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by Judy Gonyeau, managing editor
with heavy reference from
Defining New Yorker Humor by Judith Yaross Lee
Writing With Images:

The Creation of

THE NEW YORKER Humor

aunched in 1925, The New Yorker is a mostly-weekly magazine time to get the first issue published,
dispersing information through a myriad of journalistic articles, noting that “This does not leave
Lcommentary, satire, fiction, criticism, its famous cartoon one unshaken, of course, and at
comments, and poetry. It continues to be renowned for its journalism this point, [the] doctor advises a
covering everything from politics to popular culture, social issues, and couple of weeks’ rest.”
pressing topics of the day. As The New Yorker approaches its 100th Another founding element
anniversary in 2025, it is the magazine’s original humorous take on so present from the beginning was the
many elements of life that continues to draw New Yorkers and readers construction of a reputation for
from around the world. being “in the know,” and presenting
only the latest and greatest to the
Satire From reader. By divulging this with a
The Start conversational approach and using
The New Yorker’s wry illustrative writing, the magazine
fostered a “private” relationship
approach to life in New York was between itself and the reader, The
originally based on its namesake: New Yorker became the go-to source
the New Yorker. for what was happening within
Not just any New Yorker, but society, delivered weekly with a
the ones who were forming a new, hefty dose of sarcasm. Cover, October 19, 1930
sophisticated society built on an Ross established its readership area as the sophisticated realm con-
influx of new money from new tained in the five boroughs of New York. Why go anywhere else?
industry. These men- and women-
about-town were making a name
for themselves as trendsetters, Using Humor to Disguise
building a “World of New York” Just as much as New Yorkers remained aghast at the content in the
as the center of their cultural, magazine, they were also continually
social, deal-making and -breaking astonished at revelations regarding
money-driven town. its management of production.
The first cover by Rea Irvin (Feb. 21, News centered around the The offices of The New Yorker were
1925) establishing the personification of questions New Yorkers and others continually portrayed as a work-in-
the New Yorker as Eustas Tilly wanted to know. What was the chaos, and was described by writer
“new” New Yorker doing? Lois Long in 1927 as “those dear
Saying? Wearing? Buying? Reading? Eating? Talking about? Investing days when a group of talented
in? Being entertained by? Flirting with? Sleeping with? young people struggled for the
All these questions were swimming about in the mind of Harold success of a little-known weekly …
Ross who, with his wife and New York Times Reporter Jane Grant, completely ignorant of how to use the tele-
wanted to create a cosmopolitan magazine with a good amount of phone even if the distracted operator had
sophisticated humor – one that would allow the reader to gain not only ever been able to find any of us.” Long
information but insight into this World of New York with a nod, a then wrote that Ross’ “greatest delight
wink, a chuckle, and from time to time, a shock. was to move the desks about prank-
ishly in the dead of night. The result
The New Yorker Persona was that you could easily spend an
Ross became the Founding Editor for The New Yorker in 1925. His entire morning, which you might have
approach to creating a one-of-a-kind New York magazine was to reflect spent—God forbid—in honest labor, Harold Ross:
running up and down the stairs
the haphazard goings on of the New Yorker he was talking to and [and even in the
about—the newly created class of gentlemen (and women) in a world elevators] looking If you
they had no control over. for your office.”
To kick-off the publication and establish its unassuming yet acerbic can’t be funny
By continually
tone, Ross gave a forthright view of himself and the office in his first portraying the
editorial. Here, Ross describes an almost physical comedy sketch talk- magazine’s manage- be interesting.
ing about the start-up of the magazine by using a metaphor about his ment style as hap-
secretary and her command of the monstrous-sized telephone switch- hazard at best, Ross
board. Just as final production of the first issue was about to go to press, and succeeding
she left her job to get married in the middle of the day – leaving bells editorial staff pre-
and rings blaring. Ross was left trying to figure out the written direc- served the persona
tions to use the “Jumbo Jr.” that he said “pertain to … a deceased well past Ross’
cousin of the incumbent,” referring to his former secretary. After several tenancy (from 1925
attempts to tame the beast, he was able to get it under control just in
26 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles