfield's nickname). The sketch is dated 1911, the year Herriman introduced what would become his wildly popular comic strip, making this one of the earliest drawings of the famous characters. While working for the New York Journal, Herriman first introduced Kat in "The Dingbat Family," a daily strip he started in 1910. Soon thereafter, the Ignatz appeared and reverse cat and mouse games started to take place throughout the Dingbat saga. Subsequently, Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse got a small strip of their own directly underneath, and in 1911, a completely independent strip was introduced.
The cover of the book is hand-drawn by Tad Dorgan and includes a drawing of his famous character Judge Rummy, and named after his regularly published humor article of the day, "Daffydils." A well-broadcast social satirist of the day, Dorgan is generally credited with either creating or popularizing such slang words and expressions as "dumbbell," "for crying out loud," "the cat's pajamas," "hard-boiled," "drugstore cowboy," "as busy as a one-armed paperhanger" and "Yes, we have no bananas," which was turned into a popular song.
The final drawing in the book is by Little Nemo creator Winsor McCay. A detailed image with his characteristic line work, he inscribes it with the cartoonist's daily plight: "I have everything in the world I want except for an Idea!!" Signed and dated August 14, 1911.
A fabulous snapshot of the early days of cartooning in America.
