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international

A contemporary image (below) shows Derso collections, libraries and archives. Some were
and Kelen working on the mural. crafted as action scenes, densely populated with
politicians, all of whom are identified within the
Kelen’s account continues: oeuvre. Stefan and I described these as tableaux
‘I worked on the mural for three months, eating vivants. One such work proved to be particularly
and sleeping with it . . . elusive, l’Assaut de le Tribune.
At our pension lived a photographer named
Ralph Crane, now a Life man. He took a picture The obvious location to begin the search was
of the mural, gave it an American style caption, Geneva. So, in the autumn of 2021, I visited
“The World’s Biggest Cartoon,” and sent it to his the Palais des Nations archives where I found
agency. La Tribune de Genève got it via London ‘a particularly fine colour photo transparency
and published it on the front page [of the 18 of D&K’s contentious cartoon of l’Escalade’.
November 1936 issue].’ Unfortunately, the Library lacked the facilities
to print it, but someone had clearly recognised
The two artists were taken by surprise when a the mural’s significance and taken the trouble to
‘protestation’ against the work appeared in the preserve a good quality permanent record.
press. A letter from the Union Civique de Genève
complained about the tactlessness and poor taste The next likely source was the Derso and Kelen
of the artists in using, for display in a bar, the Collection at Princeton. The online catalogue
scene of an historic event at which ancestors of entry for l’Assaut de le Tribune is, however, for an
Genevois had fallen in defence of their city. Derso image that is black and white. It states the date,
and Kelen responded immediately, informing 1936, and gives the provenance, ‘Hôtel du Palais,
the press that the mural wasn’t designed for the Genève’ (which Mme Tonetti had managed).
bar of the Palais des Nations, as stated in La I was finally able to visit Princeton in person
Tribune de Genève. The source of the error, they when Covid restrictions were relaxed. Thus,
explained, was a London photography agency. in the spring of 2022, I elicited the additional
No one in the Secretariat of the League of information that its dimensions were 40x80cm,
Nations, nor on the Palais Building Committee, and I also located a 16 x 26 cm black-and-white
had seen or requested the mural. It was a private glossy photo on the back of which was inscribed,
commission. The bar of the League of Nations, ‘Murale à Genève, 1935 (sic)’.
they pointed out, was already decorated with a
set of original menu cards which the two artists Prior to the visit, I’d been corresponding with
had produced for annual press banquets. Jean-Claude Pallas, author of the 2001 magnum
opus, Histoire et Architecture du Palais des
Writing in his memoir, Kelen ridiculed the Nations, 1924-2001 : L’art déco au service des
protest. He was, perhaps, using humour to relations internationales. I emailed him in
disguise the profound let-down that he and Charente to inform him about my planned
Derso felt by the criticism of their work a trip to Princeton, explaining the reason. He
quarter-of-a-century earlier. Looking back from responded immediately, saying he was a great
1963, Kelen highlighted the irrationality of one enthusiast of Derso et Kelen’s work and possessed
objection. Giuseppe Motta, the Swiss delegate a very beautiful, coloured photo of l’Assaut de la
to the League, appeared in the mural with a red Tribune, given to him by a former accredited UN
cross on his breastplate (as seen in the photo photographer. Because of its large size, he was
above). This, the Union Civique’s President said, unable to scan it.
‘looks like the Swiss flag’. The artists caved in and
deleted the cross. In my reply, I said he was possibly the only
person to possess a colour print of the l’Assaut,
In 2020, I began to research Derso and Kelen’s mentioning the black and white image at
political cartoons with Stefan Slater, who had Princeton and the colour transparency in
a collection of their portfolios. We sought out Geneva. I was wrong. Early in 2022, Marit Fosse,
cartoons that illustrated the nascent years of editor of DIVA International Geneva, informed
international cooperation and that demonstrated me that she had a photo of the ‘fresque’, given by
Derso and Kelen’s vivid imagery, wit and the Geneva photographer Donald Stampfli who
gentle satire. These we sourced from private had, she thought, sold the original.

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