Glen Morley (1912-1996) had a busy career as a composer, conductor, and arranger, particularly in Canadian broadcasting. In the ’50s, he worked for the Rochester Philharmonic as ‘cellist and music librarian; in his younger years he also worked as a cartographer and newspaper cartoonist.
Throughout his life, he produced a series of cartoons about music, as well as the vagaries of life as a ‘cellist and music librarian, all under the title “Symphoniphobias.” A bit of research tells me that he published his last batch in 1980; this portrait of a conductor is from a 1953 portfolio.
(Posted by Doug Skinner.)
18 responses so far ↓
1 Angela // Mar 20, 2011 at 5:03 pm
nice. I found some more caricatures here:
http://www.patphil.com/morley01.html
what’s that torture device looking device on his left hand?
2 Lisa // Mar 20, 2011 at 8:31 pm
It’s weirdly Ernst-like.
3 Doug // Mar 20, 2011 at 11:20 pm
An iron hand, maybe? I can see a bit of Ernst, but I find Morley pretty much in a graphic world of his own.
4 sean // Sep 14, 2013 at 10:09 pm
I was his piano student and I’ve seen the entire original collection at his home. There is an entire series and they are probably left in Ottawa or brought them to Vancouver.
5 Pat // Jan 5, 2014 at 4:55 pm
I found a collection of eight prints that were given to my husbands family dated 1958.
They are framed but have yellowed with age.
Wonder if they are worth anything.
6 Doug // Jan 5, 2014 at 7:05 pm
I couldn’t say. They’re fun to look at, though.
7 Alexandra // Jul 23, 2014 at 12:24 am
My father was a bassoonist, he passed in 2004. I just now have been opening boxes..yes 10 years later and found a whole collection of Morelys framed music cartoons signed and dated 1951…are they worth anything?
8 admin // Jul 23, 2014 at 10:17 am
I have no idea. You’d have to check with a print or book dealer. I’d put them on the wall, myself!
9 Mark // Dec 4, 2014 at 11:39 am
I found a dozen of these prints in my Uncle’s estate, that all show up on the website from Angela above:
http://www.patphil.com/morley01.html
All in an envelope of Morley’s with “Sympniaphobias” labeled, and ‘to and from’ windows, both blank, and a typed letter inside from the Director of the Rochester Philharmonic, Eric Leinsdorf, April 19, 1951. Gotta be worth something- Antiques Roadshow type of stuff! Mint condition! More research needed.
10 Mark // Dec 4, 2014 at 11:40 am
Mispelled “Symphoniaphobias” previously. Spellcheck has fun with that!
11 Doug // Dec 7, 2014 at 1:56 pm
I think Morley spelled it “Symphoniphobias.” But there may be no way to spell a word like that correctly…
12 Bliss Michelson // Sep 26, 2015 at 12:22 pm
Can one obtain those Symphoniphobias anywhere??
13 Doug // Sep 27, 2015 at 2:16 pm
I think they’re out of print. Somebody should republish them!
14 Dorothy // Nov 30, 2016 at 10:43 pm
I have three framed musical cartoons by Glen Morley, entitled “Audition 1, 2, and 3.
Copyright 1951. I wonder if they are worth
anything other than my enjoyment.
15 Doug // Dec 1, 2016 at 10:38 am
Well, as usual, it depends on how much other people want them for their enjoyment. Who knows?
16 Jonathan // Dec 17, 2016 at 3:12 pm
I have a few sets of all 21 prints, in the oversized white envelops. These are basic photocopies, though nice and crisp. I’d be into selling some. Pls contact me.
17 Libby // May 6, 2017 at 11:19 am
My father-in-law, Ben Selvin, had a number of prints dated 1950, which he probably acquired while working as A&R for RCA or for Muzak. Unfortunately, two were printed on acid-based paper and have all but disappeared. They are all very funny.
18 Doug // May 14, 2017 at 9:23 pm
Ben Selvin! He must have had a lot of interesting stories… Someone should reprint Morley’s cartoons.