A sound sleeper
Subject(s): Drum, Hand, John Bull (Symbolic character), Lipton, Thomas Johnstone, Sir, 1850-1931, Sleep, United States
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Thomas Johnstone Lipton beats a hand-drum labeled “American Progress,” trying to wake John Bull who is sound asleep in a chair. Caption: “There is no more loyal Britisher than myself; but I can’t close my eyes to one thing, and that is we are a decaying nation, commercially, as compared to your country, and the United States is the greatest country on the face of the earth to-day.”–Speech of Sir Thomas Lipton.
Comments and Context
The jovial entrepreneur Sir Thomas Lipton was a Scots-Irish celebrity famous for his lines of teas, his chains of grocery stores, and his love of yachting. He regularly entered his yachts in the America’s Cup contests — never winning — but even in defeat his admiration of and affection for the United States was evident to all.
The panegyric quoted in the caption of this Keppler cartoon was indeed a tocsin for his fellow countrymen. But Americans heard such speeches and messages clearly, and appreciated the perspicacity of their British cousin.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1903-09-23
Creator(s)
Period
U.S. President – 1st Term (September 1901-February 1905)
Repository
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Page Count
1
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
A sound sleeper. [September 23, 1903]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o277355. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956. A sound sleeper. [23 Sep. 1903]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 12, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o277355.
APA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956., [1903, September 23]. A sound sleeper.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o277355.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 12, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
APA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
