Joy in the jungle

A monkey holds a paper that reads “Washington D. C.–Jan 9th 09–Cable: Roosevelt in hot water / Congress.” A variety of African animals like an elephant, a hyena, a lion, a giraffe, and a zebra look on.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The legendary cartoonist Homer Davenport, once a fierce critic of Theodore Roosevelt when he drew for the papers of William Randolph Hearst, ultimately became an admirer, then a friend, of the president. After his conversion he drew the most famous cartoon of his career, and one of the most memorable in American history, the 1904 endorsement by Uncle Sam, “He’s Good Enough For Me.” Likewise, the New York Mail was a consistent proponent of Roosevelt and his policies.

This cartoon from early 1909, therefore, suggests glee at presidential difficulties at the end of his administration, specifically the dispute with Congress over the Secret Service expansion. But it is merely documentary, only a cartoonist’s suggestion that future targets and trophies would be interested in the problems engulfing the hunter who would be in their midst only months in the future.

Davenport, a superb conceptualist with weaknesses as an artists, probably relied on photographs of African beasts, and cartoons by his fellow cartoonist T. S. Sullivant for likenesses.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-01-20

Creator(s)

Davenport, Homer, 1867-1912

Language

English

Period

U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)

Repository

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Page Count

1

Production Method

Printed

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