Businesspeople

“In the interest of labor and morality”

On the left, many businessmen and women appear in stocks and pillories for such offenses as serving guests wine on Sunday, “for shaving on Sunday,” “for delivering ice on Sunday,” “for selling a glass of beer on Sunday,” “for blacking shoes on Sunday,” and “for working the growler on Sunday.” A notice states, “Behold the Punishment of the Wicked Sabbath Breaker. Let All Evil Doers Beware.” On the right is a group of New York legislators dressed as Puritans, including Lieutenant Governor Charles T. “Saxton,” Thomas C. “Platt,” Jacob M. “Patterson,” Hamilton “Fish,” Frederick S. “Gibbs,” Warner “Miller,” Governor Levi P. “Morton,” Chauncey M. “Depew,” and Jacob S. “Fassett.” Caption: The glorious revival of blue Sundays, stocks and pillories, that our good Republican Puritans are trying to bring about.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1895-10-16

The inconsistency of the protectionist believer

A wealthy businessman with his family boards a steamer “to Europe,” while a porter carries their single bag of luggage. When the family returns home, at the end of their summer shopping spree, the businessman’s pockets are empty, and the porter is burdened with countless bags of luggage reflecting their overseas purchases. Caption: He talks loudly of fostering America’s industries – but he will go to Europe every summer and do his shopping there, to save money.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1895-09-11

Poor paterfamilias – the family rises and he has to pay the freight

The father of an upwardly mobile family is forced to keep pace financially with his wife’s ambitions. The main vignette shows the father perspiring as he works harder, using a large pump labeled “Business” to pour more money into “Paterfamilias’ Pocket Book” to which a queue of tradesmen labeled “Caterer, Chef, Modiste, Carriage dealer, Milliner, Decorator, Furniture dealer, Florist, Jeweler, [and] Wine dealer” help themselves. The surrounding vignettes depict lavish parties, artwork on the walls, more frequent purchases of clothing for the children, his wife’s new understanding of the term “cottage,” and the increase in the size of the servant staff.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1895-08-21

Fun for the politicians, but rough on the business man

A “Silverite,” a “Democrat,” a “Populist,” and a “Republican” hold a sheet labeled “Politics” with which they are tossing a “Business Man.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1896-06-10

Our sleeping beauty

A woman wearing a crown labeled “Commerce” lies sleeping on a bed. A “Business Man” stands on the left with cobwebs and a top hat at his feet. A sleeping “Laborer” sits on a wall with cobwebs around him. Caption: May the new Secretary of the Treasury be the prince who will awaken her to a long and happy life.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1897-02-17

Will the Trojan horse trick work?

A large Trojan Horse labeled “Sound Money” is shown with many businessmen climbing out, carrying papers labeled “Tobacco, Steel, Wool, Coal Demands for More Protection, We Want More Protection Iron, Drugs We Demand Higher Protection, Give Us More Protection Coal, [and] Tin and Iron.” The businessmen clamber down a ladder and up the steps to the U.S. Capitol, attempting to take Congress by storm. Caption: Intrepid attempt of the Protection Greeks to capture the Capitol.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1897-02-03

Likely to happen under the coming administration

Sanford B. Dole, President of the Republic of Hawaii, conducts a land auction, selling property that he probably does not own, and contributing to the Americanization of Hawaii. Caption: The annexation hustlers in Hawaii will start a genuine American real estate boom, and reap all the profits there are in it.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1897-01-27

Wrapped up in his pet idea

President McKinley, wearing a long cape labeled “Protection Monomania,” sits at a desk working on his “Tariff Plans,” while ignoring a businessman who offers “Suggestions for Financial Reform.” In baskets beneath the desk are papers that state, “Don’t forget the issues of the last campaign. [signed] A Banker” and, “Please give a little attention to the money question. [signed] Businessman.” Caption: Citizen–Mr. McKinley, I have called to offer a few suggestions about some needed reforms of our financial system. / McKinley–My dear sir, you must excuse me; – I’ve turned all that over to Senator Wolcott.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1897-01-27

The business man’s perpetual nightmare

A businessman sleeps in a bed with the spirit of a two-headed congressman labeled “House” and “Senate” howling at his bedside, trying to ruin his sleep with “War Talk!, Extravagant Talk!, Appropriations!, [and] Jingoism!” Papers on a nightstand state “Business Disturbance, Upsetting of Values, Etc.” and “Doings of Congress – Jingoism – Tariff Tinkering – Etc.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1897-01-20

An echo of election

A bloated businessman, holding an American flag labeled “Victory,” rides in a wheelbarrow being pushed by another man. In the background, a young boy is explaining to a stranger that the scene is the result of a bet over the outcome of the presidential election. Caption: Boy–Yes, it was an election bet and Dad won. Ain’t he making an awful fool of the other fellow? / Stranger–Yes! Which one is your Dad?

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1896-11-11

Shoulder to shoulder

A diminutive William Jennings Bryan stands on a street before two gigantic men representing labor and business, waving a red flag labeled “Repudiation” and a paper that states, “We demand that the Savings of Labor, Life Insurance Policies, and Business Obligations in general shall be Paid in Fifty Cent Dollars.” Caption: Labor and business must stand together to protect their interests […].

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1896-08-19

“McKinleyism”

On the left, a fat businessman labeled “Monopolist” is welcomed into the “U.S. Senate,” while on the right, a “Taxpayer” is booted out by a large shoe labeled “Tariff Legislation.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1897-07-21

A few snap-shots at the “powers that be” in the average commercial house

The employees of a commercial establishment take credit and responsibility for the success of a business. Those depicted are the “Office Boy,” the “Typewriter” secretary, a “Bookkeeper,” “Drummer,” “Freight Elevator” operator, a “Bill Collector,” “Foreman,” and an “Office-Cleaner.” At center, the business owner sits at a desk and prays to that “divine and merciful Providence which watches over fools.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1897-06-16

The socialists’ theory, and how it would work out

Print shows Uncle Sam, on the left, giving a bag of money to a man labeled “Socialist” and a bag of money to a man labeled “Businessman,” he tells them “Gentlemen, I have divided the wealth of the country equally among all the people. Here are your shares, now go ahead and be happy!” At center, “The Start”, the two men part ways with the socialist taking the path “To Idleness and Extravagance” and the businessman taking the path “To Industry and Thrift.” On the right, at “The Finish,” the two men again stand before Uncle Sam, this time the businessman is holding two bags of money and the dejected socialist is showing that his pockets are now empty.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1899-06-14

He can’t hide her

Print shows William Jennings Bryan standing on his toes on a platform, with his coat spread to the sides, trying to hide a huge female figure labeled “Prosperity,” who is pouring money from a cornucopia onto the platform; standing in the foreground are a businessman, a laborer, and a farmer. Caption: “It’s no use, Billy Bryan; – it’s grown too big!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1899-05-17

It works both ways

A man labeled “Labor Union” raises a large club labeled “Boycotting” over his head, about to strike a man labeled “Manufacturer” sitting behind a desk. In the process, he strikes a man labeled “Laborer” sitting on a chair behind him. On the wall in the background are two notices that state “Enforced Idleness for the Manufacturer” and “Enforced Idleness for the Laborer.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-11-25

The four Rips; or, twenty years behind the age

Uncle Sam is seated at a table in front of “Uncle Sam’s Inter-State Market,” with a businessman labeled “Northern Capital” on the right and an agricultural producer labeled “Southern Goods – Cotton, Sugar, Tobacco, Whiskey” on the left. Standing before the table are James G. Blaine labeled “Bloody Shirt,” and John Sherman, Whitelaw Reid, and Joseph B. Foraker, who all have long flowing hair and beards like Rip Van Winkle. Blaine is leaning on a rifle labeled “Shot Gun.” Two young African American men are sitting on a bale of cotton and a keg of “Tobacco” in the lower right corner, and in the middle ground African Americans are harvesting cotton. In the background, along the shores of a harbor, is a prosperous city. Caption: Uncle Sam “My fossil friends, the War ended twenty years ago. Have you been sleeping ever since?”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-09-16

“Plague take it! Why doesn’t it stay down when I hit it?”

President Taft stands behind a chair on which a diminutive George W. Wickersham is standing. Wickersham is using a stick labeled “Sherman Law” to beat a toy labeled “Monopoly” on the table in front of him. The toy shows a wealthy businessman holding money bags sitting in a bowl. Hanging on the wall is a “Sectional View” of the toy showing that it is weighted at the bottom with “High Protection,” stating “The Reason Why” it does not stay down when Wickersham hits it.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-11-08

“Oh, pardon me! I mistook you for the deer”

A deer hunter labeled “Wickersham” holds a rifle labeled “Sherman Law.” A deer labeled “Restraint of Trade” runs off into the woods while a man labeled “Legitimate Business” holds his leg where Wickersham shot him.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-11-01

The Wickersham will git yer if yer don’t – watch – out!

A huge red flying creature labeled “Wickersham,” holding a fork with webbing in one hand and papers labeled “Trust, Dissolution, Sherman Law, [and] Disintegration” in the other, descends on fleeing crowds of men on a city street, possibly Wall Street.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-10-18