If bronze could change!
Subject(s): Jurisprudence, Pistols, Rope, Smoke, Statue of Liberty (New York, N.Y.)
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The Statue of Liberty, her torch spewing the smoke of “Lawlessness” and her tablet stating “The Unwritten Law,” is holding a handgun and a rope labeled “Lynching.”
Comments and Context
Puck Magazine occasionally took aim at lynching — still not uncommon in the United States — and frequently condemned bigotry and prejudice in America, and pogroms and ethnic massacres overseas.
With but a few labels, this cartoon could not be clearer. “Lady Liberty” was not as freedom-loving as frequently depicted. There would be 88 recorded lynchings across the United States in 1908, an increase over the previous year. President Roosevelt spoke in harsh terms against lynching, yet local and state governments — sometimes enshrined in laws — often resisted interference.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1908-09-09
Creator(s)
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:
If bronze could change!. [September 9, 1908]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o287252. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956. If bronze could change!. [9 Sep. 1908]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 13, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o287252.
APA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956., [1908, September 9]. If bronze could change!.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o287252.
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. February 13, 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.
