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Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Some Necks . . . . . . !
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

Some Necks . . . . . . !

Artifact IDMO 1950.101.13
Object Type Cartoon
Artist (Polish-American political cartoonist and book Illustrator, 1894-1951)
Date1941
Mediumpaper (cardboard), paint (watercolor, gouache), ink
Dimensionssheet (artwork) H 11 3/4 in x W 15 1/8 in (29.8 cm x 38.4 cm )
 frame H 15 5/8 in x W 20 3/4 in x D 5/8 in (39.7 cm x 52.7 cm x 1.6 cm )
 mat H 14 15/16 in x W 19 15/16 in (37.9 cm x 50.6 cm )
Physical Descriptiona) A drawn and painted cartoon featuring World War II Allied and Axis power leaders. The cartoon prominently features portraits - from the knees or waist up - of the Big Three (from left to right): Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Churchill, with a cigar in his mouth, is dressed in the style of an English gentleman with a red tailcoat, tan waistcoat, white shirt, black cravat with a "V" (for victory) pin, off-white breeches, and a black top hat. Stalin is dressed in a traditional Georgian green coat and yellow and red hat - both with fur trim - and blue and red pants. FDR is wearing western-type clothing consisting of a reddish vest on which is a red, white, and blue patriotic shield pin, off-white shirt, black tie, dark pants, leather wrist cuffs, a cartridge belt, and eyeglasses. Churchill holds a miniature caricature figure of Benito Mussolini in his left hand, while Stalin holds a miniature caricature figure of Adolf Hitler in his right hand. Meanwhile FDR is holding up his right hand with his fingers in a "V" (for victory) formation while his left hand, which rests in his lap, holds a tiny sign with the word "WAIT!!!". Standing along the bottom edge of the cartoon, immediately to the left of the "WAIT" sign is a miniature caricature of an angry-looking Hideki Tojo.

The title is written in black ink in the lower left below the cartoon: SOME NECKS . . . . . ! The artist has signed and dated the cartoon, in black ink, in the lower right: ARTHUR SZYK / JANUARY 1942. NEW YORK.

b-c) The cartoon comes with a hand-decorated mat and a 1/2" black-painted wood frame with gilt trim. Both the mat and frame are original to the cartoon but are currently stored separately.
Historical NoteThe title of this cartoon comes from a December 30, 1941 speech made by Winston Churchill during a visit to Canada. Churchill stated, “When I warned them that Britain would fight on alone whatever they did, their [Vichy France] generals told their Prime Minister and his divided Cabinet, ‘In three weeks England will have her neck wrung like a chicken.’ Some chicken! Some neck!”
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteDonated to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum by Eleanor Roosevelt.
Credit LineGift of Eleanor Roosevelt
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesPolitical Cartoons (National Archives Identifier 749653)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestricted
CopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)
Not on view
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