Bottom’s dream
Subject(s): Arthur, Chester Alan, 1829-1886, Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893, Carlisle, John Griffin, 1835-1910, Civil service reform, Cleveland, Grover, 1837-1908, Columbia (Symbolic character), Conkling, Roscoe, 1829-1888, Cox, Samuel Sullivan, 1824-1889, Dana, Charles A. (Charles Anderson), 1819-1897, Dreams, Evarts, William Maxwell, 1818-1901, Fairies, Free trade--Protection, Gould, Jay, 1836-1892, Kelly, John, 1821-1886, Logan, John Alexander, 1826-1886, Randall, Samuel J. (Samuel Jackson), 1828-1890, Reid, Whitelaw, 1837-1912, Robeson, George M. (George Maxwell), 1829-1897, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Tariff, Tilden, Samuel J. (Samuel Jones), 1814-1886, Uncle Sam (Symbolic character), Watterson, Henry, 1840-1921
Click on image to zoom in
Puck’s stereotypical Irishman labeled “Democracy” appears in the role of “Bottom” from Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” with Puck holding the head of an ass above him. He is holding a paper that states “Free Protection for Revenue Only. Free Revenue Reform for Protection Only. To the Civil Service Reformers belong the Spoils!!!” A host of fairies, insects, and minions of the night are gathered around him, including Theodore Roosevelt as a fairy standing on a snail labeled “N. Y. City Reform,” John Logan as a mushroom, John Kelly as a spider on a web labeled “N. Y.,” William Evarts as a bird with a long beak, unidentified man as a frog, James Blaine and George Robeson as owls, David Davis, Samuel J. Tilden as a grasshopper, Roscoe Conkling as a bird, Whitelaw Reid labeled “3 cts” and another man labeled “2 cts” as moths, and a diminutive Chester A. Arthur peering from behind Bottom’s feet. Jay Gould appears as a snake in the bushes. Among the fairies are “Randall, Carlisle, Dana, Cleveland, Cox,” and Henry Watterson. Uncle Sam and Columbia observe from behind a tree. Includes Bottom’s lines “I have had a dream – past the wit of men to say what dream it was. … But man is but a patched fool if he will offer to say what methought I had” from the play.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1884-02-20
Creator(s)
Period
New York State Assemblyman (1882-May 1884)
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:
Bottom’s dream. [February 20, 1884]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o288047. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Unknown. Bottom’s dream. [20 Feb. 1884]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 11, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o288047.
APA:
Unknown., [1884, February 20]. Bottom’s dream.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o288047.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
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. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 11, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
APA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
