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President Roosevelt, wearing royal robes, holds on his shoulders a diminutive William H. Taft wearing a crown. Among the throng in the background are Charles W. Fairbanks, Leslie M. Shaw, Thomas Collier Platt, and Joseph Gurney Cannon.
Comments and Context
Only two weeks previous, cartoonist Udo J. Keppler had drawn a cartoon showing the putative 1908 presidential aspirants among Republicans, drifting on a listless sea. The only man in a boat looking happy was William H. Taft. He still looks happy in this cartoon, portrayed differently, as a cherubic heir apparent.
President Roosevelt had “leaked” his preference for Taft as a successor. Not only was the Secretary of War his preference (his Secretary of State, Elihu Root, not a practical possibility with voters, Roosevelt conceded), but he wanted to forestall any ugly competition, or a possible fractured convention and campaign in 1908.
Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon never had a realistic chance to be a presidential candidate, but Vice-President Charles W. Fairbanks thought he was then deserving crown prince. Keppler, who enjoyed caricaturing Fairbanks, relished depicting the devastated vice president, in the middle of the trio at platform’s edge.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1906-08-01
Creator(s)
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
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:
The crown prince. [August 1, 1906]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o278560. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956. The crown prince. [1 Aug. 1906]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 26, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o278560.
APA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956., [1906, August 1]. The crown prince.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o278560.
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 26, 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.
