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President William H. Taft swims in a sea of “Presidential Surf.” Below the waves, unseen by Taft, are many crabs listed by state of the union, and one large crab with the face of Theodore Roosevelt, that is about to pinch Taft.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-07-17
A swarm of mosquitoes labeled “Trust” flies over a swamp labeled “High Protective Tariff.” An insert shows an oil can labeled “Revision Downward Oil – Wilson Brand.” Caption: Pour oil, and plenty of it, on the thing that breeds them.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-07-24
President Taft lies in a bed with a “Reactionary Ice Bag” on his head. The Republican elephant is keeping a bedside vigil and attempting to keep him cool with a fan labeled “Hope.” On a nearby table is a bottle of “Progressive Tonic” and note from “Old Dr. Root” that states “Caution to Nurse–Be careful not to give an overdose.” On the floor are notes from “Old Dr. Crane, Old Dr. Penrose, [and] Old Dr. Barnes.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-08-14
A woman labeled “Blue Law Enforcement” stands on the shore of the ocean, using a broom labeled “Raids on Gambling Houses” to sweep puddles labeled “Police Graft” and “Gambling House Profits” back into the ocean as a wave labeled “The Tendency of Man to Gamble” rolls toward shore. Caption: Municipal Reformer — I’ll push this ocean back if it takes me a thousand years!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-08-21
A personified full dinner pail, banged up in places and a little drunk (there is a bottle labeled “Bluff” at his feet), is leaning against a door labeled “1912” with the door frame labeled “The Presidency” and is having difficulty getting the key into the lock. Caption: “Looksh like I washn’t goin’ t’ get in thish time!”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-09-04
A rotund elderly man plays quoits, a ring-toss game, with pretzels which he has tossed over a dachshund. Another man smoking a pipe has a pretzel under his arm. Caption: The Spring Number.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-03-22
An old man labeled “Republican Reactionary” and an old woman labeled “Democratic Reactionary” stand together, looking up at a dirigible labeled “Progressive Policies.” Caption: “Well, the young folks may go if they want to, but they’ll never get you and me in the breakneck thing.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-05-10
On the left “Under a Low Tariff” is a large, prosperous, well-fed family with servants. On the right “Under a High Tariff” is a small family sitting in a dark chamber, poring over the bills.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-05-17
Three steel workers sit on a girder eating the lunch that they pilfered from a table through an open window in a bankers’ club room adjacent to the building they are constructing. The “Club Number” is written on the window directly below the girder.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-05-31
A jester pours dice in the shape of men and women from a cup labeled “The Rail Roads” onto a topographical map. “Travel number” is written in the lower-right corner.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-06-14
A young boy jumps with joy as a battleship is blown up. His father is reminding him that the explosive display is his gift for being a good boy. “Fourth of July number” is written in the lower-left corner. Caption: Multi-Millionaire — There, Reginald! Didn’t papa say if you were a good boy he’d blow up an old battleship for you? That battleship cost papa twenty thousand dollars!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-06-28
An automobile is being driven down a country road, leaving dead chickens in its wake.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-07-26
A group of country people dance around a large corn shock topped with money paid by tourists from the city boarding in country inns.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-09-06
Vignettes show scenes from the history of pessimism, with comparisons to even earlier days.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-09-13
On the left, “as they pictured it in advance,” a group of men finds an orderly campsite, canoes and serenades by moonlight, has a well appointed guide, and finds plenty of wild game to eat. On the right, “as it panned out in reality,” the men find a disorganized campsite in the rain, take a disastrous canoe trip, have a buffoonish guide, and eat canned food.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-10-04
President Taft, wearing a large hat, offers a corn stalk labeled “Excuse, Apology, Explanation, Defense, [and] Persuasion” to a cow labeled “The West” and with a bell labeled “Insurgency” around its neck. The cow is not interested in Taft’s excuses or explanations.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-10-11
President Taft, as ringmaster of the Political Circus, watches two men labeled “Radical Republican” and “Conservative Republican” who are fighting as they get into a tattered “G.O.P.” elephant costume. Caption: Ringmaster Taft — Hey! Get together in there! / Muffled Voices — That’s what we’re doing!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-11-01