Two Fitzgerald Strike-Throughs

To avoid potential counterfeiting of a Scott Fitzgerald commemorative stamp, the U.S. Post Office ran a strike-through across the 23.
The stamp was issued in 1996 when the cost of a first-class stamp was thirty-two cents. Holy Dyslexia! But the cost of an additional ounce of postage was twenty-three cents. Logic–that necessary evil–rears its heads in the strangest places.


In the photograph above, the digit 2 has been stricken through. The accompanying history behind the Fitzgerald commemorative stamp, however, pales in comparison to the hand-made history behind a genuine F. Scott Fitzgerald strike-through of the same digit.
"Hand-made" because it involves what is believed to be the only cartoon illustration ever drawn by Mr. Fitzgerald. Text identifying the seven people in the cartoon can be found here but please refrain from linking to the red ink until you...

Find the Scott Fitzgerald strike-through.

In a Through The Looking Glass gesture, I treated myself to a gift on Mr. Fitzgerald's 116th birthday. It is a framed–and significantly enlarged–copy of the titled Parisian cartoon with the undeleted strike-through.
To view an enlarged copy of the cartoon, per se, link to the red ink above and then click on Scott's hand-made illustration. Be sure your imagination is in working order when you get there.

Upon your return, you can use it to answer these questions.

Why are there two mermaids at the table?

The woman in the middle is Zelda Fitzgerald. Does she have two feet or are those pencil stubs?

Is the fourth woman wearing a gown or a balloon?

Does James Joyce really have a halo over his head or is that a floating dish? And what the hell kind of food were these people eating? Those upright things on the table: are they paintbrushes?

Did Scott Fitzgerald have disembodied hands?

Answers to these questions may vary by zip code or personal code and damn well they should.
But another question transports us to a Strike-Through the Looking Glass:

Regarding the commemorative stamp as falling a dime short of the first class postage: How do we justify honoring the author of The Perfect Novel (a/k/a "The Great Gatsby) as being less than first-class?

Obviously, Scott Fitzgerald was not a first-class illustrator. But given the vast tonnage of his reputation as a writer, this cartoon is worth an additional ounce to his legend.



Blogger's Notes
The reverse birthday gift would not have been possible were it not for the receptionist at the Alpert Community Center. He just happened to be reading a book by James Joyce and I just happened to be in a story-telling mood.

If you celebrate your birthday, someone else's birthday–or any other occasion–by going to the SYLVIA BEACH HOTEL, a splendid time is guaranteed. It is unquestionably the most bookish seaside resort in the United States.
In 1928, It was Sylvia who arranged for Scott Fitzgerald to meet his idol, James Joyce. That Mr. Joyce owes his global literary status to Sylvia Beach will have to wait for a future blogpost. However, if you do visit the hotel and do get to see a copy of the Fitzgerald cartoon she inspired, you have the Godfather of Math to thank for the privilege. I emailed a copy (sans strike-through) to the hotel owner two years ago.
The only thing that would be better is if the Sylvia Beach Hotel has the original illustration on exhibit.