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- Title
- Enlistment of Sickles brigade
- Description
- Caustic satire depicting the enlistment by notorious New York Congressman Colonel Daniel Sickles of recruits from offices near New York's crime-ridden Five Points area. The congested scene depicts several men, including African American men, clustered on a city street near a liquor store. In the left, Sickles, unwigged, stands above the crowd, and holds out Bibles in each hand. In the right above the crowd, "Mrs. Higby," wife of a New York clergyman, hands out pipes to the men (an allusion to Sickles's men being given pipes and Bibles for enlisting). A sign near Sickles reads "The Capital in danger. Sickles Brigade to the Rescue!!" A sign near Mrs. Higby reads "Pipes for the noble saviors of their country by Mrs. Higby." The "enlisting" men wear torn, worn, and patched uniforms or street clothes and hold picket signs, guns, and clubs. Within the crowd, a pit bull terrier and a white boy watch the melee, which includes a white man, attired in a uniform and a "Colonel Sickles Brigade" cap, offering an African American man a medal, who scratches his head, next to another African American man, attired in uniform and portrayed in racist caricature, and seated on a barrel. A few years before the war in 1859, Sickles gained notoriety for murdering Philip Barton Key II for having an affair with his wife Teresa Bagioli. He was acquitted based on the first successful use of the insanity defense in the U.S., Inscribed upper left corner: 6., Issued as plate 6 in Sketches from the Civil War in North America (London [i.e., Baltimore]: [the author], 1863-1864), a series of pro-Confederacy cartoons drawn and published by Baltimore cartoonist Adalbert John Volck under the pseudonym V. Blada. The "first issue" of 10 prints (numbered 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 12, 15, 16, 21, 24), with imprint "London, 1863" were printed as etchings. The remaining 20 prints (numbered 4, 8, 9-11, 14, 17-20, 23, 25-27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 40, 45) headed "Second and third issues of V. Blada's war sketches" and dated "London, July 30, 1864" were printed as lithographs., Tile and publication information from series at Brown University Library., Research file about artist available at repository., Accessioned 1935., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
- Creator
- Volck, Adalbert John, 1828-1912, artist
- Date
- [1863]
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Volck - Sketches - Volck 6 [2990.F.23]
- Title
- A strike! A strike!
- Description
- Anti-labor union cartoon satirizing the several New York workers' strikes for higher wages in early 1836 during a harsh winter; a period of severe inflation, including exorbitant market prices; and an era of property speculation. Depicts livestock on strike for a higher market value near fish peddlers attired in winter garb, including two African American shellfish vendors. Animals include a Tom turkey ordering a turkey hen not to sell her young ones because "gobblers will bring twenty shillings and hens fifteen"; hens refusing to lay eggs for "less than four pence a piece"; a pig holding a banner inscribed "Hams 15 cents per lb exclaiming "I shall Jew them out of a shilling a pound"; an indignant lamb and calf conferring about their deserved increased prices per pound; and a confident steer exhorting the range of high prices for ordinary beef, corn fed beef, and beef shins. In the foreground, two African American men vendors get advice from two African American marketers, portrayed in racist caricature and speaking in the vernacular, about oysters unable to "strike for de frost" and that "gemmen" will not buy open mouthed clams. A white man fish peddler hawks his bass at "whole for two shilling de pound" and cut at "tree shillin" to a white gentleman inquiring about fresh fish. In the right, a barking dog sits on his "House to let. Inquire No. 48 Courtlandt St." (address of publisher) and comments "I feel like a savage! this is all contrary to law," probably an allusion to the "Geneva ruling" of 1835 by the New York state supreme court, which proclaimed unions and strikes forbidden by law., Title from item., Artist's initial lower left corner., Publication information from Weitenkampf., Copyright statement printed on recto: Entered according to act of Congress in the Year 1836, by H.R. Robinson, in the clerk's office of the District Court of the United States of the Southern District of New York., Described in Nancy Reynolds Davison's "E.W. Clay: American political caricaturist of the Jacksonian era" (PhD diss., The University of Michigan, 1980), p. 164-165., Purchase 2003., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
- Creator
- Clay, Edward Williams, 1799-1857, artist
- Date
- [March 1836]
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department political cartoons - 1836 - 1w [P.2003.40.1]
- Title
- Pulling down the statue of George III "By the Sons of Freedom." At the Bowling Green City of New York, July 1776
- Description
- Print commemorating American independence after the painting by religious and historical artist, Johannes A. Oertelat, at the New York Historical Society. Depicts white men attempting to topple the equestrian statue of King George following the reading of the Declaration of Independence at the foot of Broadway. At the base, men pull on ropes wrapped around the sculpture while men from behind use rods to knock it over. In front of the pedestal, an African American man has fallen over on the ground. An excited crowd of spectators, including well-to-do and working class men, women, and children cheer, point, hold torches and mallets, and trample upon the broken fence once surrounding the statue. In the left is a Native American man attired in a feather headdress and carrying a spear. Several dogs run in the foreground. In the background, ships in New York harbor are visible., Gift of Mrs. Francis P. Garvan, 1978., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
- Creator
- McRae, John C., engraver
- Date
- c1859
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department **GC-American Revolution [8384.F.11]
- Title
- [Entry of Washington into New York, after the city was evacuated by the British in 1783, Nov. 20th]
- Description
- Print after the painting displayed at the National Academy of Design in New York by native Philadelphian and prolific 19th-century book illustrator, Felix Octavius Carr Daley. Depicts the historic scene at the close of the American Revolution showing General Washington, his hand on his hip and his face turned to the left, on horseback and triumphantly parading his troops through a crowded New York City street on November 25, 1783. Exuberant spectators, some running and some held back by uniformed guards, line both sides of the thoroughfare and cheer from balconies, roofs, and windows. Spectators include many parents with children. In the left foreground, an African American man servant or waiter, attired in hoop earrings, a white collared shirt, a bow tie, a jacket, breeches with white stockings, and buckled shoes, carries a serving tray under his arm and stands and peers into the street to watch Washington. Three dogs run in the foreground., Title from: Illustrated by Darley: an exhibition of original drawings..., May 4- June 18, 1978 (Delaware Art Museum. Wilmington: The Museum, 1978). (LCP Print Room Yb A2696.O)., Alternate title from 1863 artist's proof at the Museum of the City of New York., Manuscript signature of engraver in lower right corner., Gift of Dr. Anthony N.B. Garvan, 1981., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014., Ritchie, a New York painter and prolific engraver of portraits and genre scenes, produced at least three engravings after the works of F.O.C. Darley.
- Creator
- Ritchie, Alexander Hay, 1822-1895, engraver
- Date
- c1858
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department **GC - American Revolution [P.8646.3]