Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

The closed canteen and the open dive

An old woman labeled “Prohibition,” holding an umbrella labeled “Intolerance,” stands between two sluices that power waterwheels. She is holding a board in the shape of the U.S. Capitol labeled “Politics” in one sluice, blocking the water to the waterwheel on the right, which has paddles labeled “Good fellowship, Recreation, Temperance, Discipline, [and] Health” and runs past “The Closed Canteen.” On the left, water labeled “U.S. Army” flows through the sluice and over a waterwheel with paddles labeled “Drunkenness, Immorality, Disorder, Vice, Disease, [and] Gambling” that runs past “The Blind Tiger” and “The Open Dive,” where a man labeled “Divekeeper” is carrying a bag of “The Grist of Vice.” Puck calls Prohibition’s attention to the problems resulting from closed canteens. Caption: Puck (to Prohibition) — Look around: See whom you benefit while you keep that sluice-gate shut!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-05-10

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

Every hour is lunch hour at the Dreadnought Club

The Roman god Mars, eating a battleship, is seated a table with Uncle Sam and Marianne (symbol of France) and the rulers of European and Asian countries at the “Dreadnought Club,” each awaiting their meals of munitions and armaments being brought to the table by a heavily burdened waitress labeled “Peace.” Caption: Peace — “Waiting on a crowd like this is no job for a woman.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-05-31

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

The magnet

J. P. Morgan lies at the edge of America with an American flag in his top hat, holding a large magnet in the shape of a dollar sign with which he is attracting precious objects of historical and/or monetary value to himself.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-06-21

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

Which clapper?

The Liberty Bell lies on its side in a barren landscape with a large man labeled “Monopoly” sitting on the top. The crack in the bell is labeled “Plutocracy.” Many different groups of people, including a group of women, carry clappers for the bell. The clappers are labeled “Socialism, Tax Reform, The Oregon Idea, Woman Suffrage, Free Trade, [and] Protection.” Caption: Take your choice; but while that crack is in it, the Liberty Bell will never ring clear.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-06-28

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

Liberty

A large man, holding a cat-o’-nine-tails labeled “Schedules” and wearing a crown labeled “Monopoly” shaped like the dome of the U.S. Capitol building, sits atop a U.S. Customs building in front of which is a large pile of “Tariff Tribute” money being deposited by disgruntled citizens. Standing to the right is a large Statue of Liberty pointing to the streams of citizens and laughing. Caption: “It is to laugh!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-07-05

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

They knew not what they did

Illustration shows the drafting of Article I, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution. Two men labeled “The Big Interests” and “Political Boss,” who has a “Legislator” in his back pocket, are peeking from behind a curtain labeled “The Intervening Years.” Caption: Present-Day Boss — They couldn’t have hit on a better way of electing senators if we’d been there to fix them.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-07-12

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

Some class to this rail-splitter

President Taft uses an axe with the handle labeled “Tax Reform” and the head labeled “Argument” to drive a wedge labeled “Reciprocity” into a log labeled “Party Solidarity.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-07-19

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

An awful blow

A weather vane with an elephant labeled “G.O.P.” is being blown in all directions by clouds labeled “New Nationalism, Radicalism, Insurgency, Conservatism, [and] Standpatism” showing the face of a proponent of each political system, among them President Taft. Caption: The Demoralized Weather-Vane — Will somebody please tell me where I’m supposed to point!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-07-26

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

Castro, the cut-up

Cipriano Castro, former president of Venezuela, is dressed like Napoleon I. He is on board a ship with the presidents of “Uruguay, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, [and] Argentina” standing in the background. Caption: For the sake of peace and quiet, why doesn’t South America ship him to some St. Helena?

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-08-02

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

The hemlock cup of the Republican Socrates

The Republican elephant labeled “G.O.P.” is about to drink from a cup labeled “Reciprocity.” With him are several men labeled “Root, Sherman, Cannon, La Follette, Crane, Lodge, Payne, Dick, Gallinger, Penrose” and one unidentified man. Some are distraught, while others are merely watching.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-08-09

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

Cincinnatus Roosevelt – but no summons in sight!

Theodore Roosevelt, as Cincinnatus, looks old and weary. He is standing at a plow labeled “The Outlook,” left hand at forehead, searching the distance for the call to serve his country again.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-08-23

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

America’s knight, the world’s challenger

A large knight sitting on a horse holds a lance with a banner that states “American Crops.” He has thrown a gauntlet to the ground before him. In the background, Uncle Sam and Columbia sit beneath a canopy in front of a building that appears to be the U.S. Capitol.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-09-06

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

The alarm

Based on painting by Henri-Paul Motte that depicts Rome being saved from an attack of the Goths by squawking geese, in this cartoon “Lobbyists” are ascending the city wall around “Ottawa” and handing bags of money down to be delivered to two men, wearing top hats labeled “Protected Trust.” The building tower is labeled “Reciprocity” and the squawking geese are kept in an enclosure labeled “Independent Press.” Caption: As the geese saved Rome, publicity will save reciprocity.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-09-20

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

“After you, sir”

In a shooting match between France and Germany, a white bird labeled “Peace” has just been released from a trap labeled “Moroccan Situation” and the contestants are each waiting for the other to shoot first. Gathered around the shooting platform are rulers from European and Asian countries, including Uncle Sam, Edward VII, King of Great Britain, and Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia. Caption: If either one of them shoots, it is all off with the bird. Hunting and Shooting Number.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-10-04

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

Laocoon in the toils

Uncle Sam, as Laocoön, is pictured with two men, one labeled “Business” and the other “Labor,” entwined with snakes labeled “Tariff Uncertainty” in front of the U.S. Capitol.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-10-11

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

The Wickersham will git yer if yer don’t – watch – out!

A huge red flying creature labeled “Wickersham,” holding a fork with webbing in one hand and papers labeled “Trust, Dissolution, Sherman Law, [and] Disintegration” in the other, descends on fleeing crowds of men on a city street, possibly Wall Street.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-10-18

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

Paste “these are my jewels!”

Two diminutive men labeled “Dix” and “Gaynor” stand in front of a tall woman labeled “Empire State,” who is gesturing toward them. Hanging on the wall in the background is a picture of James S. Sherman.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-10-25

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

“Oh, pardon me! I mistook you for the deer”

A deer hunter labeled “Wickersham” holds a rifle labeled “Sherman Law.” A deer labeled “Restraint of Trade” runs off into the woods while a man labeled “Legitimate Business” holds his leg where Wickersham shot him.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-11-01

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

“Plague take it! Why doesn’t it stay down when I hit it?”

President Taft stands behind a chair on which a diminutive George W. Wickersham is standing. Wickersham is using a stick labeled “Sherman Law” to beat a toy labeled “Monopoly” on the table in front of him. The toy shows a wealthy businessman holding money bags sitting in a bowl. Hanging on the wall is a “Sectional View” of the toy showing that it is weighted at the bottom with “High Protection,” stating “The Reason Why” it does not stay down when Wickersham hits it.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-11-08

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956

Letter from Udo J. Keppler to Theodore Roosevelt

Udo J. Keppler thanks President Roosevelt for the invitation and for taking an interest in his work.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-01-29

Creator(s)

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956