Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Kraus, Robert, 1925-
Title:	Robert Kraus Cartoons
Inclusive Dates:	1955-1968
Quantity:	3.5 linear ft. (191 items)
Abstract:	Cartoons created for The New Yorker (1959-1968) and original illustrations for the children's books, All the Mice Came (1955) and Ladybug, Ladybug (1957).
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Robert Kraus (1925-2001) was an American cartoonist, illustrator, author and publisher.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Kraus entered and won a cartoon contest hosted by the Milawaukee Journal at the age of ten. He was later hired to contribute a weekly series titled, "Public Nuisances. Kraus attended the Art Students League of New York in 1945. "

He freelanced for various publications, including Collier's, Life and The Saturday Evening Post. By the 1950s Kraus was a cartoonist and cover artist for The New Yorker, which published 50 of his cartoons in his first year of employment..

More than 400 of his cartoons appeared in The New Yorker and he drew 21 covers for the magazine over his career. Kraus wrote, illustrated and edited more than 100 children's books from 1955 to the late 1990's; one of his best-known was Leo the Late Bloomer. He was president and founder of children's book publisher Windmill Books.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Robert Kraus Cartoons consists of cartoons drawn by Kraus and illustrations for two of his books, All the Mice Came (1955) and Ladybug, Ladybug (1957).

The Cartoons series contains 100 pieces of original artwork from The New Yorker (1959-1968).

Illustrations includes sketches, color illustrations and a mockup of All the Mice Came and color illustrations from Ladybug, Ladybug.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Cartoons are arranged chronologically; undated items are at the end of the collection. Illustrations were kept in their original order.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Published copies of All the Mice Came (1955) and Ladybug, Ladybug (1957) were transfered to Rare Books and can be located via Libraries Search .

Special Collections Research Center has collections of more than 150 cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Associated Titles

Subjects

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Robert Kraus Cartoons
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Robert Kraus.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: SBM
Date: Dec 1969
Revision history: 28 Mar 2008 - converted to EAD (MRC); 31 May 2011 - added detailed inventory (AM)

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Inventory

	Cartoons
		The New Yorker
Oversize 3			1959 (2 items)
				Jul 11: "Oh well, easy come easy go." Aug 1: What are you doing after the bazar [sic]?
Oversize 3			1961 (1 item)
				Oct 12: [no caption]
Oversize 3			1962 (17 items)
				Jan 25: [no caption] Jan 27: "Can't you shoot him full of something?" Feb 17: [no caption] Feb 10: "Do you think they know they live on the wrong side of the tracks[?]" May 5: [no caption] Aug 8: [no caption] Aug 15: "If you laid off the sauce, you wouldn't be see sn..." [caption cut off] (front) "Ok. So we're going to the New Fork World's fair in '64, but where are we going in '63?" (back); foldered separately Sep 22: "In my book, you're tops." Oct 20: [no caption] Nov 10: "Gee, Pop, You've sure got it up here." Nov 18: "So we're going to the world's fair in '64. -- But where are we going in '63?" Dec 8: "Please, Mr. Jackson -- This isn't the time or the place!" Dec 12: [no caption] Dec 18: [no caption] Dec 29: Note: Net Profit; Caption: "My earnings for the first three quarters were (^very) pretty good but then they nabbed me in the last quarter." Undated: [no caption]
Oversize 3			1963 (14 items)
				Feb 13: [no caption] Mar 2: "I'm sorry, but somehow that's terribly funny." Mar 9: "I sure want to keep Bert and harry on TV, but I also feel a responsibility to Miss Rheingold." Mar 30: "I like people and people like me." Apr 11: "Drop out lamb -- all eyes and teeth." Apr 17: "I may be a rat, but I'm not a deserter!" Jun 15: [no caption] Oct 5: [no caption] Oct 19: "I know I'm innocent, and really that's all that matters." Oct 31: "Look -- no broom." and [no caption], (2 cartoons) Nov 21: "Dolls" Dec 5: [no caption Dec 21: [no caption] Undated: [no caption]
Oversize 4			1964 (11 items)
				Jan 12: [no caption] Jan 16: [no caption] Jan 23: [no caption] Jan 30: "I'm awfully sorry, but is that 'Hand over $1,000 or I'll blow you to kingdom come' or 'Hand over...' [caption cut off] Feb 22: "No thanks. I've given them up." Jun 12: [no caption] Jul 31: [no caption] Oct 9: [no caption] Oct 24: [no caption] Nov 28: [no caption] Dec 12: [no caption]
Oversize 4			1965 (23 items)
				Feb 20: [no caption]; (3 cartoons foldered together) Mar 3: "Pecking order" Mar 12: "Marriage counselor" Apr 24: [no caption] Apr 30: [no caption] May 21: [no caption] May 25: [no caption] Jul 2: "Firewater and paddling don't mix!" Jul 10: [no caption] Jul 23: "Worms" Aug 27: [no caption] Sep 18: [no caption] Sep 25: "Adjustments" Oct 2: "...who's the greatest Mom of them all?" Nov 6: [no caption] Nov 27: Gosh, Harry, when it comes to the mot juste, you're in a class by yourself." Dec 11: [no caption] Dec 25: [no caption] Undated: "My goodness, you fellows are certainly on your toes." Undated: [no caption], (2 cartoons)
Oversize 5			1966 (5 items)
				Apr 16: "This year, the gimmick is safety." Aug 13: [no caption] Aug 20: [no caption] Oct 15: [no caption] Undated: [no caption]
Oversize 5			1967 (3 items)
				Jan 6: [no caption] May 3: "I've either been doped or I'm coming down with something." May 12: "Choose your own lobster."
Oversize 5			1968 (3 items)
				Aug 24: [no caption] Oct 26: [no caption] Nov 23: [no caption]
Oversize 5			Undated (21 items, 3 folders)
				Jan 2: "He's the elder states man [sic] of the teen age gang in the block." Feb 5: "Street level -- crime, corruption, and the human comedy unfolding." Mar 7: "As I see it, good fences make good neighbors." May 9: [no caption] Mar 24: "It's a grand old flag." Jun 15: "Mrs. Miller, third floor rear has a lover." Jun 20: "Where do the gondoliers eat?" Jul 11: [no caption] Jul 9: "On white with lettuce, and a touch on [of] mayonnaise." Aug 28: [no caption] Sep 8: [no caption] Sep 15: [no caption] Oct 10: [no caption] Nov 24: "This has been fun. Let's do it again next year."; "You know this is really nice. We ought to get together every year." (crossed out) Dec 14: [no caption] "My it's nice and cool in here" (on paper) No caption, (5 cartoons)

	Illustrations
		All the Mice Came
Oversize 1			Color illustrations circa 1955 - paint on illustration board (30 items)
Oversize 1			Mockup circa 1955
Oversize 1			Sketches circa 1955 - pen and pencil on paper (32 items)
		Ladybug, Ladybug
Oversize 2			Color illustrations circa 1957 - paint on illustration board (29 items)

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