Thomas Nast Political Cartoon Collection

Posted December 15, 2010 - 1:44pm by revetts

Thomas Nast Political Cartoon Collection
2.25 linear feet ; two 13.5 x 19.5 flat gray boxes ; one 26.5 x 19.5 flat gray box
This collection contains approximately 160 Nast cartoons clipped from the pages of Harper's Weekly. They range in date from 1866 to 1886.

Basic details

Control number:

MSS-034

Collection dates:

1866 - 1886

Size on shelf:

2.25 linear ft

Provenance

The items which comprise this collection were donated to the Archives and Special Collections Department Elicia and Lee Wolf, Falls Church, Virginia, on July 28, 2003.

Biographical note

Thomas Nast was born September 26, 1840 in Landau, Germany. His family immigrated to New York City in 1846. Nast, who studied art, found his first job as a reportorial artist at age 15 with Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. He was hired by Harper's Weekly in 1862 to produce sketches of the fighting during the Civil War. His drawing for Harper's Weekly eventually evolved into doing political caricatures. During his career with Harper's Weekly, which lasted until 1886, he produced approximately 2200 political cartoons. He is famous for his attacks on "Boss" Tweed and the "Tammany Hall" political machine in New York City in the 1860s and 1870's. He is also credited with creating the elephant and donkey political symbols for the
Republican and Democratic parties. Nast died in 1902 of yellow fever while serving as the consul general to Ecuador.

Scope and content

This collection contains approximately 160 Nast cartoons clipped from the pages of Harper's Weekly. They range in date from 1866 to 1886.

Container list

Thomas Nast Political Cartoon Collection
3 flat gray boxes
1/1 - 01-14-1866 - The uprising of Italy
1/2 - 02-09-1867 - The Pope ordering our minister, Mr. King, to Rome American Protestant worship from Rome
1/3 - 06-15-1867 - Infanticide
1/4 - 07-11-1868 - Would you marry your daughter to a nigger?
1/5 - 07-18-1868 - The youngest introducing the oldest
1/6 - 07-03-1869 - Six days with the devil and one with God
1/7 - 12-25-1869 - The economical council, Albany, New York
1/8 - 02-26-1870 - Our common schools as they are and as they may be
1/9 - 08-20-1870 - Robbing the cradle and the grave / The best of friends must part - "Au revoir" (2 cartoons on one page)
1/10 - 06-10-1871 - The madness of Paris
1/11 - 11-25-1871 - What are you laughing at? To the victor belongs the spoils
1/12 - 02-17-1872 - Get thee behind me (Mrs.) Satan
1/13 - 01-06-1872 - Can the law reach him? - The dwarf and the giant thief
1/14 - 08-10-1872 - The cats-paw - Any thing to get chestnuts
1/15 - 08-31-1872 - The new Democratic Party whip - whipping into line
1/16 - 09-14-1872 - The next in order - any thing! Oh, any thing!
1/17 - 09-27-1872 - Circumstances alter cases
1/18 - 10-19-1872 - Who are the haters?
1/19 - 11-02-1872 - Our foreign rule(?) / I would rather be right than president / I would do any thing to be president / The German vote / The same old smell (4 cartoons on one page)
3/1 - 11-09-1872 - The pirates, under false colors - can they capture the ship of state?
1/20 - 12-21-1872 - The herb that will heal the discontented wild Irishman
1/21 - 12-28-1872 - Who shall rule?
1/22 - 01-04-1873 - The finger of scorn
1/23 - 03-22-1873 - The cherubs of the Credit Mobilier
1/24 - 10-18-1873 - Out of the ruins
1/25 - 12-06-1873 - Victory sits on our helm
1/26 - 05-02-1874 - Robbing the grave, and shielding themselves behind the tombstone
1/27 - empty
1/28 - 05-16-1874 - The cradle of liberty out of danger
1/29 - 05-23-1874 - Public opinion - April 22, 1874
1/30 - 06-06-1874 - A step in the right direction
1/31 - 06-13-1874 - A dead failure
1/32 - 06-20-1874 - The greatest joke of the century
1/33 - 07-18-1874 - Don't let us have any more of this nonsense. It is a good trait to stand by one's friends: but -
1/34 - 08-08-1874 - The mere shadow has some backbone
1/35 - 08-22-1874 - Who ought to have the cardinal's hat in America?
3/2 - 09-19-1874 - The same old pirate afloat again
1/36 - 11-21-1874 - Caught in a trap - the result of the third-term hoax
1/37 - 01-02-1875 - The outs always wake up the ins
1/38 - 01-23-1875 - Drawing his sword for the political Roman Church
1/39 - 01-30-1875 - General Sheridan stands by his dispatches
1/40 - 02-20-1875 - Garibaldi at Rome - time works wonders
1/41 - 03-13-1875 - Under parole of honor - the ex-officers of the ex-confederate army in congress
1/42 - 03-27-1875 - Hammering woke them at last
1/43 - 03-27-1875 - A moonshine scene
1/44 - 04-10-1875 - Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty
1/45 - 04-10-1875 - Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty (copy 2)
1/46 - 04-17-1875 - Required to live under a new order of things
1/47 - 05-15-1875 - The next pardon on the reform farce
1/48 - 05-15-1875 - The next pardon in the reform farce
1/49 - 07-10-1875 - Homo-phobia
1/50 - 07-16-1875 - Pocketing the missing plank
1/51 - 01-30-1875 - Pitiful reform
1/52 - 11-06-1875 - It sounds well! - The prologue before the farce
1/53 - 11-06-1875 - Out of one into another?
1/54 - 11-13-1875 - Another "respectable" failure
1/55 - 12-04-1875 - Thanksgiving finance
1/56 - 12-04-1875 - The two ring tailors
1/57 - 12-04-1875 - O'boss Tammany wake
1/58 - 12-25-1875 - J.G.B., Jun., In his property-room
1/59 - 01-15-1876 - Madness (yet there's method in it)
1/60 - 02-19-1876 - A Georgia hill
1/61 - 03-11-1876 - Injured innocence - Southern "chivalry" not dead yet
1/62 - 03-18-1876 - The martyr of Anersonville
1/63 - 04-29-1876 - Killing polite
1/64 - 05-20-1876 - The democratic tiger gone mad
1/65 - 06-10-1876 - Columbium beware of harboring a viper in your bosom
3/3 - 08-12-1876 - Declaration of equality
1/66 - 10-28-1876 - "The elephant walks around" - and the "still hunt" is nearly over
1/67 - 12-09-1876 - The ignorant vote - honors are easy
1/68 - 12-09-1876 - The indifference of Uncle Sam
1/69 - 12-09-1876 - Uncle Sam put in his bier / 4-00,000 more
1/70 - 12-23 1876 - Caesar, now be still (23 cartoons on one page)
2/1 - 01-06-1877 - History repeats itself
2/2 - 01-27-1877 - The Mexican Don Quixote
2/3 - 03-24-2877 - Ever so to "ancient frauds" - a bouy to ward off southern navigators from "a snare and a delusion."
2/4 - 05-19-1877 - The advanced age 2/5 - 05-26-1877 - Impatient to enter 2/6 - 07-07-1877 - Foully murdered 2/7 – 11-03-1877 - The eastern question (growing daily more complicated) 2/8 – 11-10-1877 - Another sedan 2/9 – 11-17-1877 - Les Deux presidents - Elysee 2-10 - 12-15-1877 - C.O.D. 2-11 - 01-26-1878 - The Secretary of the Interior investigating the Indian Bureau 2-12 - 04-06-1878 - Awaiting provocation 2-13 - 04-06-1878 - Awaiting provocation. (copy 2) 2-14 - 04-13-1878 - Manhood and honor should have hare hearts 2-15 - 06-01-1878 - Waiting 2-16 - 07-27-1878 - Is it ever thus with arbitrators 2-17 - 07-27-1878 - Is it ever thus with arbitrators (copy 2) 2-18 - 08-17-1878 - Swill milk 3-4 - 11-09-1878 - Help! 2-19 - 11-30-1878 - Chained 2-20 - 12-14-1878 - The field of smoke 2-21 - 12-14-1878 - The field of smoke (copy 2) 2-22 - 12-28-1878 - Spoiling for a fight 2-23 - 02-01-1879 - Very social 2-24 - 06-14-1879 - National importance 2-25 - 06-21-1879 - The old national spirit is gone (for the Present) 2-26 - 07-05-1879 - Another sore on the body politic 2-27 - 07-26-1879 - The Statesman at home 2-28 - 07-26-1879 - The Statesman at home (copy 2) 2-29 - 08-02-1879 - The campaign song 2-30 - 08-16-1879 - Stop hazing in toto 2-31 - 08-16-1879 - Stop hazing in toto (copy 2) 2-32 - 09-06-1879 - A high old tariff time 2-33 - 11-29-1879 - None but the brave deserves the fair 2-34 - 12-13-1879 - On ice 2-35 - 12-13-1879 - On ice (copy 2) 2-36 - 01-17-1880 - The quack's main(e) dose - that will cure or kill 2-37 - 02-21-1880 - The unprotected female 2-38 - 02-28-1880 - The herald of relief from America 2-39 - 04-10-1880 - Our Yankee notion 2-40 - 04-17-1880 - Don't! 2-41 - 05-15-1880 - It is whispered again that Tilden has given in 2-42 - 10-23-1880 - Freedom of suffrage to the blacks means freedom of suffrage to the whites 2-43 - 12-04-1880 - The heat of the last political campaign 2-44 - 04-16-1881 - The readjusting performance 2-45 - 08-20-1881 - Let us have a clean sweep all around New York 2-46 - 12-31-1881 - Constancy is a jewel 2-47 - 04-15-1882 - The veto 2-48 - 05-20-1882 - Fiendish assassins 2-49 - 09-09-1882 - More protection in a free country - Doctor Bismarck - Dear Dr.Bismarck (2 cartoons on one page) 2-50 - 11-04-1882 - Bill Sykes - A boss warning - Making his toy horse rear (3 cartoons on one page) 2-51 - 11-11-1882 - As of old (the British) Caesar will grow fat in Egypt 2-52 - 11-18-1882 - Now, then, behave yourself 2-53 - 12-09-1882 - Reduce taxation 2-54 - 03-22-1884 - The silver delusion 2-55 - 04-05-1884 - Blaine canvassing 2-56 - 04-05-1884 - Blaine canvassing (copy 2) 2-57 - 04-19-1884 - Reform without bloodshed 2-58 - 04-26-1884 - The great democratic protectionist of his country's interests 2-59 - 05-31-1884 - The loves of the nations 2-60 - 06-21-1884 - I ought not to assume a task which I have not the strength to carry through 2-61 - 06-21-1884 - Plucked too soon 3-5 - 06-21-1884 - Death before dishonor 2-62 - 07-05-1884 - See Blaine and go one better 2-63 - 07-12-1884 - The boss convention 2-64 - 07-19-1884 - An independent victory 2-65 - 08-02-1884 - The key-note of the great presidential trial (1884) 2-66 - 08-16-1884 - The so-called intensely American candidate 2-67 - 09-13-1884 - How they got their heads together 2-68 - 09-20-1884 - The issue of protection to American labor 2-69 - 09-27-1884 - Grave regrets 2-70 - 09-27-1884 - The teetotal dodger2-71 - 10-18-1884 - Lashing himself into fever heat 2-72 - 10-25-1884 - A job lot 2-73 - 10-25-1884 - Cold water comfort 2-74 - 11-15-1884 - That boodleful dinner at Delmonico's before the election (October 29) 2-75 - 01-16-1886 - A good spirit to follow 2-76 - 01-23-1886 - The switcher switched 2-77 - 04-03-1886 - Our royal rulers (by divine right) in secret session 2-78 - 05-01-1886 - Oliver Cromwell and Charles I 2-79 - 05-22-1886 - The true-hearted squire 2-80 - 06-12-1886 - Blessed be the union 2-81 - 06-12-1886 - Blessed be the union (copy 2) 2-82 - 06-26-1886 - What is sure to stick 2-83 - 07-24-1886 - A too short vacation Series 2: Nast article and portrait 3-6 - 08-26-1871 - Thomas Nast (includes portrait) pp.803-805