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Something in the Cellar . . .: Ronald Searle's Wonderful World of Wine
Illustrated in Searle's inimitable style are the ancient noble ceremony of slashing the trockenbeerenauslese, the inauguration of the first authentic denominazione di origine controllata e garantita, and the vinolympics. For wine lovers who have never tasted ptolemy nouveau or watched the uncorking of the kangarouge, these experiences are related with warmth and humor. The many ways to open a bottle of wine are illustrated, and the rituals and delights of wine around the world are described.
- GenresHumorArtPicture Books
80 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
12 people want to read
About the author
Ronald Searle
180 books33 followersRonald William Fordham Searle, CBE, RDI, is an influential English artist and cartoonist. Best known as the creator of St Trinian's School (the subject of several books and seven full-length films). He is also the co-author (with Geoffrey Willans) of the Molesworth series.
He started drawing at the age of five and left school at the age of 15. In April 1939, realizing that war was inevitable, he abandoned his art studies to enlist in the Royal Engineers. He trained at Cambridge College of Arts and Technology, currently Anglia Ruskin University, for two years, and in 1941, published the first St Trinian's cartoon in the magazine Lilliput.
In January 1942, he was stationed in Singapore. After a month of fighting in Malaya, Singapore fell to the Japanese, and he was taken prisoner along with his cousin Tom Fordham Searle. He spent the rest of the war a prisoner, first in Changi Prison and then in the Kwai jungle, working on the Siam-Burma Death Railway. The brutal camp conditions were documented by Searle in a series of drawings that he hid under the mattresses of prisoners dying of cholera. Liberated late in 1945, Searle returned to England where he published several of the surviving drawings in fellow prisoner Russell Braddon's The Naked Island. Most of these drawings appear in his 1986 book, Ronald Searle: To the Kwai and Back, War Drawings 1939-1945. At least one of the drawings is on display at the Changi Museum and Chapel, Singapore, but the majority of these original drawings, approximately 300, are in the permanent collection of the Imperial War Museum, London, along with the works of other POW artists.
Searle produced an extraordinary volume of work during the 1950s, including drawings for Life, Holiday and Punch. His cartoons appeared in The New Yorker, the Sunday Express and the News Chronicle. He compiled more St Trinian's books, which were based on his sister's school and other girls' schools in Cambridge. He collaborated with Geoffrey Willans on the Molesworth books (Down With Skool!, 1953, and How to be Topp, 1954), and with Alex Atkinson on travel books. In addition to advertisements and posters, Searle drew the title backgrounds of the Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder film The Happiest Days of Your Life.
In 1961, he moved to Paris, leaving his family and later marrying Monica Koenig, theater designer and creator of necklaces. In France he worked more on reportage for Life and Holiday and less on cartoons. He also continued to work in a broad range of media and created books (including his well-known cat books), animated films and sculpture for commemorative medals, both for the French Mint and the British Art Medal Society.[2][3] Searle did a considerable amount of designing for the cinema, and in 1965, he completed the opening, intermission and closing credits for the comedy film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. In 1975, the full-length cartoon Dick Deadeye was released. Animated by a number of artists both British and French, it is considered by some to be his greatest achievement, although Searle himself detested the result.
Searle received much recognition for his work, especially in America, including the National Cartoonists Society's Advertising and Illustration Award in 1959 and 1965, the Reuben Award in 1960, their Illustration Award in 1980 and their Advertising Award in 1986 and 1987. In 2007, he was decorated with France's highest award, the Légion d'honneur, and in 2009, he received the German Order of Merit. His work has had a great deal of influence, particularly on American cartoonists, including Pat Oliphant, Matt Groening, Hilary Knight and the animators of Disney's 101 Dalmatians. In 2005, he was the subject of a BBC documentary on his life and work by Russell Davies.
In 2010, he gave about 2,200 of his works as permanent loans to Wilhelm Busch Museum Hannover (Germany), now renamed Deutsches Museum für Karikatur und Zeichenkunst. The ancient Summer palace o
He started drawing at the age of five and left school at the age of 15. In April 1939, realizing that war was inevitable, he abandoned his art studies to enlist in the Royal Engineers. He trained at Cambridge College of Arts and Technology, currently Anglia Ruskin University, for two years, and in 1941, published the first St Trinian's cartoon in the magazine Lilliput.
In January 1942, he was stationed in Singapore. After a month of fighting in Malaya, Singapore fell to the Japanese, and he was taken prisoner along with his cousin Tom Fordham Searle. He spent the rest of the war a prisoner, first in Changi Prison and then in the Kwai jungle, working on the Siam-Burma Death Railway. The brutal camp conditions were documented by Searle in a series of drawings that he hid under the mattresses of prisoners dying of cholera. Liberated late in 1945, Searle returned to England where he published several of the surviving drawings in fellow prisoner Russell Braddon's The Naked Island. Most of these drawings appear in his 1986 book, Ronald Searle: To the Kwai and Back, War Drawings 1939-1945. At least one of the drawings is on display at the Changi Museum and Chapel, Singapore, but the majority of these original drawings, approximately 300, are in the permanent collection of the Imperial War Museum, London, along with the works of other POW artists.
Searle produced an extraordinary volume of work during the 1950s, including drawings for Life, Holiday and Punch. His cartoons appeared in The New Yorker, the Sunday Express and the News Chronicle. He compiled more St Trinian's books, which were based on his sister's school and other girls' schools in Cambridge. He collaborated with Geoffrey Willans on the Molesworth books (Down With Skool!, 1953, and How to be Topp, 1954), and with Alex Atkinson on travel books. In addition to advertisements and posters, Searle drew the title backgrounds of the Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder film The Happiest Days of Your Life.
In 1961, he moved to Paris, leaving his family and later marrying Monica Koenig, theater designer and creator of necklaces. In France he worked more on reportage for Life and Holiday and less on cartoons. He also continued to work in a broad range of media and created books (including his well-known cat books), animated films and sculpture for commemorative medals, both for the French Mint and the British Art Medal Society.[2][3] Searle did a considerable amount of designing for the cinema, and in 1965, he completed the opening, intermission and closing credits for the comedy film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. In 1975, the full-length cartoon Dick Deadeye was released. Animated by a number of artists both British and French, it is considered by some to be his greatest achievement, although Searle himself detested the result.
Searle received much recognition for his work, especially in America, including the National Cartoonists Society's Advertising and Illustration Award in 1959 and 1965, the Reuben Award in 1960, their Illustration Award in 1980 and their Advertising Award in 1986 and 1987. In 2007, he was decorated with France's highest award, the Légion d'honneur, and in 2009, he received the German Order of Merit. His work has had a great deal of influence, particularly on American cartoonists, including Pat Oliphant, Matt Groening, Hilary Knight and the animators of Disney's 101 Dalmatians. In 2005, he was the subject of a BBC documentary on his life and work by Russell Davies.
In 2010, he gave about 2,200 of his works as permanent loans to Wilhelm Busch Museum Hannover (Germany), now renamed Deutsches Museum für Karikatur und Zeichenkunst. The ancient Summer palace o
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 1, 2023
The blurb for Ronald Searle's most amusing 'Something in the Cellar ...' suggests that this book, with its outrageously perceptive humour, 'makes it a must for vintners and wine imbibers throughout the world'. I must confess I am neither a vintner nor a wine imbiber but I do enjoy Ronald Searle's artistry. And this book does not disappoint in that direction, even if some of the humour is almost lost on me!
He introduces the reader to some rather weird wine ceremonies from around the world, my favourite being that from Australia entitled 'Uncorking the Kangarouge' followed by the that of the USSR, which looks like it is taking place in the depths of the Lubyanka with suitable sinister Russian officials looking on. Meanwhile South Africa is rather pointed as it is entitled 'Colourful ceremony of Offering Limited Recognition to the [solitary] Black Grape'.
In addition there are many variations on how to open a bottle of wine, with or without a corkscrew, such as the lady circus artist, suitably attired, laying her wine bottle on a rostrum for the incoming elephant, with foot raised to stamp on its neck! Also there are various unusual ways of drinking wine as in Texas, where the gushers are pouring out wine while the imbibers wait around with raised glasses!
Overall an amusing book that as well as the appeal mentioned in the blurb, also has appeal for Searle devotees.
He introduces the reader to some rather weird wine ceremonies from around the world, my favourite being that from Australia entitled 'Uncorking the Kangarouge' followed by the that of the USSR, which looks like it is taking place in the depths of the Lubyanka with suitable sinister Russian officials looking on. Meanwhile South Africa is rather pointed as it is entitled 'Colourful ceremony of Offering Limited Recognition to the [solitary] Black Grape'.
In addition there are many variations on how to open a bottle of wine, with or without a corkscrew, such as the lady circus artist, suitably attired, laying her wine bottle on a rostrum for the incoming elephant, with foot raised to stamp on its neck! Also there are various unusual ways of drinking wine as in Texas, where the gushers are pouring out wine while the imbibers wait around with raised glasses!
Overall an amusing book that as well as the appeal mentioned in the blurb, also has appeal for Searle devotees.
January 8, 2022
We do love a Ronald Searle and having enjoyed The Illustrated Winespeak: Ronald Searle's Wicked World of Winetasting we couldn't resist adding this to our collection when we stumbled across it in a second hand bookshop in Southport. At only £3 it seemed a steal.
Here Searle imagines possible wine ceremonies from around the world. I particularly like the 'Pulling of the Finger' in Holland (being half Dutch) and the Uncorking of the Kangarouge, pictured above.
A fun read. 4 stars.
February 1, 2019
Ronald Searle adalah seorang kartunis satir dan ini adalah kumpulan gambarnya yang bertema tentang anggur.
Cukup menarik melihat interpretasi Wine Ceremonies of the World, ada yang kocak, nyentil dan bahkan bisa membuat tersinggung. Tersinggung kalau enggak ngerti satir sih.
Karya-karya di buku ini sebagian besar ada di Cooper Hewitt Museum NYC, Clos Du Val (Napa Valley) dan Taltani Vineyard (Moonambel).
Cukup menarik melihat interpretasi Wine Ceremonies of the World, ada yang kocak, nyentil dan bahkan bisa membuat tersinggung. Tersinggung kalau enggak ngerti satir sih.
Karya-karya di buku ini sebagian besar ada di Cooper Hewitt Museum NYC, Clos Du Val (Napa Valley) dan Taltani Vineyard (Moonambel).
December 26, 2024
As someone who has worked in the wine business for years, this book is really a fun and enjoyable (and very funny) look at wine sellers, imbibers, sommeliers and wine nerds. The artwork is the usual excellent zany work that Searle has perfected. No real prose, just the descriptors of the pictures.
July 11, 2022
Beautifully irreverent!
March 11, 2023
it's just a load of goofy jokes on wine terminology illustrated by searle's inimitable style (i.e., fantastic) points docked for some crude racial stereotypes
April 10, 2025
This book is a work of fabulous visual comedy, taking in history and culture as well as the viticulture of the title. A fun gift in my case which has stood the test of time.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews