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Image

RISDM 40-091.tif
  • RISDM 40-091.tif

Charles Samuel Addams

American Museum of Natural History

Description

Maker

Charles Samuel Addams (American, 1912-1988)

Title

American Museum of Natural History
, for *The New Yorker*, November 20, 1937

Year

1937

Medium

  • Pen and ink and wash on paper

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • Pen and ink and wash on paper

Materials

pen and ink, ink wash

Supports

  • Heavy wove rag paper

Dimensions

43.8 x 27.5 cm (17 1/4 x 10 13/16 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Signed, LL:Chas. Addams

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Jesse Metcalf Fund

Object Number

40.091

Type

  • Drawings and Watercolors

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Draw Me a Story
Illustration from the Permanent Collection
Apr 14, 2006 – Jul 23, 2006

Label copy

Charles Addams began to work for The New Yorker in 1933 during the Depression. His cartoons were so influential as to spawn the 1968 television series, The Addams Family, based upon the characters he had created. This cartoon exhibits many of the qualities characteristic of Addam’s particular brand of humor. Playing upon the American ideals of practicality and common sense, Addams toys with the idea that the Museum of Natural History, a cultural institution that holds the scientific evidence for human origins, might serve just as easily as a repository for a resourceful dog’s dinner. His naturalistic style and low viewpoint help to align the viewer with the dog, making us identify with his gleeful victory rather than that of the bewildered guard.

"New Yorker" Drawings from the Museum's Collection
Feb 26, 1947 – Mar 10, 1947

Use & Feedback

Image use

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This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Charles Samuel Addams (American, 1912-1988)
American Museum of Natural History; , for *The New Yorker*, November 20, 1937, 1937
Pen and ink and wash on paper
43.8 x 27.5 cm (17 1/4 x 10 13/16 inches)
Jesse Metcalf Fund 40.091

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Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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