[Civil War drawings and cartes de visite reproductions of drawings by Henry Louis Stephens] [graphic].
Title
[Civil War drawings and cartes de visite reproductions of drawings by Henry Louis Stephens]
Description
Series of caricatures predominately satirizing the effects of the presidential policies of Abraham Lincoln on his re-election and the candidacy of Democratic nominee and former Commander of the U.S. Army, George McClellan, in the presidential election of 1864. Lincoln caricatures depict racist scenes and themes of election loss and show the president as a comic stage performer; a feeding open-mouthed tool of the abolitionists; as a defeated Robin Hood with his "Band of Brothers," (i.e. cabinet members Edwin Stanton, William Seward, and Gideon Welles); as weighed down by the "Old Keystone", a visual metaphor for the large number of Pennsylvania soldiers lost in the war; as a buffoon tripped up by his large boots of "military necessity"; as patronizing a miniature McClellan propped up on the "Chicago Platform"; as McClellan's puppeteer; and as "loved little and long" for his emancipation of the enslaved. McClellan caricatures primarily use the themes of McClellan, known as "The Young Napoleon," as a "MacNapoleon" and his contradictory personal and party platforms in relation to the war. Caricatures show "MacNapoleon" searching for the White House, childishly whining about his quest for the White house, and singing a "doleful ditty" about himself. Platform caricatures show McClellan as a squeeze doll who speaks two words - war and peace, and in a "Quandary" to choose between a ballerina representing war and another representing peace. Collection also contains caricatures of Edward Stanton making a "Soliloquy" as an allusion to a Republican loss in the presidential election; of Peace Democrat Clement Vallandigham satirizing his sentence of banishment to the South for anti-war sentiments as well as a racist caricature of the "The American Eagle.1864. A likely young bird" showing an eagle with the head of an African American resting on the American shield marked "E. Pluribus. U-No-Um.", Title supplied by cataloger., Date from copyright., Created postfreeze., Originally part of McAllister scrapbooks of materials related to Abraham Lincoln and of humorous caricatures and photographs. McAlister Collection, gift, 1886., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Creator
Stephens, H. L. (Henry Louis), 1824-1882
Date
1864
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Henry Louis Stephens Collection [(11)1540.F.20a; 5780.F.52m; 5792.F.4d&e; 97a-c &f; 98a,b,d, e-i; 99a-h; P.2282.50; P.8686.1-2; P.2005.2.12a-e; P.2006.1.25a&b]