The Savoy

The reproductions in this volume are so good it's like looking at originals.

Looking at London

This is from Looking at London which Searle illustrated ...his wife, Kaye Webb supplying the text. It was published in 1953 by the News Chronicle.Lasdun was, of course, one of Britain's leading Modernist architects. Pre-war he had worked with Wells Coates and been associated with the MARS group. Later he worked with Berthold Lubetkin's Tecton practice. His best-known building is the National Theatre. Ronald Searle lived in a house designed by Lasdun at 32 Newton Road, Paddington.
(Fray Bentos Flickr set)

Searle in the Forties

Early, post war Searle sketches from the mid-Forties displaying a looser, more Grosz-like, approach.

Political Portraits

'Papa Doc, Haiti' was published in Status Magazine, New York, November 1968. Pen, wash & watercolour. Reprinted in Ronald Searle: In Perspective, 1983. The original was stolen.

Another drawing attacking military dictatorship in Paraguay.  HOLIDAY magazine, April 1969

Nikita Khrushchev in New York, 1960 

pencil, pen and brown ink and watercolour

Holiday Magazine, New York, 1960.

PUNCH magazine 14th September 1960

Searle captured Churchill orating at the Guildhall, Cambridge & even managed to get the great man to sign the drawing.

Winston Churchill on the way out 
'Ronald Searle/Punch Dec 1954 -'

 Punch April 18, 1956 

'The British Public Knowing what It Likes' 1954

In 1955 Searle was at the House of Commons to record Churchill's last speech. LIFE magazine

Cross Channel Marathon (Winston Churchill), inscribed 'the political endurance test' and no.10 and no.1', pencil, 27.3 x 20.3cm. Illustrated:. Preliminary Drawing for Punch, 12 August 1953, page 193. Exhibited. 'Ronald Searle Remembered', May-June 2012. No.102

Génèrale de Gaulle

The Saturday Evening Post Feb 10, 1968

THE RAKE'S PROGRESS

During the late 40's & 50's Searle worked for British satirical magazine PUNCH. His most famous contribution was his version of Hogarth's 'A Rake's Progress' featuring the rise & fall of many 'modern types'.
They were published in a comic strip format as below.



When Searle eventually started his own publishing outfit, PERPETUA BOOKS, he published the Rake's Progress series collected into one volume.


The following are scans where each panel was published as a single full page.






In August 1973, New York magazine, Town & Country, published a more contemporary saga entitled 'Emergence of MS-tique USA (1973) with a nod to Hogarth's A Rake's Progress' (1733).










The Rake's Progress: The M. F. H. Punch Date: 9 March 1955 -approx 22cm wide x 29cm high (8 1/2 inch x 11 1/4 inch)

1. PROMISE - Serious fall off rocking-horse. Breaks collar-bone.

2. SUCCESS - Photographed by T*atl*r riding in Grind at Oxford. Elated. Takes the Heythrop. Breaks collar-bone.

3. TRIUMPH - Parades hounds, Lord Mayor's Show. Judges hunters at White City. Trips over Duke of Be*uf*rt. Breaks collar-bone.

4. TEMPTATION - Runs fox to ground in neighbouring county. Starts digging. Spotted by rival M.F.H. Reported.

5. DOWNFALL - Expelled from Master of Foxhounds Association. Takes to drink. Thrown out of Hunt Ball. Breaks collar-bone.

6. RUIN - Fails to renew subscription to H*rse and H*und. Gets job as Pest Officer, East Anglia. Falls off bicycle. Breaks neck.