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- Title
- The Declaration of Independence illustrated
- Description
- Cartoon evoking the Declaration of Independence to promote the emancipation from enslavement. Depicts rays of light representing God above a soaring American eagle that clutches olive and oak branches and two American flags labelled "All Men are Created Equal" and "Stand by the Declaration." Suspended from the flags is a large basket in which an African American man and a white man are seated. The African American man drops his broken shackles out of the basket as the abolitionist proclaims "Break Every Yoke; Let the Oppressed Go Free" to a large crowd of men, women, and children cheering below. Among the crowd is a white man Union soldier; a white newsboy selling the "Herald," an abolition newspaper; and a free African American man. Verses of text appear atop the rays of light and beside the basket espousing the religious, moral, and historical justifications for emancipation., Title from item., Date from copyright statement., Purchase 1968., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Digitized by Alexander Street Press for Images of the American Civil War., Dominique C. Fabronius was a respected Belgian born lithographer, watercolorist, and portraitist who worked in Philadelphia, Boston, and New York.
- Creator
- Fabronius, Dominique, artist
- Date
- 1861
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Political Cartoons - 1861-41 [7700.F]
- Title
- Proclamation of Emancipation. By the President of the United States of America
- Description
- Print commemorating the Emancipation Proclamation containing a bust-length portrait of Abraham Lincoln and two abolitionist vignettes above text from the Proclamation. In the center, Lincoln, attired in a white collared shirt, a black bowtie, waistcoat, and jacket, faces slightly right and is bordered by an American eagle clutching an olive branch and arrows in front of a backdrop of American flags. To the left and right of the portrait are scenes of an auction of enslaved people, with an African American woman, and free African American men working in a carpentry shop. Below the scenes, two African American cherubs hold a banner inscribed, "By the President of the United States of America." Below the text, an allegorical vignette contrasts the productive North with the destitute South depicting a white woman crying, surrounded by her children, sitting underneath a tree., Title from item., Date from copyright statement., Purchase 1972., 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 Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014., J. Mayer & Company, the Boston lithography firm established by John Julius Mayer in 1862, specialized in practical lithography. Despite the official firm name, John Mayer had no partners.
- Creator
- J. Mayer & Co., lithographer
- Date
- 1865
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department **GC - Emancipation [8025.F.4]
- Title
- The slavery question. Great prize-fight of the American eagle against the wolf and the alligator
- Description
- Cartoon portraying the extension of slavery as dependent upon the United States' successful annexation of California and Texas. Depicts the American eagle on a mound protecting her nest of hatchlings labeled "Texas" and "California" from a wolf and an alligator. The wolf dressed as a sheep is being restrained by John Bull who represents England and states, "I bet Canada" (a proposed U.S. annexation). The alligator is being restrained by Don Quixote who represents Spain and states, "I bet Cuba!" (another proposed U.S. annexation). In front of the nest sits a barefooted enslaved African American man, portrayed in racist caricature and attired in torn and worn clothes. He holds his head in hands with the unbroken pot of slavery on his left and the broken pot of liberty, under the foot of John Bull, on his right. Behind the nest stands a bowery B'hoy figure holding a banner inscribed, "The Union Forever" and George Washington stating, "Go it, my boy you will beat them all.", Title from item., Publication date supplied by Weitenkampf., Inscribed: Pl. 4., Purchase 1975., 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.
- Date
- [1844]
- Location
- Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Political cartoons - 1844-75W [8138.F]