Harrison Cady (1877-1970), designer

"Gulliver Knickerbocker and the Lilliputians" 

Cartoon published in 19 September 1912 LIFE magazine

Pen and ink on thin board

[New York?]

1912

Sheet approx. 26 1/2 x 22 in. 

Kitchen & Kitchen p. 96

Provenance: Lot 171, Illustration Art, Swann Auction Gallery, 16 December 2021

A reactionary antisemitic and anti-immigration cartoon drawn by Walter Harrison Cady, the prolific illustrator best remembered for his Peter Rabbit comic strip based on the stories by Thornton Burgess. In this early work, he coopts the famous scene of Gulliver's capture at the hands of the Lilliputians to suggest that New York City has been overwhelmed by Jewish immigrants. At the feet of Cady's Gulliver is a large sign reading "NEW JERUSALEM / FORMERLY NEW YORK / [LOTS] FOR SALE / HEBREWS ONLY." 

A 1926 fire destroyed Cady's Crown Heights apartment, and all of his early artwork bears water and fire damage, as seen here, as a testament to their rescue. Other Cady works, including those held in the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, bear similar damage (c.f. Illustration of parade of fools and The battle of Hunker's hill).

References

Violet and Denis Kitchen. Madness in Crowds: The Teeming Mind of Harrison Cady. 2019.

Chips and singing to edges. Occasional creasing. See note in description regarding condition.