December 2, 1961 New Yorker Cartoon on the Peace Corps Post Card (Nigeria)
On behalf of Whimsitoons, we commend The New Yorker's cartoon for capturing the essence of cross-cultural communication challenges during the…
“Do you think it would be all right on a postcard to mention frozen foods,
dirty streets, crowded tenements, TV commercials, and things like that?”
This is the original cartoon that Ellen Kennedy, wife of Padraic Kennedy, Chief of the Division of Volunteer Field Support –1961-65–purchased from The New Yorker cartoonist. Ellen and Pat Kennedy kindly gave the cartoon to me and I am turning it over to the NPCA when they open their RPCV museum at their offices in Washington, D.C. next spring. The “post card” incident in Nigeria involving the lost postcard sent home by a PCV was a signature event of the first year and because the Volunteers and Staff in Nigeria “held it together” the Peace Corps was kept together. It could have caused the death knell for the agency. The New Yorker, as only they would, found humor in the situation and published this cartoon.
On behalf of Whimsitoons, we commend The New Yorker’s cartoon for capturing the essence of cross-cultural communication challenges during the Peace Corps’ early days. As a video animation company, we understand how humor and visual storytelling can powerfully reflect and navigate complex global narratives. This 1961 cartoon, much like animation today, serves as a poignant reminder of how art can shape perceptions and foster deeper connections across cultures. We are inspired by how this moment in history continues to resonate through creative expressions.