Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Lariar, Lawrence, 1908-1981
Title:	Lawrence Lariar Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1926-1965
Bulk Dates:	1942-1954
Quantity:	2 linear ft.
Abstract:	Original cartoons, sketches, book and magazine illustrations, writings, scripts, correspondence, scrapbooks, clippings and published material (including biographical material).
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

Lawrence Lariar (1908-1981) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and writer.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Lariar graduated from Erasmus High School in 1925 and studied art at the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts (1926-1929). Later, he studied at the Academie Julien in Paris and at the Art Students League of New York. Initially he worked as a commercial advertising artist, but after 1933 he shifted his focus to freelance illustration and cartooning. His work often appeared in the New York daily papers, as well as popular magazines of the era including Saturday Evening Post, Collier's, American Magazine, College Humor, New Yorker, Judge, and Country Gentlemen. He was cartoon editor of Liberty Magazine (1941-1948) and of Parade magazine. He served as Director of the Professional School of Cartooning and as President of the American Society of Magazine Cartoonists. Lariar authored and edited numerous books over the course of his career including the annual series Best Cartoons of the Year. He also published mystery novels under the names Adam Knight, Michael Stark and Michael Lawrence.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Lawrence Lariar Papers consists of artwork, correspondence, memorabilia, and writings. In some cases material arrived with notes from Lariar giving explanations or dates; these notes have been retained with the material in the appropriate folders.

Artwork contains both published and original work. Original art contains drawings for the books Andrew the Ant and Golf and Be Damned, as well as greeting cards, assorted cartoons and sketches, and a self-caricature. Published material includes cartoons published in both magazines and newspapers as well as advertising art, several comic strips, and a few political cartoons. In some cases it was impossible to tell whether the title at the top of the page was the title of the cartoon or the title of the publication in which it appeared, so all are alphabetized together. Many of the published cartoons were published during World War II and have military life as their theme.

Correspondence contains general correspondence as well as a separate folder relating to Lariar's work with the USO, the Committee on War Cartoons, and other war efforts.

Writings contains published material (articles, the dust jackets for two of Lariar's books, humor pieces, and short stories) and manuscripts (typescript of Andrew the Ant, the short story "Flatbush is a horrible place," and a television script for Rocky King, Detective.

Memorabilia contains clippings about Lariar, two scrapbooks of Lariar's cartoons and humorous writings, and clippings from the "Colonel Stoopnagle's Scrapbook" humor page.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Material is arranged alphabetically.

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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

Special Collections Research Center has more than 40 published works by, or edited by, Lawrence Lariar in our Rare Books holdings. Please consult Libraries Search for additional information.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Subjects

Genres and Forms

Occupations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Lawrence Lariar Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Lawrence Lariar, 1967, 1969-1970, 1977.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MM
Date: 29 May 1968
Revision history: 22 Dec 2008 - converted to EAD (MD); 22 Oct 2009 - adds, inventory updated (MRC); 14 Feb 2018 - numerous errors in inventory corrected (MRC)

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Inventory

	Artwork
		Original art
Oversize 1			Andrew the Ant book illustrations - book illustrations
Oversize 1			Cartoons, miscellaneous 1965, undated
Oversize 1			Golf and be Damned undated - book illustrations
Box 1			Greeting cards undated - most are military-themed Christmas cards
Box 1			Self-caricature 1941
Box 1			Miscellaneous 1926, 1927, 1936, 1938 - political cartoon, sketch of centaur labeled as "done while working on Walt Disney's Fantasia"
Oversize 1			Miscellaneous 1927, 1929, undated - includes student drawing (age 18), cover art for Best Cartoons of 1945
		Printed material
Oversize 1			Advertisements 1943, undated
			Cartoons
Oversize 1				"...And so it goes!" 1937
Box 1				Army Daze undated
Box 1				College Life undated
Box 1				Collier's 1948, undated
Box 1				Fun Riot undated
Box 1				"The Home Front" undated - includes parody entitled "Shirt Front," an advertisement for a shirt company
Box 1				Hooey undated
Box 1				"Laffs by Lariar" 1935, 1936
Box 1				"Manual of War," no's 4, 5, and 6 undated
Box 1				Parade Magazine 1964
Box 1				Saturday Evening Post undated
Box 1				Squad's Riot undated
Box 1				"This and That" 1941-1942
Box 1				Whiz Bang undated
Box 1				Miscellaneous 1929, 1943-1944, undated - clippings from magazines and newspapers (2 folders)
Oversize 1				Miscellaneous undated
			Comic strips
Oversize 1				The Bantam Prince undated - press kit, including sample strips
Oversize 1				Barry O'Neill 1934
Oversize 1				Ben Friday 1950 - press kit, including sample strips
Box 1				Inspector Keene of Scotland Yard undated - includes clipping of published fan letter
Box 1				Samson the Cop 1928 - Lariar's first attempt at a comic strip; proofs
Box 1			Political cartons circa 1941-1945 - includes cartoons relating to World War II, political figures and parties, cartoons featuring soldiers and sailors
Oversize 1			Political cartons 1937, 1942-1944, undated - includes cartoons relating to World War II, political figures and parties, cartoons featuring soldiers and sailors

	Correspondence
Box 1		War effort 1943-1945, undated - includes correspondence, photographs of USO visit, a few printed cartoons
Box 1		General 1936, 1942-1945, 1950, 1953-1954, 1964

	Memorabilia
Oversize 2		Clippings about 1941-1946, 1949-1957, 1962
		Scrapbooks
Oversize 2			Cartoon clippings undated - bound volume
Oversize 2			Cartoon clippings undated - cartoons published in Collier's, Saturday Evening Post, other magazines
Oversize 2			"Colonel Stoopnagle's Scrapbook" 1946 - clippings of full-page humor featureone bound volume, several loose pages

	Writings
		Manuscripts
Box 1			Andrew the Ant undated - children's book; typescript withe extensive notes and corrections
Box 1			"Flatbush is a horrible place" undated - short story; typescript
Box 1			Rocky King, Detective television script 1951
		Published
Box 1			Articles 1945, 1951, 1952, undated - includes "Morale literature: its part in rehabilitation" on cartoons and soldiers
Box 1			Book jackets 1944, undated - The Man with the Lumpy Nose (mystery novel by Lariar) and Best Cartoons of the Year (edited and cover art by Lariar)
Box 1			Humor pieces undated - includes several humorous essays illustrated with 19th century photographs
Box 1			Letter to the editor 1945 - rebuttal of negative review of Lariar's Best Cartoons of 1945
Oversize 2			Short stories 1945, 1949, 1957, undated - clippings from various magazines

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