NY Times Book Review

'Attempted Bloggery' found an incomplete drawing by Searle with a Santa sketch. (The recipient was his U.S. rep. Eileen McMahon).  In his archive I remember seeing a collection of xeroxed pages Ronald had made of this drawing and others for the NY Times Book Review (7th September 1997). Ronald was known to art directors and art editors as a professional who would not only dispatch artwork on time but they would often be happily surprised to receive a whole batch of ideas on the same theme for them to pick from. This seems to be the case here where Ronald has offered a variety of Santa gags, perhaps for a 'Books for Christmas' feature? I can't find any reference to this artwork on the NY Times archive website. Maybe someone will be able to find a back issue for me?

Searle explored the 'art museum guard' situation several times over his career.

 An Arcimboldo-like Santa comprised of Christmas dinner!

 Santa delivers a giant bottle of ink on his nib-antlered reindeer!

More Christmas Searle here

Ireland

The Emerald Isle as seen through Searle's eyes.  Drawn in 1962 but published in 'Holiday' magazine April 1963.

'The human traffic on O'Connell Street, watched over by an angelic harp'.

At Trinity College this rebellious student reads Brendan Behan while the others are engrossed with Shaw, Wilde et al.

'Often, in Dublin, it is considered more sporting to loose your shirt than to keep it on.  Hence the popularity of horses.'

'Tears flow easy in a Dublin pub, but not even the heartbreaking songs from a brendanbehanish bard can truly water the beer.'

"It's Guinness!" O'Connell Bridge and the Liffey June 1962 (unpublished)

The Quays

Merrion Square

'Ireland is poor because it is infested by tricky thieves called leprechauns, who diligently hold up the exchequer in broad fairy light.  As greedy as their four-footed helpers, they bury their loot in crocks at the rainbow's end.'

'With his head not quite tucked underneath his arm, Dublin's logomachic chronicler, James Joyce, haunts the Martello tower at Sandycove.  As everyone recalls, the opening scene of his 783-page ulyssiad unravels here-a conversation of sorts between stately, plump Black Mulligan and moody, broody Stephen Dadalus.'

'The Antic Arts- Dublin's Lusty Theatre'

The drawing above recently sold at auction was not published as part of the article.

Searle illustrated this report by S. J. Perelman on 'the haunted manor of Poltrooney'.

Illustrations for 'In Quest of Beer' by Frank O'Connor
HOLIDAY magazine 1957 January

'Paris Folklore-Irish pubs all over' International Herald Tribune 15-16 March 1997
pg 24 'Green Power: the Irish Pub Invasion' by Mary Blume

Drawn for HOLIDAY but unpublished