John R. Fischetti Collection, 1945-1980 | Columbia College Chicago Archives

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Collection Overview

Title: John R. Fischetti Collection, 1945-1980

ID: 1000/02/MSS1002

Extent: 5.0 Boxes

Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year within each series.

Date Acquired: 10/00/2005

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The collection is composed of sketchbooks, original drawings, and photomechanically reproduced drawings by John Fischetti. A small amount of work by other artists is also in the collection and include: Pat Oliphant, Bill Mauldin, and Walt Scott.

Writing on his editorial cartoon sketchbooks in his autobiography, Fischetti stated "Before 1961 I used to doodle ideas on the backs of envelopes, scraps of paper and yellow copy paper... Since even half-formed ideas are invaluable, I decided to use layout pads for the gestating periods. By dating each page, it turned out to be a sort of log of historical and personal events" Zinga, Zinga, Za!, pg. 98.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Source: Gift

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Sketchbooks and Sketches],
[Series 2: Punch Magazine],
[Series 3: Projects and Ideas],
[Series 4: Personal Material],
[Series 5: Other Artists Work],
[Series 6: Finished Editorial Cartoons],
[All]

Series 1: Sketchbooks and Sketches

Contains Fischetti's editorial cartoon and travel sketchbooks. The cartoon sketches span his professional work 1961 through 1980 and represent the most complete collection of his sketchbooks held in any repository. The travel sketchbooks include drawings from his travels abroad as well as within the United States and date from 1945 until 1979.

Box 1: Sketchbooks- Travel

Folder 1: 1945 Brittany (France): One ink drawing, one watercolor sketch
Folder 2: 1948 New York, NY (USA): Framed drawing of "little Italy" in Brooklyn, NY that appears on page 4 of Fischetti's autobiography "Zinga Zinga Za!"
Folder 3: 1949 (Denmark): One small spiral sketchbook, several small pen sketches on loose pieces of paper.
Folder 4: 1949 (France): Two ink and watercolor (?) drawings
Folder 5: 1953 (France): Two ink drawings
Folder 6: 1960 (Italy--1): One large spiral sketchbook
Folder 7: 1960 (Italy--2): One large spiral sketchbook
Folder 8: 1960 (Italy--3): One large spiral sketchbook
Folder 9: 1961 New York, NY (USA): 2 ink drawings
Folder 10: 1961 (Washington, D.C.): One large spiral sketchbook
Folder 11: 1965 (Denmark): Two ink drawings
Folder 12: 1965 (France & England): One medium spiral sketchbook
Folder 13: 1970 Chicago, IL (USA): ink drawings: Picasso statue (used in autobiography, page 80), sketches of Old Town, Merchandise Mart, Southwest side, Oak Street Beach, bus stop, North Side, Canal Street
Folder 14: 1971 (France): One ink drawing
Folder 15: 1973 (Austria & Denmark): One medium spiral sketchbook, one ink drawing (mounted)
Folder 16: 1974 (Mexico): One ink drawing
Folder 17: 1974 (Portugal): One large spiral sketchbook
Folder 18: 1976 (France): One large sketchbook, one ink drawing
Folder 19: 1979 (Greece): Two large spiral sketchbook, 4 ink drawings
Folder 20: 1979 (Greece--2): One medium spiral sketchbook, several ink drawings
Folder 21: 1979 (Peru and 'Civil Servants' project): One large spiral sketchbook. Sketchbook also contains correspondence and notes on a book project called the Civil Servants.

Box 2: Sketchbooks- Editorial

Collection of sketchbooks containing small drawings and ideas for JRF's editorial cartooning work. Arranged chronologically based on date.

From the autobiography, "before 1961 I used to doodle ideas on the backs of envelopes, scraps of papers and yellow copy paper. After working up an idea, I'd crumple the paper and throw it away...Many times I had the germ of an idea which with more work would be usable., but the ideas were thrown out with the scraps of papers. Since even half-formed ideas are invaluable, I decided to use layout pads for the gestating periods. By dating each page, it turned out to be a sort of log of historical and personal events." and and "After reading newspapers for about three hours every morning, I jot down the most important topics of the day in a column on the right-hand side of the page...I will go through two, three and sometimes four sheets of doodling thrumbnail sketches of people and scenes." (98)

Folder 1: 1960 (1): One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 2: 1962 (2): One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 3: 1963 (1): One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 4: 1963 (2): One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 6: 1963 (3): One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 7: 1964 (1): One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 8: 1964 (2): One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 9: 1964 (3): One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 10: 1966: One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 11: 1967: One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 12: 1967 (Sept): One 9x12 sketchbook; 2nd Half notebook from Summer 1968
Folder 13: 1967 (Dec): One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 14: 1968 (Aug): Numerous small sheets of drawings, loose
Folder 15: 1968 (Aug-Oct)
Folder 16: 1968 (Dec): One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 17: 1969: One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 18: Jan. 1970 - Mar. 1970: One 9x12 sketchbook
Folder 19: Aug. 1970 - Jan. 1971: One 9x12 sketchbook (missing cover sheet and backing board)
Folder 20: Feb. 1971 - Apr. 1971: One 9x12 sketchbook (missing cover sheet and backing board)
Folder 21: Apr. 1971 - June 1971: One 9x12 sketchbook (missing cover sheet and backing board)
Folder 22: Dec. 1971 - Mar. 1972: One 9x12 sketchbook (missing cover sheet and backing board)
Folder 23: Oct. 1973 - Nov. 1973: Several 5x6.25 sheets of drawings
Folder 24: Jan. 1974 - May 1974: One 9x6 spiral notebook
Folder 25: July 1974 - Oct. 1974: One 6x9 spiral notebook
Folder 26: Nov. 1974 - Dec. 1974: One 6x9 spiral notebook
Folder 27: Mar. 1975 - June 1975: One 6x9 spiral notebook
Folder 28: Aug. 1975 - Oct. 1975: One 6x9 spiral notebook
Folder 29: 1975: Several 8.5x5.5 loose sheets
Folder 30: Jan. 1976 - June 1976: One 6x9 spiral notebook
Folder 32: June 1976 - Nov. 1976: One 9x6 spiral notebook
Folder 33: Nov. 1976 - May 1977: One 9x6 spiral notebook
Folder 34: March 1976 - 1979: One 8.5 x 5.5 pad
Folder 35: Sept. 1977 - Nov. 1977: One 9x6 spiral notebook
Folder 36: Sept. 1978 - Jan. 1979: One 9x6 spiral notebook
Folder 37: Mar. 1979 - July 1979: One 9x6 spiral notebook
Folder 38: Dec. 1979 - May 1980: One 9x6 spiral notebook
Folder 39: Dec. 1979 - June 1980: Several 8.5x5.5 loose sheets
Folder 40: 1956: One 9x12 spiral sketchbook, several loose sheets of drawings