1.
James Howard -- April 25, 2001 1
The Culture of AffluenceThe Culture of Affluence
Looks at the Cold WarLooks at the Cold War
The cartoons of the New Yorker
and Cold War issues and events:
August 1945 – January 1963
James Howard

2.
James Howard -- April 25, 2001 2
Introduction
• Culture of Affluence
• The New Yorker
• Cartoons and comics

3.
James Howard -- April 25, 2001 3
Cold War Themes
• American Life
• Soviet Life
• American Military
• American Politics

4.
James Howard -- April 25, 2001 4
November 10, 1945
“But what on earth
do you want to
be a scientist for,
Robert? Isn’t
there enough
trouble in the
world already?”

5.
James Howard -- April 25, 2001 5
December 8, 1945
“There wouldn’t be
any danger of
his smashing the
atom with this,
would there?”

6.
James Howard -- April 25, 2001 6
October 9, 1949
“We asked
ourselves how
many places like
this would be
available if a war
broke out, and
when the owner
gave us a decent
price on it, we
snapped it up.”

7.
James Howard -- April 25, 2001 7
June 16, 1951
“We’d like
something out of
the radioactive
zone but within
television range.”

8.
James Howard -- April 25, 2001 8
April 30, 1949
“But if we disband
our Defend
America
Committee,
won’t Russia
take it as a sign
of yielding?”

9.
James Howard -- April 25, 2001 9
June 27, 1959
“No wonder they’re
ahead of us. It
says here that in
the whole of
Russia, there is
not one single
golf course.”

10.
James Howard -- April 25, 2001 10
September 27, 1947
“I may be a little
late tomorrow,
Mrs. Searle. I’m
having my
loyalty checked.”

11.
James Howard -- April 25, 2001 11
June 28, 1949
“We haven’t
anything right
now, but you
might try us
again in a week
or so. There’s a
rumor that the
gentleman in 8-A
may not pass his
loyalty test.”

12.
James Howard -- April 25, 2001 12
Conclusions
• Many themes and topics
• Culture of Affluence
– Inconvenience of the Cold War