With its proximity to the cultural hub of New York City and its quieter suburban and rural landscapes, Connecticut was fertile ground for artists and writers in the period of Modernist movements between 1913 and 1979. Many of these cultural figures are well known through biographical and critical studies. Creative Places seeks to show how place played a significant role in creative work, and how in turn the artists and writers influenced communities in Connecticut.
James Geraghty
Comic Art
1905 – 1983
Geraghty was a great influence in The New Yorker art division, helping to define its comic art offerings. He may also have led the way for many of The New Yorker’s cartoonists to live in the Westport and Weston areas.
- Biography/Description of Work
James Geraghty was born in Washington State. His father was a prominent attorney and State Supreme Court Justice. After attending Gonzaga University, he was a radio script writer from 1930 to 1938. During this time he also sent ideas for cartoons to Peter Arno, a cartoonist for The New Yorker. At Arno’s suggestion, in 1939, Harold Ross, then editor of The New Yorker, hired Geraghty, who later assumed Ross’ position, becoming the second art editor, until his retirement in 1973. Lee Lorenz succeeded him in that position.
- Sources view
- James M. Geraghty Obituary - New York Times - 1983-1-20, James M. Geraghty Papers - New York Public Library - Beth Kleber - 1996, Westport Historical Society New Yorker Cover Art Exhibit; Kleber, Beth. ‘James M. Geraghty Papers, 1940-1983,’ The New York Public Library Manuscripts and Archives Division: March 1996.
- Associated Resource(s)