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King Features Syndicate cartoon drawings and proof sheets

Call Number

PR 446

Date

1935-1936, inclusive

Creator

King Features Syndicate

Extent

3 Linear feet in 5 flat file folders

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are in English.

Abstract

The collection holds 12 original drawings of editorial cartoons by Kenneth Russell Chamberlain and by Clive R. Weed, and 50 proof sheets of newspaper comics, syndicated by King Features. Four of the comics are from Walt Disney Enterprises. The other 46 comics are from a variety of cartoonists, written and drawn for both Sunday and daily papers. They encompass both humorous and adventure/action types of comics.

Biographical / Historical

King Features Syndicate was formed in 1915 by the publisher William Randolph Hearst, consolidating the various syndication enterprises that had formed within Hearst's newspaper businesses since they started syndication activities in 1895. The syndicate had its own staff of cartoonists, which created such characters as Popeye, featured in the "Thimble Theatre" strip. By the mid-1930s, the period represented in this collection, King Features was one of about 130 syndicates in the industry. King Features also distributed strips by cartoonists from outside the organization, including those of Walt Disney Enterprises, which is also represented in this collection. As of 2022, King Features Syndicates still exists, distributing content worldwide to over 5000 newspapers.

In 1936, some of King Features' newspaper comic strip proof sheets were exhibited at Ferargil Gallery in New York City. When the exhibition closed, the syndicate contacted N-YHS to ask if the library wanted some of the sheets for the collection. Librarian Alexander J. Wall accepted and a selection, made by King Features, was donated in April 1936. Wall asked that editorial cartoons also be donated and the twelve original such drawings in the collection were included in the gift. A few weeks later King Features sent along the Walt Disney-created sheets that are in the collection.

(The first paragraph of the above note is based on Wikipedia entries. The second paragraph is based on correspondence in N-YHS's institutional archives; see General Correspondence, RG-2, folder for letter Ki for years 1933-37.)

Arrangement

The collection is organized in three series:

Series I. Editorial Cartoons (12)

Series II. Comic Strips. King Features Syndicate (46)

Series III. Comic Strips. Walt Disney Enterprises (4)

Scope and Contents

The collection holds 12 original drawings of editorial cartoons by Kenneth Russell Chamberlain and by Clive R. Weed, and 50 proof sheets of newspaper comics, syndicated by King Features. Four of the comics are from Walt Disney Enterprises. The other 46 comics are from a variety of cartoonists, written and drawn for both Sunday and daily papers. They encompass both humorous and adventure/action types of comics.

Access Restrictions

For more information on making arrangements to consult the collection, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff. Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Preferred Citation

The collection should be cited as: King Features Syndicate cartoon drawings and proof sheets, PR 446, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

For more information on making arrangements to consult the collection, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift, King Features Syndicate, April 1936

Related Materials

King Features Syndicate donated its historical proof sheets in 2007 to two repositories: Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University and the Michigan State University Comic Art Collection.

Collection processed by

Larry Weimer

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:48:27 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information

The items in the collection were initially arranged, foldered, filed, and card cataloged in the mid to late twentieth century as part of the Caricatures and Cartoons Collection (PR 10). In June 2022, archivist Larry Weimer removed all the King Features drawings and comic proof sheets from the general Caricature Collection to catalog them as a separate collection, and to inventory them in this finding aid.

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024