Axes

Cabinet officers march out of the “White House” with each one holding an axe: Secretary of State Elihu Root, Secretary of War William H. Taft, Secretary of the Navy Charles J. Bonaparte, Attorney General William H. Moody, Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw, Postmaster General George B. Cortelyou, Secretary of Commerce and Labor Victor H. Metcalf, Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson, and Secretary of the Interior Ethan A. Hitchcock. A bald eagle looks on and says, “Gee whiz!” Caption: Shade of George Washington!

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-10-18

Creator(s)

Mahony, Felix, 1867-1939

President Roosevelt, who is dressed in cowboy attire, gives a “summary removal” axe to another President Roosevelt, who is dressed in a suit and stands on a “civil service reformer” platform. On the wall is a sign that reads, “White House—Notice. Civil Service rules abolished from this date. T. R. Oct 17th 1905.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-10-19

Creator(s)

Bush, Charles Green, 1842-1909

President Roosevelt uses a “Peace of Portsmouth” axe to cut down the big stick labeled “war: partisan exaggeration of Roosevelt’s strenuousity.” “China,” “Germany,” “England,” “Italy,” and “France” all look on.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-04

Creator(s)

Thorndike, Willis H. (Willis Hale), 1872-1940

President Roosevelt is surrounded by a number of trees that have been cut down: “postal frauds,” “fraud,” “railroads,” “beef trust,” “timber frauds,” and “discrimination.” He uses a “square deal” hatchet to cut an “oil trust” tree.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-22

Creator(s)

Donahey, J. H. (James Harrison), 1875-1949

President Roosevelt, Mississippi Representative John Sharp Williams, and William Jennings Bryan all use axes to destroy the “sacredness of the trusts” plank of the “party fence.” A man labeled “the trusts” runs toward them.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-06

Creator(s)

Rogers, W. A. (William Allen), 1854-1931

Puck offers a large axe labeled “Repeal of Beef Tariff” to Philander C. Knox who is holding a tiny sling-shot labeled “Sherman Anti-Trust Law.” Standing in the background is a large bull labeled “Beef Trust.” Caption: Puck (to Attorney-General Knox) — You’ll never hurt that animal until they give you this ax!

comments and context

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902-05-14

President Roosevelt thanks John G. Trimble for the axe, and is sure that it will be of service.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-02-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Secretary to the President Loeb encloses the requested signed quotations from President Roosevelt. The quotations are on Roosevelt’s opinion of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and national memory of the Civil War more broadly, praise of white backwoodsmen’s use of guns and axes in North American western expansion and imperialism, ideal gender roles for men and women, and the need for national commitment to “the life of strenuous endeavor.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-03-09

Creator(s)

Loeb, William, 1866-1937

President Roosevelt tells Postmaster Robertson that it sounds like the artifact she found was an old Spanish axe, and that he is very interested in it. Roosevelt was glad he was able to appoint Robertson as Postmaster.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-05-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt thanks Samuel E. Howard for the axes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-02-09

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Webster L. Marble of the Marble Safety Axe Company acknowledges William Loeb’s order of waterproof match boxes and a safety hatchet for President Roosevelt. Marble would like to know which type of axe Roosevelt would like. The company makes wood-handled and steel-handled axes. Marble discusses the merits of both styles, but notes that the steel-handled axes seems to be unbreakable, while the company has had to replace wood-handled axes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-30

Creator(s)

Marble, Webster L. (Webster Lansing), 1854-1930

President Roosevelt, poses holding an ax.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1905-09-11

Creator(s)

Unknown

Left hand photograph showing President Roosevelt seated on the railing, facing front at Sagamore Hill. Right hand photograph showing President Roosevelt swinging an ax to cut a felled tree.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1905-09-11

Creator(s)

Unknown

President Roosevelt poses in knickerbockers with an axe on his shoulder.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1901-09-23

Creator(s)

Burton, James

Photograph showing full-length portrait of a young Theodore Roosevelt, standing, holding a long wooden handled ice axe.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1880

Creator(s)

Unknown

David B. Hill holds a bag of “silver” beside a “Democratic convention” wall. In the background, William Jennings Bryan is about to use a “free silver” axe as “democracy” kneels down and is tied to a “doubtful money” stake. Caption: Judas Iscariot (Hill) sold his party for a few pieces of silver.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-07-30

Creator(s)

Gillam, F. Victor, 1858?-1920

Speaker of the House Joseph Gurney Cannon brings President Roosevelt a “notification of nomination for president G. O. P. seal.” Cannon stands near the “Sagamore Hill” sign and wears a “Notification Committee” decoration. “T. R. his axe” is lodged in a tree.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-07-28

Creator(s)

Donahey, J. H. (James Harrison), 1875-1949

President Roosevelt plants a tree with several fruits on it: “Guam,” “Hawaii,” “Santo Domingo,” “Porto Rico,” “Panama,” and the “Philippines.” The ghost of George Washington appears out of the “White House.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-02

Creator(s)

Bush, Charles Green, 1842-1909

President Roosevelt uses an axe to cut down the “postal inquiry” tree. He is surrounded by a forest of trees: “League island improvements,” “Alaskan boundary,” “Turkey,” “Finance,” “Panama Canal,” and “Trusts.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-09-04

Creator(s)

Morgan, Frederick, -1932

Senator Joseph Benson Foraker shakes hands with William H. Taft as Foraker holds several “speeches ready to deliver.” Taft says, “Dee-lighted!” At the door of the “Taft headquarters” is a sign that reads, “Drop hatchets here.” A donkey looks on from outside and asks, “What d’ you know about that?” while a Republican elephant is jumping for joy.

comments and context

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-19