Subseries I: Vanity Fair Magazine (British, 1868-1914), 1869 - 1887
Sub-Series
Scope and Content:
From the Collection:
The Helen Farr Sloan’s political cartoon collection (1802-1950) contains a variety of prints of political cartoons, illustrations, and caricatures from several different magazines. The collection contains pages from magazines, pages from books, and other prints that were not a part of a publication. The magazines featured include Puck, Judge, Vanity Fair (British, 1868-1914), Vanity Fair (American, 1913-1936), Harper’s Weekly, Gil Blas, Le Charivari, Truth, The New Yorker, The Illustrated London News, The New York Herald, and The Sun. There are other series included like Treagar’s Black Jokes and Le Gens de Paris. There are works from publishers like S.W. Fores, Currier & Ives, and J.Sidebotham. Also included are works by Rowlandson, which are individually published.
The first series contains cartoons from Puck magazine. Its materials are pages and covers from the magazine including the fronts and backs of the pages. The artists that are included are Frederick Burr Opper, Frederich Graetz, Bernhard Gillam, J.S. Pughe, James Albert Wales, and Samuel Ehrhart.
The second series contains cartoons from Judge magazine. The materials are pages and covers from the magazine and include both the fronts and backs of the pages. The artists that are included are Thomas Worth, Bernhard Gillam, Victor Gillam, and Grant E. Hamilton.
The third series contains cartoons, caricatures, and portraits from Vanity Fair (British, 1868-1914) and Vanity Fair (American, 1913-1936) magazines. The materials for the British magazine include the one-sided caricatures and cartoons featured in the publication. The material for the American magazine contains a portrait on the front and a table of contents on the back of the page. The artists that are included are Carlo Pellegrini (Ape/Singe), James Tissot (Coïdé), Thomas Nast, Leslie Ward (Spy), and William Henry Cotton.
The fourth series contains cartoons from Harper’s Weekly magazine. The materials include the front and back side of pages from the magazine. The artists that are included are William L. Sheppard, Charles G. Bush, Thomas Nast, and A.B. Frost.
The fifth series contains cartoons, caricatures, and illustrations from various magazines and publications. The artists and their publications include Théophile Steinlin, from Gil Blas, Sulpice Guillaume Chevalier (Paul Gavarni), from Le Gens de Paris, Thomas Rowlandson, William Summers, from Tregear’s Black Jokes, Charles Williams, William Elmes, George Cruikshank, Isaac Robert Cruikshank, Jules Joseph Georges Renard (Draner), Charles Robinson, from The Illustrated London News, Thomas Worth, Richard F. Outcault, from the New York Herald, Helen E. Hokinson, from The New Yorker, Charles Amédée de Noé (Cham), from Le Charivari, Sydney B. Griffin, from Truth, Oscar Cesare, from The Sun, and William Bruns.
There are a wide variety of themes and events covered in the cartoons and illustrations throughout the collection. There are numerous presidential elections covered including the elections of 1806, 1880, 1884, 1888, 1892, and 1900. The 43rd and 54th Congresses are both represented within cartoons in the series. Other events that are shown in cartoons in the collection are the Chicago World’s Fair/World’s Columbian Exposition, the Spanish-American War, Reconstruction, and the Kansas Exodus. There are also many representations of the Democratic, Republican, Greenback, and Citizens parties as well as Tammany Hall. Other themes included are immigration, Jewish communities, social ambition, weather problems, voting rights, the gold standard vs. free silver debate, diseases, family roles, plantations, white supremacy groups, Communism, financial issues, militaries, pic-nic societies, King George IV’s court, political corruption, and social events and issues. A large number of the cartoons included in the collections are products of their times and therefore many include racist language and depictions. The transcriptions and metadata associated with each cartoon is described as is for the purpose of providing the easiest access to the collection and does in no way reflect the views of Wilkes University or its archive department.
The first series contains cartoons from Puck magazine. Its materials are pages and covers from the magazine including the fronts and backs of the pages. The artists that are included are Frederick Burr Opper, Frederich Graetz, Bernhard Gillam, J.S. Pughe, James Albert Wales, and Samuel Ehrhart.
The second series contains cartoons from Judge magazine. The materials are pages and covers from the magazine and include both the fronts and backs of the pages. The artists that are included are Thomas Worth, Bernhard Gillam, Victor Gillam, and Grant E. Hamilton.
The third series contains cartoons, caricatures, and portraits from Vanity Fair (British, 1868-1914) and Vanity Fair (American, 1913-1936) magazines. The materials for the British magazine include the one-sided caricatures and cartoons featured in the publication. The material for the American magazine contains a portrait on the front and a table of contents on the back of the page. The artists that are included are Carlo Pellegrini (Ape/Singe), James Tissot (Coïdé), Thomas Nast, Leslie Ward (Spy), and William Henry Cotton.
The fourth series contains cartoons from Harper’s Weekly magazine. The materials include the front and back side of pages from the magazine. The artists that are included are William L. Sheppard, Charles G. Bush, Thomas Nast, and A.B. Frost.
The fifth series contains cartoons, caricatures, and illustrations from various magazines and publications. The artists and their publications include Théophile Steinlin, from Gil Blas, Sulpice Guillaume Chevalier (Paul Gavarni), from Le Gens de Paris, Thomas Rowlandson, William Summers, from Tregear’s Black Jokes, Charles Williams, William Elmes, George Cruikshank, Isaac Robert Cruikshank, Jules Joseph Georges Renard (Draner), Charles Robinson, from The Illustrated London News, Thomas Worth, Richard F. Outcault, from the New York Herald, Helen E. Hokinson, from The New Yorker, Charles Amédée de Noé (Cham), from Le Charivari, Sydney B. Griffin, from Truth, Oscar Cesare, from The Sun, and William Bruns.
There are a wide variety of themes and events covered in the cartoons and illustrations throughout the collection. There are numerous presidential elections covered including the elections of 1806, 1880, 1884, 1888, 1892, and 1900. The 43rd and 54th Congresses are both represented within cartoons in the series. Other events that are shown in cartoons in the collection are the Chicago World’s Fair/World’s Columbian Exposition, the Spanish-American War, Reconstruction, and the Kansas Exodus. There are also many representations of the Democratic, Republican, Greenback, and Citizens parties as well as Tammany Hall. Other themes included are immigration, Jewish communities, social ambition, weather problems, voting rights, the gold standard vs. free silver debate, diseases, family roles, plantations, white supremacy groups, Communism, financial issues, militaries, pic-nic societies, King George IV’s court, political corruption, and social events and issues. A large number of the cartoons included in the collections are products of their times and therefore many include racist language and depictions. The transcriptions and metadata associated with each cartoon is described as is for the purpose of providing the easiest access to the collection and does in no way reflect the views of Wilkes University or its archive department.
Dates
- 1869 - 1887
Access:
Anyone may access these political cartoons.
Extent
From the Collection: 1 boxes
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Subseries I: Vanity Fair Magazine (British, 1868-1914), 1869-1887
Vanity Fair Magazine (British, 1868-1914) was a weekly magazine in England that was founded by Thomas Gibson Bowles (1841-1922). It ran from 1868 until 1914 and contained a range of articles including those on fashion, theatre, current events, fiction, and word puzzles. Its main focus was social issues and people of Victorian and Edwardian societies. The magazine was well known for its caricatures of famous people including athletes, statesmen, royalty, authors, military figures, religious figures, and many foreign rulers. They released different collections including their Statesmen, Sovereigns, and Men of the Day collections. The majority of cartoonists and caricaturists that worked for Vanity Fair signed their work with pseudonyms. This sub-series features four artists who have a few different works each within the sub-series.
The artists featured in this sub-series include:
Carlo Pellegrini (1839-1889), an Italian artist who did both paintings and caricatures. He drew caricatures in Italy for a few years when he was younger, then he moved to England where he met Thomas Gibson Bowles (1841-1922). He was employed at Vanity Fair and created the first caricature that appeared in the magazine which contributed heavily to its popularity. He originally signed his work under the name “Singe”, but later changed to “Ape” which he became known for. He was associated with many different famous artists and did portrait work for a brief period of time. He used his caricatures to make fun of people, but most of the time it was lighthearted and people felt honored to be drawn by him. His works in this sub-series include “Statesmen No.19,” “Statesmen No. 59,” “The Tory Bloodhound,” “Journalism,” “Swam the Channel,” “The Poet’s Son,” and “Irish Loyalty.”
James Tissot (1836-1902), a French artist who did a lot of work as a painter and as an illustrator. He painted a large variety of works in both realism and impressionism. He had also fought during the Franco-Prussian War before meeting Thomas Gibson Bowles (1841-1922) and joining Vanity Fair in 1869. He wrote under the pseudonym “Coïdé” during his time at the magazine. He worked on different series for the magazine including his most well known “Sovereigns.” He used this to criticize people in positions of power in a way that was less intense than most political cartoons would later be. His works included in this sub-series are “Sovereigns No. 1,” “Sovereigns No. 5,” and “Men of the Day No. 61.”
Thomas Nast (1840-1902), a German cartoonist and caricature artist who is credited with being the “Father of the American Cartoon.” He had been sent to New York as a young boy and eventually started studying under different artists and attending art school. He worked for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, though his drawings were not published until he started drawing for Harper’s Weekly in 1859. He briefly worked abroad for The Illustrated London News and Vanity Fair. He returned to New York and worked for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper and the New York Illustrated News and in 1862 he became a full time staff member for Harper’s Weekly. He was known for influencing public opinion during elections and popularizing political symbols. Nast’s work that appears in this sub-series is “Sovereigns No. 10.”
Leslie Ward (1851-1922), an English painter and caricaturist who came from a family full of artists. He had originally worked towards becoming an architect and drew caricatures of his classmates. He eventually convinced his father to allow him to become an artist and attended school for art. He sent some of his work to Thomas Gibson Bowles (1841-1922) and was hired eventually to replace Carlo Pellegrini (1839-1889). He worked for Vanity Fair for almost forty years drawing both caricatures and portraits. He signed his work with the pseudonym “Spy” and occasionally “Drawl.” . Many considered his caricatures to be too sympathetic and lighthearted, which eventually led to his focus on portraits. His works that are included in this sub-series are “Statesmen No. 150,” “The Pattern Private Secretary,” “Lay Episcopacy,” “The Working-Man Member,” and “Law.”
James Tissot (1836-1902), a French artist who did a lot of work as a painter and as an illustrator. He painted a large variety of works in both realism and impressionism. He had also fought during the Franco-Prussian War before meeting Thomas Gibson Bowles (1841-1922) and joining Vanity Fair in 1869. He wrote under the pseudonym “Coïdé” during his time at the magazine. He worked on different series for the magazine including his most well known “Sovereigns.” He used this to criticize people in positions of power in a way that was less intense than most political cartoons would later be. His works included in this sub-series are “Sovereigns No. 1,” “Sovereigns No. 5,” and “Men of the Day No. 61.”
Thomas Nast (1840-1902), a German cartoonist and caricature artist who is credited with being the “Father of the American Cartoon.” He had been sent to New York as a young boy and eventually started studying under different artists and attending art school. He worked for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, though his drawings were not published until he started drawing for Harper’s Weekly in 1859. He briefly worked abroad for The Illustrated London News and Vanity Fair. He returned to New York and worked for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper and the New York Illustrated News and in 1862 he became a full time staff member for Harper’s Weekly. He was known for influencing public opinion during elections and popularizing political symbols. Nast’s work that appears in this sub-series is “Sovereigns No. 10.”
Leslie Ward (1851-1922), an English painter and caricaturist who came from a family full of artists. He had originally worked towards becoming an architect and drew caricatures of his classmates. He eventually convinced his father to allow him to become an artist and attended school for art. He sent some of his work to Thomas Gibson Bowles (1841-1922) and was hired eventually to replace Carlo Pellegrini (1839-1889). He worked for Vanity Fair for almost forty years drawing both caricatures and portraits. He signed his work with the pseudonym “Spy” and occasionally “Drawl.” . Many considered his caricatures to be too sympathetic and lighthearted, which eventually led to his focus on portraits. His works that are included in this sub-series are “Statesmen No. 150,” “The Pattern Private Secretary,” “Lay Episcopacy,” “The Working-Man Member,” and “Law.”
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu