A May-day-dream

President William H. Taft sits on a tree branch labeled “Cost of Living,” which bends lower under his weight, above a smiling man labeled “Consumer” lying on the ground dreaming of the commercial products that soon will be within his reach.

comments and context

Comments and Context

By 1909 the covers, and most of the color and black-and-white artwork, in Puck was of a higher level than in immediately preceding years. Udo J. Keppler, chief cartoonist and son of the magazine’s founder, improved in conception and execution. The emergence and stylistic maturity of L. M. Glackens contributed to the improvements; and the work of of new artists like Carl Hassmann (a brief stint), Will Crawford, Gordon Grant, Albert Levering, and Art Young made the period one of Puck‘s brightest.

Unfortunately and ironically, the fortunes of the magazine — circulation, advertising sales, influence — waned at this time. The reasons are not obvious and can only invite speculation. Many journals were turning toward radical political stances, as Puck did, so it was unlikely that readers, or new readers, were offended. Perhaps the day of political-humor magazines was over. Puck‘s rivals Judge and Life were thriving in great degrees, and they both virtually dropped politics, at least prominently, from their contents. After all, a magazine devoted to one side or other in partisan and political debates automatically risked offending roughly half of its potential audience.

Nevertheless Puck provided some of the most trenchant commentary on issues of the day, perhaps more relevant to historians than it contemporary readers. Certainly its graphics — designs, color printing, concepts — were of high quality. Especially as the decision was made to incorporate the magazine’s logo in cover drawings, there was a general, poster-like cohesive attractiveness to every issue on the news stands. This drawing by Glackens is a prime example.

It is also ironic that Puck in the main (not without exceptions) grew less partisan — the traditional Democratic journal seeing good in the Republican Party, especially among insurgents — it simultaneously grew more radical in general outlook, exemplified in attacks on Special Privilege, Congressional corruption, excesses of capitalism.

This cover cartoon is an example of the gentler comments on the political situation. It was still at the dawn of President William H. Taft’s Administration. Not forsaking the cartoonists’ license (e.g., Taft’s enormous bulk) it showed the average consumer as dreaming of a lower cost of living — but somewhat shared that dream. There is nothing in the cartoon to indicate that Puck was disbelieving or cynical about imminent lower consumer prices for the necessities of life.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1909-04-28

Creator(s)

Glackens, L. M. (Louis M.), 1866-1933

Period

African Safari (March 1909-1910)

Repository

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Page Count

1

Record Type

Image

Resource Type

Cartoon

Rights

These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.

Citation