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The Golden Age of Political Cartoons

British and American political cartoons from 18th century.Created by: LOC's Public Domain ArchiveDated: 1800
Tough on Turkey / Gillam. - Public domain  engraving
It wasn't really until the 1700s that caricature truly blossomed as a form of political criticism. In the late 1750s, a man named Thomas Townshend began using the techniques employed by earlier engravers and applying them towards a political model. This gave Thompson's cartoons a much greater feeling of propaganda than previous artistic critiques of the time. The intense political climate of the period, and often accusatory nature of most political cartoons forced many artists to use pseudonyms in order to avoid accusations of libel. Other artists took it a step farther, and left their cartoons completely unsigned, foregoing any credit they may have received. Political higher-ups were notoriously touchy about their reputations and were not afraid to make examples of offenders. Puck was the first successful humor magazine in the United States of colorful cartoons, caricatures and political satire of the issues of the day. It was published from 1871 until 1918.
1,630 Media in collectionpage 17 of 17
New York's Republican "standard-bearer" / F. Opper.

New York's Republican "standard-bearer" / F. Opper.

Print shows Levi P. Morton with cane, holding a "Check Book", and his left arm around a standard that states "Down with the Iniquitous Democratic Party!! It has the Impudence to Tax Prosperity Instead of Povert... More

Caricature, American "rocks" / Ehrhart., public domain cartoon image

Caricature, American "rocks" / Ehrhart., public domain cartoon image

Print shows a well-dressed American woman carrying a hod full of moneybags toward a destitute British nobleman who is using her money to shore-up his castle and get himself back on a sound financial footing. C... More

The jingo at his old tricks again / Keppler.

The jingo at his old tricks again / Keppler.

Illustration showing the mythological figure Hermes/Mercury, as "Commerce", standing atop a cliff extending his arm to "Peace" standing on a cliff opposite with the Nicaragua Canal separating them, on the cliff... More

The shade of Jefferson protests / J.S. Pughe.

The shade of Jefferson protests / J.S. Pughe.

Illustration shows David B. Hill standing on a platform, speaking to an unseen audience; he holds a paper that states "Jefferson! Jeffersonianism!! Jeffersonian Simplicity!!!" The ghost of Thomas Jefferson is t... More

The ex-scarecrow of Europe / J.S. Pughe.

The ex-scarecrow of Europe / J.S. Pughe.

Illustration shows the Russian Bear as a soldier with rifle turned into a scarecrow labeled "Russia"; a crow labeled "Japan" bites its nose, another crow labeled "England" is perched on its cap, and a crow labe... More

Puck magazine cover - Setting the signals / Grant Hamilton.

Puck magazine cover - Setting the signals / Grant Hamilton.

Illustration shows Uncle Sam raising a red signal flag labeled "Big Crops" and "Prosperity" and a yellow signal flag labeled "Business" and "Confidence" over the U.S. Capitol building. In the background, delega... More

America's greatest Pecksniff / Keppler after Barnard.

America's greatest Pecksniff / Keppler after Barnard.

Illustration shows a man described as "America's greatest Pecksniff", an allusion to Dickens' character Seth Pecksniff in the novel Martin Chuzzlewit. He stands, full-length, facing slightly right, holding a pa... More

The same old model / L.M. Glackens.

The same old model / L.M. Glackens.

Illustration shows William Jennings Bryan showing a model sailboat labeled "Personal Popularity" to Uncle Sam who questions him about the missing keel for his boat; hanging on the wall in the background is a ke... More

Puck magazine cover - The "fixed" umpire / L.M. Glackens.

Puck magazine cover - The "fixed" umpire / L.M. Glackens.

Illustration shows a baseball game between the "Ultimate Consumer A.C." and the "Monopoly Giants" where a "Giants" ballplayer is sliding head-first into a base and is being tagged out by an "Ultimate Consumer A... More

Puck magazine cover - Shoplifting / Gordon Grant '10.

Puck magazine cover - Shoplifting / Gordon Grant '10.

Illustration shows a young man "shoplifting" a kiss from a beautiful young woman clerk in a shop. Illus. in: Puck, v. 67, no. 1730 (1910 April 27), cover. Copyright 1910 by Keppler & Schwarzmann.

Hatched one at last / L.M. Glackens.

Hatched one at last / L.M. Glackens.

Illustration shows Uncle Sam as a rooster crowing, standing next to Dame Democracy as the hen that laid the egg which has just hatched, producing a chick labeled "Wilson". Caption: After twenty years of unprod... More

Bravuras--Rival syrens--or John-Bulls rehearsal of Capt. Macheath

Bravuras--Rival syrens--or John-Bulls rehearsal of Capt. Macheath

John Bull seated, with opera hat under his arm, is beset by the rival singers, Mrs. Billington and Catalani, who sing lines adapted from the "Beggar's Opera."

Caricature, Hyenas at work / Gillam., public domain cartoon image

Caricature, Hyenas at work / Gillam., public domain cartoon image

Print shows a pack of hyenas labeled "N.Y. Commercial, N.Y. Sun, N.Y. Herald, Washtn. Post, The Rosecrans Letters, [and] 306" crowded around a sepulchral monument to James A. Garfield labeled "Fame"; those hyen... More

The coming conflagration in the European forest / F. Graetz.

The coming conflagration in the European forest / F. Graetz.

Illustration shows a scene in a dark forest with a group of men labeled "Irish Invincibles, Nihilists, Austrian Socialists, German Artisans, Republicans, Fanatical Irredentists, [and] Black Hand" carrying torch... More

The political Sam'ls of Posen / Gillam.

The political Sam'ls of Posen / Gillam.

Print shows a large group of political peddlers trying to sell their goods to Columbia as mistress of the house. Among those shown are Samuel J. Tilden selling "Tribulation Toys", Benjamin F. Butler with "Elast... More

Caricature, A sufficient reason / Ehrhart., public domain cartoon image

Caricature, A sufficient reason / Ehrhart., public domain cartoon imag...

Print shows two governesses, each with a child, in the park; one woman is having trouble controlling a little boy who is frightened of a policeman standing in the background. Caption: Miss Dolan Oi'm a-goin' ... More

Caricature, Under one flag / C.J. Taylor., public domain cartoon image

Caricature, Under one flag / C.J. Taylor., public domain cartoon image

Print shows William Jennings Bryan standing on a tree stump labeled "Demagogism" and waving a flag labeled "Repudiation", with an anarchist labeled "Dynamite" holding a "Bomb" and a torch, and standing on paper... More

Trying to float the old wreck / J.S. Pughe.

Trying to float the old wreck / J.S. Pughe.

Illustration shows William Jennings Bryan, standing in the "Presidential Sea", pulling on a rope tied to a shipwreck labeled "Democracy" which was "Stranded 1896" on rocks labeled "16 to 1", "Bryanism", and "Bo... More

Caricature, Their best friend / Keppler., public domain cartoon image

Caricature, Their best friend / Keppler., public domain cartoon image

Illustration shows a female figure labeled "Arbitration" standing between a laborer labeled "Strike" who is holding a bomb and about to throw a brick, with the words "Riot" and "Arson" appearing in the smoke bi... More

Two things he can't stop on sunday / Dalrymple.

Two things he can't stop on sunday / Dalrymple.

Illustration shows an old man labeled "Sabbatarian Bigot" dressed as a Puritan, holding a book labeled "Blue Laws" and standing in front of "Niagara Falls." A man walking with his wife and child is suggesting t... More

July the 4th 1902 / L.M. Glackens.

July the 4th 1902 / L.M. Glackens.

Illustration shows Uncle Sam hugging a youthful John Bull on the Fourth of July cover, with firecrackers on both sides of the cover image and a remarque across the bottom showing a Revolutionary War soldier sen... More

Caricature, A sound sleeper / Keppler., public domain cartoon image

Caricature, A sound sleeper / Keppler., public domain cartoon image

Illustration shows Sir Thomas Lipton beating a hand-drum labeled "American Progress", trying to wake John Bull who is sound asleep in a chair.

A tidy job; but-- / J.S. Pughe.

A tidy job; but-- / J.S. Pughe.

Illustration shows New York City mayor Seth Low, as a lion tamer holding a whip, standing next to the Tammany Tiger which is bound in ribbons labeled "Civic Honesty, Fusion, Decent Government, Municipal Reforms... More

Will it hatch? / J.S. Pughe. - Political cartoon, public domain image

Will it hatch? / J.S. Pughe. - Political cartoon, public domain image

Illustration shows Alton B. Parker as a chicken sitting on a large egg labeled "Parker Boom". Illus. in: Puck, v. 55, no. 1413 (1904 March 30), cover. Copyright 1904 by Keppler & Schwarzmann.

"De-light-ed!" / Keppler. - Political cartoon, public domain image

"De-light-ed!" / Keppler. - Political cartoon, public domain image

Illustration shows a large donkey sitting on its haunches, it is wearing a rough-rider hat and spectacles, and smiling like Theodore Roosevelt at the diminutive figures of Alton B. Parker and William Jennings B... More

The democratic Micawber / K with thanks.

The democratic Micawber / K with thanks.

Illustration shows William Jennings Bryan, full-length portrait, standing, facing slightly right, as the eternally hopeful Mr. Micawber from the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield. Caption: "Waiting for s... More

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego / L.M. Glackens.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego / L.M. Glackens.

Illustration shows three smiling, bloated monks labeled "Food Monopoly, Clothing Monopoly, [and] Building Material Monopoly" walking over flames labeled "Tariff Revision" in a superheated furnace. Caption: Wil... More

It's a shame the way they treat that cat! / K.

It's a shame the way they treat that cat! / K.

Illustration shows a cat labeled "The Consumer" sitting on the steps to the U.S. Capitol where a sign has been posted stating "Out of Town for the Summer Republican Congress".

Britannias ruin, British Cartoon Print, Political Cartoon

Britannias ruin, British Cartoon Print, Political Cartoon

Print shows Britannia lamenting her present state, her shield and broken lance by her side, "What a situation am I in sold by an American & purchased by France & Spain. Oh, wheres my Pitt." Four men are standin... More

The fall of Washington--or Maddy in full flight, British Cartoon Print

The fall of Washington--or Maddy in full flight, British Cartoon Print

Cartoon showing President James Madison and probably John Armstrong, his secretary of war, both with bundles of papers, fleeing from Washington, with burning buildings behind them. Forms part of :British Cartoo... More

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