Opening of the Campaign Year-Walkin’ Fur de Cake, by Bernhard Gillam, Judge, 1888 January 14
Item — Box: 1, Folder: 30
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
- Created: 1888 January 14
Creator
- Gillam, Bernhard, 1856-1896 (Person)
Access:
Anyone may access these political cartoons.
Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Political cartoon
Condition Note:
Fair. The material has yellowed and has some tears.
Measurements:
11 ⅜ x 18 ¼ in
Title:
Opening of the Campaign Year-Walkin’ Fur de Cake
Description:
The cartoon by Bernhard Gillam for Judge Magazine displays a scene of people walking in a line past a cake. The cartoon depicts different politicians and notable people for 1888 politics, though they have all been drawn in blackface. This cartoon is in reference to the 1888 presidential campaign specifically. They are in line walking towards a cake that is supposed to represent whomever wins the election and will be president in 1889. Each of these people were involved in events leading up to the 1888 election, and in the early stages of the election itself. The cake is on a decorated table with a pink tablecloth and curtain, and different ribbons. The cake is a larger pink cake that says, “Presidency 1889.” The line of people are all in pairs in formal attire with some men being in dresses. The first pair is Grover Cleveland in a green jacket, and John G. Carlisle in a pink dress that is labeled “Carlisle.” The second pair is Whitelaw Reid in a green dress holding a fan that is labeled, “Reid,” and a card that is labeled, “Order of Dancing,” with James G. Blaine in a green and orange jacket. The third pair is Susan B. Anthony in a red dress holding a fan that says, “Susan B. Anthony,” and Benjamin Butler in an orange jacket. The fourth is John Sherman in a green suit with a jacket that says “Sherman” and Joseph B. Foraker in a pink dress with a pink hat that says “Foraker.” The next is David B. Hill in a green and orange dress holding a fan that says “Hill” and Charles A. Dana in a brown suit. The pair behind them is Belva Lockwood with a green sash around her waist that says” Belva Lockwood” and John St. John with a large orange bowtie that is labeled “St. John.” Behind them is George McGlynn in a dress with a pink bow on his head that says, “Mc. Glynn,” and Henry George in an orange and green suit that says, “George” across the stomach, with a bouquet of flowers that says, “Anti-Poverty.” Behind them is Chauncy Depew in a blue dress holding a bouquet that says, “Depew’s Popularity” and William Evarts in an orange suit. The next pair is James Gordon Bennet Sr. in a brown jacket with a scarf that says, “N.Y. Herald,” and Roscoe Conkling in a pink dress with a hat that says, “Conkling,” on the feather. Next, the pair is George F. Edmunds in a white dress with a fan that says “Edmund,” and George W. Curtis in a green jacket and white shirt that says “Curtis.” The final pair is Frank Hiscock in a green jacket and green vest that says “Hiscock” and John A. Sleicher in an orange dress that says “Albany Journal. The creator of the cartoon, Victor Gillam, is an English cartoonist who worked on cartoons for numerous publications. He was born in England, but moved to New York as a child. He had worked as a copywriter until he began making cartoons for New York Graphic. He became a cartoonist and did work for Harper’s Weekly, Puck magazine, and Judge magazine, where he later became the director. He is also the brother of Victor Gillam. On the back side of the cartoon are various unrelated cartoons with their own captions.
Transcription:
The title is printed below the cartoon, “Opening of the Campaign Year-Walkin’ Fur de Cake.” Also below the title is a caption, “Suggested by the picture in the Christmas Judge.”
- Anthony, Susan B. (Susan Brownell), 1820-1906
- Bennett, James Gordon, Sr., 1795-1872
- Blackface.
- Butler, Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin), 1818-1893.
- Carlisle, John Griffin, 1834-1910
- Cleveland, Grover, 1837-1908.
- Conkling, Roscoe, 1829-1888.
- Curtis, George William, 1824-1892
- Dana Charles Anderson, 1819-1897
- Depew, Chauncey M. (Chauncey Mitchell), 1834-1928.
- Edmunds, George F. (George Franklin), 1828-1919
- Evarts, William Maxwell, 1818-1901
- Foraker, Joseph Benson, 1846-1917
- George, Henry, 1839-1897
- Gillam, Victor, 1858-1920
- Hill, David B. (David Bennett), 1843-1910
- Hiscock, Frank, 1834-1914
- McGlynn, Edward, 1837-1900
- Presidential elections--1880-1890.
- Reid, Whitelaw, 1837-1912.
- Sherman, John, 1823-1900
- Sleicher, John A, 1848-1921
- St. John, John Pierce, 1833-1916
Creator
- Gillam, Bernhard, 1856-1896 (Person)
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