Christmas trees

President Roosevelt points one dart gun at toy “jungle animals from Africa” and another gun at “Congress.” Uncle Sam and Miss Columbia look on standing beside the Christmas tree. “Congress” says to Roosevelt, “Hey, look out where ye’r pointin’ that!”

comments and context

Comments and Context

Jay N. “Ding” Darling, in his half-century as a political cartoonist, was known as a progressive, an advocate of conservation (he designed “duck stamps” for federal revenue and program funding in the 1930s; and two wildlife areas are named in his honor), and a partisan who frequently defended his friend Theodore Roosevelt.

President Roosevelt and Uncle Sam listen to a “public opinion” gramophone that projects, “relief from oppressive trusts—a square deal for all, both white and black—honesty and efficiency—no foreign entanglements—retrenchment—economy.” The side of the gramophone says, “Xmas present to Theodore Roosevelt and Uncle Sam from the people.” In the background a number of man dance around a Christmas tree with different ornaments, including “larger navy,” “plenty,” “full work,” “peace,” and “army.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-24

A large Christmas tree is decorated with ornaments labeled with political offices and presidential appointments. Thomas Collier Platt and Matthew S. Quay, who is dressed as a woman, are standing in front of the tree. In queues on both sides are diminutive figures anxiously awaiting their presents, including from right to left, Jerry Simpson, Joseph B. Foraker, William E. Chandler, William McKinley, Whitelaw Reid, Thomas B. Reed, Levi P. Morton, Benjamin Harrison, William B. Allison, George F. Hoar, John Sherman, Chauncey M. Depew, and Robert T. Lincoln. Caption: The two big bosses have full charge of it, and the most obedient boys will come in for the best gifts.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1895-12-25

Two young women ice skate and tow a sleigh in which Puck is riding, holding a Christmas tree.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1894-12-05

A well-dressed couple sit on a sofa before a fire in the fireplace, with the spirits of three young children dancing around a Christmas tree. There are art-nouveau style furnishings (lamp and flower vase) on the table in the background.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1896-12-09

Print shows Uncle Sam and Columbia taking Christmas presents off a Christmas tree and distributing them to Native children labeled “Hawaii, Samoa, Puerto Rico, Cuba, [and] Philippine.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1899-12-27

Several members of Congress stand around a large Christmas tree labeled “Tax Surplus” decorated with money bags labeled “Surplus.” The legislators carry bags in which to place the bags of surplus they pluck from the tree. Among those identified are Charles W. Jones holding a bag labeled “Naval,” William E. Chandler holding a bag labeled “Subsidies for a Merchant Steam Marine,” William Mahone holding a bag labeled “Public Buildings and Grounds,” John A. Logan holding a bag labeled “Appropriations” and reaching for a sack on the tree, Joseph W. Keifer lifting George M. Robeson holding a bag labeled “Partners in the New Naval Scheme,” John Roach holding a bag labeled “New Navy Scheme,” Henry L. Dawes holding a bag labeled “River & Harbor Bill,” Francis M. Cockrell holding a bag labeled “Improvement of Mississippi River,” Eugene Hale holding a bag labeled “River & Harbor Bill,” John J. Ingalls holding a bag labeled “More Pensions,” Benjamin F. Jonas holding a bag labeled “Improvement of Mississippi River,” and Elbridge G. Lapham who is speaking to two well-dressed women, one holding a bag labeled “Lobby.” Lapham is also depicted in the angel at the top of the tree holding a banner labeled “Help Yourself.” Uncle Sam dances with three men in the foreground and, on the right, a lone “Taxpayer” stands outside in the snow.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-12-19

Illustration shows a woman holding cymbals as an ornament hanging from a Christmas tree.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1914-12-12

President Roosevelt describes the family’s Christmas activities. Presents were opened in the morning with Alice Roosevelt Longworth and Representative Nicholas Longworth in attendance. Anna Roosevelt Cowles hosted lunch and the Lodge family visited for Christmas dinner.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1906-12-26

President Roosevelt details a pleasant, busy Christmas Day spent with many family members and friends.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1907-12-25

On a stage with a large table, many actors and actresses are engaged in various activities. On the far left is a Christmas tree with decorations based on the characters from the Harriet Beecher Stowe novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin: an angel labeled “Haley,” a playing card spade labeled “Marks,” a black doll labeled “Simon Legree,” a champagne bottle labeled “Mrs. Ophelia,” a bottle of “face powder” labeled “Topsey,” a dog labeled “Eliza,” and a whip labeled “Uncle Tom.” On the floor next to the tree is a jug labeled “Eagle Hotel Main Street.” The rest of the scene is comprised of blacks and whites playing dice games, drinking, and one woman feeding four dogs. An angel can be seen in the background. Caption: The Uncle Tommers’ Christmas dinner on the road.

Comments and Context

This is a remarkable drawing, one that comes to us through the years speaking in way unconsciously and unintended. As a Christmas / seasonal cartoon, not designed for commentary or political statements, cartoonist L. M. Glackens has conjured a fantasy — what do road actors of those innumerable theatrical troupes that criss-crossed America, do on their rare nights off, for instance at Christmastime?

Shenanigans, indulging, playing, gambling, all the forbidden but innocent pleasures are suggested by Glackens.

Uncle Sam’s Christmas tree is about to topple over onto him because there are too many heavy ornaments near the top, including a red devil labeled “Politician,” a cannon labeled “Sherman Law,” a jack-in-the-box labeled “Wickersham,” a basket filled with food labeled “Cost of Living,” a parrot labeled “Woman Suffrage,” a ball labeled “Increased Taxes,” a large book labeled “Over-Legislation,” another ball with a “$” and the face of big business, an automobile labeled “Extravagance,” a large ball labeled “Bill” with the face of President Taft, and an angel labeled “Teddy.” Caption: Uncle Sam’s Christmas crash.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-12-20

Santa Claus, labeled “G.O.P.,” reaches to place the “Star of Hope” on top of a Christmas tree trimmed with lemons, marble hearts, a stuffed bear “From Teddy,” two “Little Big Sticks” and a “Big Stick,” a ball of “Promises,” and three balls labeled “Gas, Guff, [and] Wind.” On a nearby table is Joseph Cannon as a “Joe in the Box,” a “Home made frosted cake from Uncle Joe’s Pantry,” and a book of “Fairy Tales by Uncle Sam.”

Comments and Context

J. S. Pughe’s cover cartoon directly addresses a crisis in America’s handling of the Philippine Islands as an American territory, during an important moment of policymaking. The matters at hand were important to the Filipinos, of course: trade, tariffs, and economic sovereignty.

To the American public, especially since most of the bloody insurrection was quelled — largely by President Roosevelt’s amnesty and promises of self-determination — questions concerning the Philippines had become a matter of great indifference. Governor-General William H. Taft, returning to the United States and engaging in policy speeches, remarked that the sure way to clear a hall of reporters and attentive listeners was to mention the Philippines.

Theodore Roosevelt asks if Kermit Roosevelt is getting any of his letters. He describes how they spent Christmas and tells Kermit about some of the writing he is doing. He closes by saying he has no idea whether the Progressive Party has a future.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1912-12-27

Theodore Roosevelt has received Kermit Roosevelt’s letter about visiting Sao Paolo, Brazil, and everyone was interested in reading about Kermit and Belle Roosevelt setting up their new home. The book about the Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific Expedition has been sent to all members of the expedition through the Brazilian ambassador. Roosevelt describes the “delightful Xmas” at Sagamore Hill with all of his children, except Kermit, and three grandchildren. He reflects on the war and views Germany as “clearly ahead” and Austria growing stronger. Roosevelt admires German efficiency, which is greater than the efficiency of the Allies, and the Allies are infinitely more efficient than the United States. President Wilson and Secretary Bryan are the “worst creatures” to lead the nation in foreign affairs. Roosevelt believes the United States should have countered the “unscrupulous” behavior of Germany and intervened on behalf of Belgium. He has signed a three year contract with Metropolitan Magazine to publish his social and political views.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1914-12-28

Theodore Roosevelt wishes Belle Roosevelt a merry Christmas and updates her on the status of things at home. Roosevelt is still very discouraged about America’s late entry into, and lack of preparedness for, the war.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-12-25

Thomas William Lawson stands among Christmas gifts and a notice posted on the wall, which states “Christmas Greeting to Lawson Put all insurance proxies in your possession on the State House Steps by 11:15 to night or–!!!” Lawson is surrounded by such gifts as a box of “Dynamite Perfectos Smoke Up! [from] Addicks,” a box of “Poisoned Candy Merry Xmas from McCall,” a large box labeled “Infernal Machine Best wishes of Wall St.,” a large jug with a skull and crossbones labeled “Drink Hearty from PA McCurdy,” a smoking bomb labeled “To Tom from John D.” nestled among flowers “From Rogers,” and a sword “From Hyde.” In the background is a Christmas tree with an oil can and one ornament showing a face.

Comments and Context

Udo J. Keppler’s cartoon is a caricature of Thomas William Lawson, whose 14 magazine articles, collected in a sensationalist best-selling book, Frenzied Finance, marked him at the time and in subsequent history as a prototypical Muckraker on a par with Upton Sinclair (the meat industry), Ida M. Tarbell (Standard Oil), and Samuel Hopkins Adams (medicines). Lawson’s expose was of the mining business, specifically Amalgamated Copper and related companies.

Ironically, Lawson’s book was as much a tell-all retaliation against his former partners in Amalgamated as the confessions of a reformed corporate predator. That he was not wholly repentant about the misdeeds of trust magnates or their system mattered little to the public. An insider’s view was enough to attract attention.

Uncle Sam, as Santa Claus with his bag of toys, hands a bag of money labeled “$10,000,000” to a little boy wearing a hat labeled “Panama” and holding a huge ship, some books, one labeled “Ledger,” and towing a model train. A railing on the right divides the space into an area with a Christmas tree and an area without. Hanging on the railing, looking in, are five boys labeled “Colombia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, [and] San Domingo” who are depressed and possibly angered that Santa Claus/Uncle Sam has nothing for them.

Comments and Context

Only a month before this cartoon was drawn, on November 18, 1903, the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty was ratified between the United States and the very new Republic of Panama. It followed the declaration of Panama’s independence from Colombia in such short time that Secretary of State John Hay proposed and signed the treaty with Panama’s appointed representative, Philippe Bunau-Varilla in a New York hotel room; the “Minister” had not yet been to Panama.

Under the terms of the agreement, the United States was to pay the $10-million directly to the new government — one of Santa’s “goodies” in the cartoon. America also guaranteed an annual annuity of $250,000; permanent defense of the canal and strip of land known as the Canal Zone, and military protection as requested by Panama. It also assumed debts of the original French interests in the failed and corruption-laden earlier canal project; and various other assurances.

A large, decorated Christmas tree is surrounded by some of the characters who routinely appear in Puck’s cartoons, such as the automobile driving scofflaw holding a gift of “Horse Liniment,” the domineering servant with her gift of an alarm clock, the housemaid and her gift of “China cement,” an Irishman holding a box of “English Soldiers” labeled “For Patrick,” and “For Mr. Henpeck” two tickets to the “Theatre – to night Taming of the Shrew” which he is offering to his contemptuous wife. Puck is standing on a step ladder at center, offering a crown “For Miss Gotrox” to a stylishly dressed young woman straining to reach it. Others are receiving equally poignant gifts. Caption: A little something for each of his characters.

Comments and Context

This holiday cartoon by Ehrhart serves as a virtual visual encyclopedia of the era’s humorists’ and cartoonists’ cast of characters: “types,” ethnic sorts, professions, members of social strata, stereotypes, and butts of common jokes.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Puck offers a small Christmas tree, with ribbon stating “Compliments of the People,” to President William McKinley.

Comments and Context

At the end of a contentious political year, Puck offers a well-earned Christmas present to the recently re-elected President McKinley. Although Puck was typically a fairly reliably Democratic organ, during these months it favorably regarded the Republican politician. In the following Roosevelt years, Puck varied its compliments and praise.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs