Collection Summary
Price, Garrett W.
Garrett W. Price papers
1909-1976
03202
5.47 cubic ft. (12 boxes)
University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
English
Garrett W. Price was a cartoonist best known for his work for "Life" and "The New Yorker". The collection contains artwork, diaries, correspondence, biographical material, and publications.
Arrangement of the Collection
The collection is arranged into 5 series.
Biography
Garrett W. Price was born in Bucyrus, Kansas in 1895. Garrett's father was a doctor and his practice took the family to several Western states, finally settling in Saratoga, Wyoming. Early on, Garrett showed an aptitude for drawing. His first cartoon was published by the "Saratoga Sun" in 1912. He entered the University of Wyoming in 1912 where he studied for two years before entering the Chicago Institute of Art. After graduating from there he was hired by the Art Department of the "Chicago Tribune" where he worked from 1916 to 1925. He illustrated stories for the Sunday Magazine, made two cartoons daily for the sports column, made one illustration a day for a serial, and laid out the roto section. Garrett also contributed some poetry to the "Tribune", but never under his own name. During World War I, he also found time to be the editorial cartoonist for the "Great Lakes Navy Bulletin". He then decided to move to New York to work as a freelance artist. He had much success furnishing cartoons, illustrations, and cover art for the fledgling magazines "Life" and "The New Yorker". He also contributed to "Look", "Colliers", "Harper's Bazaar", "Saturday Evening Post", "Good Housekeeping", "Promenade", "Esquire", and others, but his most important work was with the "New Yorker", which put him under contract. He worked with "The New Yorker" for more than forty years giving them nearly 100 covers and several hundred cartoons. While living in New York he met Florence Semler. They were married in 1928 and continued to live in New York until they moved to Westport, Connecticut, where they spent the remainder of their days. When "Look" and "Colliers", two of Garrett's mainstays, shut down, Garrett began to submit more of his work to "Saturday Evening Post" and "Sports Illustrated". He also found time to illustrate several children's books and do a weekly cartoon for the Westport "Town Crier" called "Price Tags". Garrett spent the last few years of his life painting watercolors and relaxing in his Connecticut home. He died in 1979.
Scope and Content
The Garrett W. Price Papers contain mainly Price's artwork from 1918-1969, including cover illustrations for "The New Yorker" with drafts and sketches; cartoons; sketches and sketchbooks, including his works while in France and Mexico and a picture diary of those trips; advertisements; illustrations for books and book covers; and watercolors. The collection also contains diaries (1942-1973); correspondence with editors and his family (1909-1973); miscellaneous biographical information and photographs (1912-1976); and publications (1935-1968). The artwork gives a good representation of Garrett's professional work. From it one is able to discern the different periods of his professional life and artistic methods. Particularly insightful are his personal notes attached to certain items that explain how he came up with an idea or what troubles he had getting it published. The correspondence, especially the notes and letters from magazine editors shows how much the artists had to do to get their work published.
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes,
and the collection is open to the public.
Correspondence from The New Yorker may not be photocopied or reproduced. The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright,
property, and libel laws as they apply.
Statement on Potentially Harmful Language and Images Found in Collections
The American Heritage Center aspires to approach all areas of our work in ways that are
respectful to those who create, use, and are represented in our collections. For a variety of
reasons, however, users may encounter offensive or harmful language or images in some of our
finding aids, catalogs, and collection materials.
Note that the AHC does not censor or alter contents of the collections as they provide context and evidence of a time, people, place, or event.
Therefore, we encourage users to bring questions and concerns about descriptions in our finding aids to our attention via email or anonymous web-form.
For more information, read our full statement.
There are no known other archival collections created by Garrett W. Price at the date of
processing.
The Garrett W. Price papers were donated to the University of Wyoming in several accretions from 1970 to 1984 by Garrett W. Price and his wife, Florence and Peter Maresca in 2023.
The collection was processed by Monte G. Kniffen in April 1998 and updated by Jamie J. Greene in March 2025.
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Garrett W. Price Papers, Collection
Number 03202, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital reproductions of select material from this collection are available at
https://digitalcollections.uwyo.edu/luna/servlet/uwydbuwy~167~167.
Access Terms
Cartoonists--United States.
Illustration of books--United States.
Magazine illustration--United States.
Mexico--History--1970-1988.
France--History--1945-
Diaries.
Cartoons (humorous images).
Illustrations.
Artists.
The New Yorker.
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Fine Arts
Literature
Publishers and Publishing
Series I. Artwork
Sub-series 1. Cover Illustrations
1
1-2
"New Yorker" Covers
1925-1964
1
3
"New Yorker" Cover Drafts--Sports Themes
undated
1
4-11
"New Yorker" Cover Drafts
undated
2
1-4
"New Yorker" Cover Drafts
undated
2
5
Miscellaneous Covers--"Life", "McCalls", and "Colliers"
1925-1955
Subseries 2. Cartoons
2
6
Clippings from "Colliers"
ca. 1945-1955
2
7
Color Magazine Covers
ca. 1940s
2
8
Editorial Cartoons--"Great Lakes Navy Bulletin"
1918-1919
2
9
"Life" Cartoons
1929-1933
2
10-12
Cartoons Clipped from Unlabeled Magazines
1928-1955
2
13-14
"New Yorker" Cartoons
1928-1945
3
1
"New Yorker" Cartoons
ca. 1945-1955
3
2
Cartoon Drafts and Instructions for the "New Yorker"
undated
10
1
Cartoons--Originals and Drafts
ca. 1940s
10
2
Cartoons/Illustrations--Drafts and Originals for "The New Yorker"
undated
10
3
Cover Illustrations--Originals and Covers--Paintings, Drawings and Pastels
1925-1949
10
4
Cover Illustrations--Originals and Covers--Paintings, Drawings, and Crayon
1950-1963
10
5
Cover Illustrations--Originals and Drafts--Paintings, Drawings, and Crayon
undated
10
6
Cover Illustrations--Paintings
undated
3
3
Office of War Information Cartoons
1942-1944
3
4
Original Pencil Cartoons
undated
3
5
Originals and Drafts
ca. 1940s-1950s
3
6
"Price Tags" Clippings
1965-1968
3
7
"Price Tags" Drafts and Instructions
undated
3
8
Proofs
1932-1937
3
9
Sketches and Roughs
undated
3
10
Rough Drafts and Originals
1924-1950s
3
11
Rough Drafts
undated
3
12
"Saturday Evening Post" Clippings
ca. 1940s
3
13
"Tide" Magazine Clippings
1931-1932
3
14
Clippings from Various Magazines
undated
3
15
Western Theme Cartoon Clippings
1940-1968
3
16
Western Theme Drafts and Originals
undated
3
17-19
Western Theme Original Pencil Drawings
undated
Subseries 3. Sketches/Sketchbooks
4
1
Caricatures and Sketches of Acquaintances (Sketch by James Cagney removed to Safe)
undated
4
2
Pencil Drawings
1922-1936
4
3
Charcoal Drawings and Lithographs of Paris
1925-1928
4
4
Charcoal and Pencil Drawings, and Lithograph of Paris, Marseilles, Florence, and Venice
1925-1928
4
5
Sketchbook--Paris
1928
4
6-7
Sketchbooks--Paris and France
1928
4
8-9
Sketchbooks
1932-1936
4
10
Sketchbook--Mexico
1936
4
11-12
Sketchbooks
1937-1938
5
1-4
Sketchbooks
1939-1952
5
5
Sketchbook--Trip to the West
1949
5
6
Sketchbook
1955-1962
5
7
Sketchbook--Trip to the West
1958
10
7
Sketches and Lithographs of Paris
1925
Subseries 4. Advertisements
6
1
Assorted Advertisements
1930-1954
6
2
Bell Telephone Advertisements
1940
6
3
Advertisements--Esso Motor Oil, General Chemical, and Sal Hepatica
1932-1939
6
4
Advertisements--International Nickel Co., Ohrbach, Manning and Brown
1938-1943
6
5
Macy's Department Store Advertisements
1938-1939
Subseries 5. Illustrations
6
6
Book Cover Illustrations
undated
6Book: "Gwendolyn the Goose" by John Calvert, Illustrated by Garrett Price1946
6Book: "Mrs. Coverlet's Magicians" by Mary Nash, Illustrated by Garrett Price1961
10
8
Illustrations
1920-1959
6
7
Illustrations--"Chicago Tribune", and "Liberty"
1925-1931
6
8
Magazine and Newspaper Illustrations
1920s-1930s
6
9
"Life" and Men's Magazines Illustrations
1930s-1940s
6
10
Women's Magazines--"Ladies Home Journal", "McCalls", etc.
1930s-1940s
6
11
Sending Photo by Wire
1966
6
12
McCutchen-Cornwell Memorial Dinner
1969
6
13
"That Dog, That Cat"--Booklet
undated
6
14
"We Keep Plugging"--Fish Story
undated
6
15
Wyoming Themes--Drafts and Originals
undated
Sub-series 6. Watercolor Paintings
11
2
Watercolors--Mexico and Martha's Vineyard
ca.1936
11
3
Watercolors and Paintings
undated
Oversize Folder 1
Watercolor Painting of Mexican Landscape
1936
Series II. Diaries
7
1-4
Diaries
1942-1944
7
5
Diary--Wartime
1944-1945
7
6-11
Diaries
1945-1955
8
1-2
Diaries
1955-1973
Series III. Publications
8
3
"Drawing Room Only"--Garrett W. Price
1946
8
4
"The Honey Boat"--Illustrated by Garrett W. Price
1968
8
5
"Meet the Artist"
1943
8
6
"The New Yorker Album, 1950-1955"
1955
8
7
"Stage" Magazine
1935
Series IV. Correspondence
9
1-2
General Correspondence
1909-1973, undated
9
3
General Correspondence (Letters from Walter Winchell, Rube Goldberg and James Thurber removed to Safe)
1947-1973
9
4-6
Critiques and Rejections--from "The New Yorker" and Other Magazines
1933-1963
Restriction: Correspondence from The New Yorker may not be photocopied or reproduced.
Series V. Biographical/Miscellaneous Material
9
7
Certificates and Awards
1944-1971
9
8-9
Geology Notebooks--from University of Wyoming Class
1914
9
10
News Clippings--Re: Garrett W. Price
1912-1973
9
11
News Clippings--Miscellaneous
1930s-1961
11
1
Newspapers
1912-1971
9
12
Purvis, Clara--Miscellaneous Items
9
13
Photographs
undated
9
14
Von Schmidt, Harold--Article and Sketch
1970-1971
9
15
Items Written by Garrett W. Price--Poetry and Remembrances
undated