The Illustrators 2018

Chris Beetles Gallery in London has their annual show which usually features a selection of Searle originals. Check out this year's batch here

HAND PAINTED PLATE SIGNED WITH INITIALS ON REVERSE
6 1/2 INCHES CIRCULAR
PROVENANCE: GIVEN BY RONALD SEARLE TO FRANK BRADBURN

Master of English Caricature

Master of English Caricature' - Ronald Searle for The Guardian, 21st September, 1963. (From @alecemerges on Twitter)

A Dip into the Portfolios of Ronald Searle

Here's a good find by @ephemeracity on Twitter. The catalog of a 1966 exhibition with bargain prices on original Searle artwork!

Another Twitter find from Chris Fowler 

A letter from Searle to his agent discussing the exhibtion.

Diverting History

In 1951 Searle collaborated with UK animation studio Halas & Batchelor to create a film version of William Cowper's story 'The Diverting History of John Gilpin'. British readers can now view the film at this link.

The drawings were later released in an illustrated edition. See them here

Greetings

The Fitzwilliam Museum in Searle's hometown of Cambridge have a range of Searle greetings cards in their shop here

The Making of Scrooge (1970)

I came across a rather special video on YouTube on the making of Ronald Neame's 1970 adaptation of Dickens' 'Scrooge' which featured a title sequence designed by Searle. The clip features Ronald sketching on set and talking about the project.  He draws in the sketchbook that I was able to look at and photograph many years later at his home in Provence.

More on Searle's work on the film here 

and a great piece on Art of the Title here

Here's Ronald sketching on set during the filming of 'Scrooge'.

The Oldie

The August edition of British magazine The Oldie has a cover feature on Molesworth creators Geoffrey Willans and Ronald Searle.

2018 Auctions

 Sold at Bonhams NYC, 5th December

'A series of three original watercolors, "Commercial Christmas," "Office Parties," and "Giftmanship," unused illustrations for the article "Christmas Lifemanship," Holiday Magazine, c.1960, watercolor, India ink and pencil, 253 x 365 mm, each numbered ("1"-"3") and titled by the artist in ink at bottom, some soiling, discolored along edges.

A trio of humorous sketches lampooning holiday etiquette: a secretary presents a toy Santa Claus to her boss in "Commercial Christmas"; a sexy young woman with a much older man "showing that you are in the secret confidence of the managing director"; and another beauty in evening gown pushing her Christmas present for her husband—a gift-wrapped wheelchair—in "Giftmanship. 'Slightly unflattering.'" During his early career, Mr. Knight was enthralled with the Punch cartoons of Searle, particularly the Belle's of St. Trinian's series. "He did these dreadful, vicious little schoolgirls terrifying their teachers," Mr. Knight told The Easthampton Star. "I loved the wicked style, and in the early '50s began doing contemporary drawings along those lines." Eloise in her little uniform owes much to the Englishman's pint-sized anarchists.'

-Bonhams (original page here)

Ronald Searle 1920-2011: 'Oil Leak',

signed, cartoon in pen and ink on board, with dedication "David, Don't look at this with a professional eye! This is just a souvenir of the Monte Carlo jaunt - with best wishes from Ronald 1968', 36 x 47cm, in card mounted display with copies of Searle's artwork designs for the titles of 'Those Daring Young Men in the Jaunty Jalopies' (working title) and scanned images of David Watson clowning with Dudley Moore and some of the film crew.  

FOOTNOTES

• From the collection of the late David John Peter Watson, equity card carrying professional driver. Watson acted as technical adviser and performed some of the driving stunts on the film, doubling for the likes of Tony Curtis, Terry Thomas and even Mireille Darc. The film was released as Monte-Carlo or Bust! in the UK in 1969 and as Those Daring Young Men in the Jaunty Jalopies in the USA.

Sold at Sotheby's July 10th 2018

 Sold June 28th, UK

Sold June 2, NY

Sold March 6th, UK

A magazine cover design for the winter number of ‘Town & Country’ in 1948 by Ronald Searle

The Ronald Searle Archive

The Wilhelm Busch Deutsches Museum für Karikatur & Zeichenkunst in Hanover has put the first part of its archive online representing almost 1000 pictures by Ronald Searle! Although the site is in German it's relatively easy to navigate just go here !

The images are photographed form the originals held in the museum's collection and there are many unpublished pictures. Fascinating stuff for Searle fans.

The museum was inordinately co-operative and generous in their help on my book 'Ronald Searle's America' and the Searle Archive is now the most extensive collection of the cartoonist's work in the world.

Here's a German language video report

Originals coming up at auction

Big Searle news on the artist's birthday: Jeffrey Archer is selling his cartoon collection! It includes some fantastic Searle originals.

‘ART: THE BRITISH PUBLIC KNOWING WHAT IT LIKES...' (CONSEQUENCES OF PUTTING MR GRAHAM SUTHERLAND’S LATEST PORTRAIT ON PUBLIC EXHIBITION)

‘ON THE ROAD WITH KENNEDY’

'RICHARD NIXON AT AIRPORT RALLY'

'LORD BEAVERBROOK'

'‘EDEN AND CHURCHILL GARTERED’'

'ON THE ROAD: HERBERT MORRISON ELECTIONEERING'

More info here