Exhibition and Talk on Comic Illustrator Joseph Hémard at Yale Law
- by Michael Stillman
Finding the humor in tax collection.
There is an exhibition entitled TheComicArtofJosephHémard running at the Yale Law Library through December 15, with a talk on Hémard's career scheduled for Friday, October 5. For those unfamiliar with Hémard, he was a prolific French illustrator of the 20th century. Mostly unknown outside of his native country, his work certainly is worthy of a much larger following. He was capable of adding humor to even the driest of subjects.
Joseph Hémard was born in 1880 and lived until 1961. He was an artist who used his skills in numerous venues, but it was book illustrations for which he became famous. His illustrations could be found in logical places, such as children's books, or a humorous “autobiographical” essay he once wrote. However, it is the unexpected places that explains why the work of a humorous illustrator would show up in a law library exhibition. He illustrated a pharmacological manual, math and grammar textbooks, and various reference works. He also illustrated law books. His entertaining drawings can be found in a 1925 penal code, or stranger yet, a tax code. One would think nothing could ever be funny about a tax code, but as the illustration on this page proves, Hémard managed to find a way to bring humor to even the most unpleasant of subjects.
The exhibition is curated by Farley P. Katz, a tax attorney from San Antonio, and Michael Widener, Rare Book Librarian at the Lillian Goldman Law Library. Mr. Katz developed one of the best collections of Hémard's work and has made several contributions to the law library's collection. On display are eight of the 183 illustrations from Hémard's TaxCode, donated by Mr. Katz to the library, two other such law books, and 19 other titles from Katz's personal collection.
Mr. Katz will also be presenting an illustrated talk on Hémard in Room 128 of the Yale Law School at 127 Wall Street in New Haven, Connecticut, at 1:00 p.m., Friday, October 5. The talk is free and open to the public.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
Heritage Auctions Rare Books Signature Auction December 15, 2025
Heritage, Dec. 15: John Donne. Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death. London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
Heritage, Dec. 15: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tender is the Night. A Romance.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
