Sketches in the American Far West,by Charles Robinson, The Illustrated London News, 1880 April 17
Item — Box: 1, Folder: 79
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: 1880 April 17
Creator
- Robinson, Charles, 1870-1937 (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:
Poor. The material has a rip on the bottom right corner.
Measurements:
10.7 x 15.6
Title:
Sketches in the American Far West
Description:
The cartoon by Charles Robinson for The Illustrated London News has a few different scenes of the American west. The back of the cartoon has an article that corresponds to the illustration. This political cartoon was intended to show what the “Far American West” was like in 1880 to Londoners. First, the article talks about newly freed slaves from the South moving to rural parts of Kansas, since slavery was not as popular there as other states. The article's author, who is unknown, claims that Kansas offered security to freed slaves. This is somewhat accurate since it is true that many freed slaves would migrate to Kansas also believing in a similar romanticized image of it. This was referred to as the “Kansas Exodus” after investigation by a committee in the Senate. The migration was controversial among freed slaves, because many believed they should remain in the South and fight to gain more rights. It then talks about mining for minerals like silver and gold in Colorado. It talks about farmers moving to more remote areas of the West to seek new land. The three separated images are described as being depictions of the “absolute Far West,” and are mentioned as being a Native American man, a Chinese man, and a Black boy. The article and cartoon romanticize the parts of the West that are inhabited mostly by white people and says that the “absolute Far West” should be overtaken by pilgrims to make it better. The Illustrated London News was a hugely popular magazine that ran from 1842 to 1971, but continues on today under a different name as a publishing company. It was the first ever illustrated weekly magazine and gained loyal readers even when other magazines began showing up. They covered events in both Britain and America right from their first ever edition. Being a conservative paper, their views on events in America were similar to those of early Democratic papers in America like Puck Magazine. The first scene shows racist and exaggerated depictions of Black men, women, and children standing and sitting around a tree in farming clothes. The scene is captioned, “ Negro Immigrants At Topeka KS.” On the left is a small picture of a man with a large sun hat sitting with his leg out. The next larger scene is two men and a boy on a mountain. One man is standing and leaning on a pickaxe. The other man beside him is swinging his pickaxe down towards the rocks in front of them.The boy in the background has a large hat and is looking over at the two men. This scene is captioned, “Colorado Miners Prospecting.” In the bottom left corner is a Chinese man drawn in a racist and stereotyped way, writing into a paper against a wall, and above him is a sign that says, “Sing Lee Washing.” The bottom middle scene shows people standing and sitting around a group of pitched tents, a fire, and a wagon with a horse. This is captioned, “Campers On The Prairie.” The final scene is a small one of a racist and exaggerated depiction of a Black boy walking and carrying a bucket. The creator, Charles Robinson, was an illustrator from London. Robinson’s father and brothers were all also illustrators. Robinson mostly did work illustrating for books, but like one of his brothers, he did illustrations for The Illustrated London News.
Location:
Kansas; American West
Transcription:
The title is printed below the image, “Sketches In The American Far West. –See Page 371.”
Creator
- Robinson, Charles, 1870-1937 (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