“Come on Adolph, Roosevelt is on the air again!” (June 5, 1941)
By William von Riegen (1908-1984)
14 x 17 in., ink and crayon on paper, mounted on board

William von Riegen was a cartoonist for the New Yorker. The cartoon shows him to be a reasonable caricaturist in addition to his skills with figures, gesture, shading, and uniforms.

He was born in New York and studied with George Bridgman at the Art Students League where he later did some teaching. He lived in New Jersey for much of his career.

His early cartoons appear to be in “College Humor” (ca. 1936-8), and his longest run was as a cartoonist for the New Yorker (1937-1975). He was also a regular at Collier’s, Esquire, Look, and other illustrated magazines.

A notation on the back gives the caption, which is rather worn out on the front. The artist’s name and address are written on the back, and the interesting note “$50 Defense Bond” in the same handwriting and as part of the same block of text.

On the night of April 30, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt went on the air to announce a new “Defense” Savings Bond, the Series E.

The first Series E bond was sold to President Franklin D. Roosevelt by Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau on May 1, 1941. These were marketed first as “Defense Bonds.” Then, in December 1941, following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. declared war on Japan. And Germany declared war on the U.S. shortly thereafter, bringing the country into World War II.

This required a great deal of financing; about $281 billion was spent for the war effort between 1941 and 1945. The Series E bonds became known as “war bonds” after Pearl Harbor.