Peter Arno | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Peter Arno in 1942 | |
| Born | Curtis Arnoux Peters, Jr. (1904-01-08)January 8, 1904 New York City, US |
| Died | February 22, 1968(1968-02-22) (aged 64) |
| Education | Yale University Hotchkiss School |
| Occupation | Cartoonist |
| Employer | The New Yorker (1925–1968) |
| Known for | Created 99 covers forThe New Yorker |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Patricia Arno |
Curtis Arnoux Peters, Jr. (January 8, 1904 – February 22, 1968), known professionally asPeter Arno, was an Americancartoonist. He contributed cartoons and 101 covers toThe New Yorker from 1925, the magazine's first year, until 1968,[1] the year of his death. In 2015,New Yorker contributorRoger Angell described him as "the magazine's first genius".[2][3]
Arno was born on January 8, 1904, inNew York City. His father wasCurtis Arnoux Peters, aNew York State Supreme Court judge. He was educated at theHotchkiss School andYale University, where he contributed illustrations, covers and cartoons toThe Yale Record, the campushumor magazine, as "Peters".[4] He also formed a jazz band called the Yale Collegians, in which he played piano, banjo, and accordion.[5] Arno's infatuation with show business later had him designing, writing, and/or producing for four Broadway shows, and appearing with fellow cartoonistsin the filmArtists and Models. (Please seeRole in Broadway Productions below)
After one year at Yale he moved home to Manhattan and worked as an illustrator for a silent film company (Chadwick Films) before joining the staff of the fledgling magazineThe New Yorker.[6] The iconic cartoons and covers he created there, from 1925 through 1968, helped establish the magazine's reputation for sophisticated humor and fine illustration. His work often depicted a cross-section of New York City society, though he was also inspired by situations he encountered during his travels.[7][8] Arno drew his cartoons in batches, usually over a two-day period each week.[9] Arno often worked with gag writers, one of whom coined the popular expression"back to the drawing board" in a famous March 1, 1941 cartoon.[10][11]
In 1927 he marriedLois Long, a popularNew Yorker columnist and fashion editor who wrote under the pseudonym "Lipstick." Their one daughter, Patricia, was born September 18, 1928, and the couple divorced in 1930. Arno later married debutante Mary Livingston Lansing in August 1935; they divorced in July 1939.
After his second divorce, Arno moved to a farm nearHarrison, New York, where he lived in seclusion, enjoying music, guns, and sports cars.[12]
Arno died ofemphysema on February 22, 1968, at the age of 64. He is buried atKensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.[13][14]
A biography,Peter Arno: The Mad Mad World of The New Yorker's Greatest Cartoonist byNew Yorker cartoonist, Michael Maslin was published in April 2016 byRegan Arts.
| Title | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Hear Goes the Bride[15] | 1931 | Producer Scenery Sketches Book |
| Shoot the Works[16] | 1931 | Book |
| The New Yorkers[17] | 1930 | Scenic Design sketches Costume Design Based on his story |
| Murray Anderson's Almanac[18] | 1929 | Book |
Note: Book is theatrical term for production script
