The New Yorker 1950–1955 Album
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1955.
A definitive quintennial anthology capturing the sophisticated humor and artistic zenith of The New Yorker's 'Golden Age'.
This massive album assembles hundreds of comic drawings personally selected by the magazine's editors from the four thousand that appeared between 1950 and 1955. Notable for being a pioneer in the series, it features forty of the magazine's iconic covers reproduced in full color—a significant innovation for the New Yorker Albums of this era. From the sharp social satire of Peter Arno to the whimsical line work of the period's masters, this collection serves as a premier time capsule of American post-war urbanity and wit.
KEY FEATURES
+++ Imprint: Harper & Brothers, New York.
CONDITION: Near Fine in a Good+ Jacket.
+++ The Book: The bindings are tight, clean, and square. The internal text and illustrations remain bright and free of markings or significant age-wear. Shows only minimal shelf handling wear to the board extremities.
+++ The Jacket: The original pictorial dust jacket (retaining the $5.00 price on the flyleaf) has age-toned over time. It features a closed tear in the lower center of the rear panel but remains largely intact and presentable under Mylar protection.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE --
By 1955, The New Yorker had moved beyond being a local 'metropolitan' magazine to become the arbiter of American literary and visual taste. This specific album caught the magazine at the height of its cultural powers.
The 'New Yorker' Look: The artists featured here—including Peter Arno, whose work is prominently visible in the early pages—helped define the 'one-liner' cartoon format that remains the magazine's signature today. The 1950–1955 window is particularly prized by collectors for its balance of traditional draftsmanship and emerging modernist wit.
SCHOLARLY FEATURES
+++ Social Satire: Provides a direct window into the anxieties, fashions, and social mores of early 1950s America.
+++ Graphic Evolution: Documents the shift in cartooning styles as the magazine moved into the mid-century modern aesthetic.
+++ Color Innovation: One of the first major anthologies to prioritize full-color cover art alongside the standard interior cartoons.
SUBJECTS: American Humor, Magazine History, Cartooning, 1950s Culture, Graphic Arts. Anthologies, Art Books, First Editions.
Item #21922
Price: $35.00
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