Easter

A large, mean-looking hen, wearing a large black bonnet, stands over her brood: fully-mature men and women hatching from eggs who seem intent on meeting each other.

Comments and Context

Easter came early in 1907 — March 31 — but Puck was on time with its traditional secular theme in text, verse, and cartoons: the end of Lent. The period of self-restricted piety, at least diminished socializing and courting, as was the custom of the day, meant that dating and social engagements could commence anew. The cycle was a custom decreasingly observed, yet cartoonists like L. M. Glackens could draw uncountable inspirations from it, as in this cover drawing.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

A beautiful young woman, fashionably dressed with large hat, stands before a group of wealthy men and looks over her right shoulder. An insert escutcheon shows an automobile, lobster, and alcoholic drinks. Easter Puck.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1912-04-03

A man presents a large hat box to a woman at Easter.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-04-12

Minnie Codington Rodey, wife of Delegate Bernard Shandon Rodey of New Mexico, asks if arrangements can be made for her and her children to view the Easter egg rolling from the White House.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-03-27

Theodore Roosevelt writes to his sister Anna Roosevelt about recent happenings in Washington. He and wife Edith have been doing quite a bit of entertaining. Alice and Ted found eggs left by the Easter Bunny.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1891-03-29

A court jester entertains a young woman wearing a crown on her head, sitting on a large stone bench.

Comments and Context

Carl Hassmann, whose work at Puck virtually consisted of two themes — dark and brooding disasters that threatened domestic or international peace; or poster-like decorative or frivolous designs. Puck‘s 1906 Easter cover was assigned to Hassmann, the Viennese immigrant, and he produced a variant on Puck‘s traditional Lenten themes of suppressed social abandonment, or Easter’s notice that social strictures were loosed (never a religious subtext).

In this cover drawing, to reinforce the point, a jester — not the devil — instructs an American Girl in a gown patterned with hearts, not crosses.

Theodore Roosevelt writes his father about his Easter vacation with the Minot and Weld families. He describes his activities over the weekend, including his studies, leisure time, and attending church.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1877-04-15

A beautiful young woman emerges from a church on Easter. A cluster of well-dressed men, all eager for her hand, are waiting. Two of the men turn away a devil figure dressed in red. Caption: Who hath not owned, with rapture smitten frame, / The power of grace.–Campbell.

Comments and Context

Once again at Eastertide, Puck turns its attention not to the Passion or Resurrection of Christ but — as most magazines and newspapers did for thematic material between Lent and after Easter — to social freedom before Lent, restrained socializing during Lent and Holy Week, and a return to courtship and the social whirl after Easter. It was the common thematic preoccupations of cartoons, poems, short fiction, and even editorials in the time.

Here, Ehrhart’s “girl” — Puck‘s answer to the Gibson Girl who dominated the cartoons in its rival weekly Life — no sooner leaves church than she is besieged by suitors young and old, foreign and domestic. She even has admirers among cadets and fops. What devotion to purity could not effect during Lent — that is, rejection of the devil — is employed in the pursuit of the Spring Girl: banishment of evil intentions.

A fashionably dressed young woman is being escorted by a rabbit and a young child dressed in a red suit. The woman looks back over her shoulder at three unhappy monks standing outside a stone church or monastery.

Comments and Context

Puck scarcely took second place to any of its contemporary weekly or monthly rival magazines when holiday themes and seasonal issues took prominence. In Puck‘s early and purely political years, comments on Lent, Easter, and Christmas were highlighted less, frequently relegated to back pages. But during the Belle Epoque, and when Art Nouveau, Impressionism, Japonisme, and the “poster style” of advertisements and covers predominated, Puck was a player.

Louis M. Glackens, a mainstay of Puck‘s staff from this time until 1914 (and then a pioneer animated cartoonist), contributed many covers like this: fanciful themes; solid compositions; underlying lightness; and handsome coloring. His brother William was a major figure in the Expressionist artistic movement, a member the so-called Ashcan School, one of “The Eight.”

A young woman plays a lute as a group of rabbit cavaliers dance around her. In the background, two monks whisper to each other at the entrance to a monastery.

Comments and Context

Louis M. Glackens continued his role as Puck‘s artist for holiday, seasonal, and specialty theme issues, with cartoons such as this. Decorative illustrations, social cartoons, and holiday artwork, more than occasionally gracing Puck covers as the century progressed, doubtlessly attracted additional readers; or, as the magazine’s business office might have noted, stopped the disinclination of partisan readers to buy a week’s issue, if they disagreed with the political message on most covers.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

A little girl takes all the colored eggs from the Easter Bunny’s basket. She is putting them in her apron, but some have fallen on the ground and are broken. A hen wearing a bonnet is in the background.

Comments and Context

Puck‘s annual Springtime/Easter issue was graced with a poster-like design by L. M. Glackens. This was one its most attractive covers at a time when social themes, humorous drawings and jokes, and decorative holiday-inspired artwork insinuated themselves on covers. With the flat-color background and silhouetted figures, the drawing has a feel of Japonisme — then a reigning “look” in poster art in the United States, Europe, and of course Japan.

Glackens was relatively new to the Puck staff at this time, although he had submitted occasional drawings as far back as the days of the World’s Fair Puck in 1893. When he left the magazine 1n 1914, his talent and (evidently) celerity were put to use in the nascent animation field. His brother William was the famous American Impressionist painter, one of “The Eight” or “Ashcan School.”

Easter greeting card with an art print of an aviator walking in a graveyard with a plane flying overhead. Inscribed in ink on the print is “To Quentin Roosevelt who at the front had fought like an eagle.” Includes a music score: “A Litany.” The item also includes an envelope printed with “Easter Greetings.”

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

Unknown

A pamphlet regarding an Easter celebration on the front. The poem is one Edith Roosevelt had shared with Quentin Roosevelt before. He sent this back to her with an April 7, 1918, letter.

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

1918-03

Several young women wearing their new Easter fashions stand outside a church. Included is a poem titled “The Easter Girls” by Madeline Bridges.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1902-03-26

A young woman walks arm in arm with a rabbit carrying a basket of Easter eggs. A tonsured monk standing in the background is startled by what he sees.

Comments and Context

Humor magazines of the day frequently published Easter issues or focused on seasonal themes which were seldom religious in nature. In this case, either a dreaded Lenten sacrifices, or the end of such strictures. Cartoonist L. M. Glackens was beginning his role as a major staff member on Puck at this time. After a decade drawing magazine cartoons, he entered the nascent animated-cartoon field. His brother William Glackens was a member of “The Eight,” or the “Ashcan School,” major Post-Impressionist and Naturalist schools of American art.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Theodore Roosevelt thanks his son Quentin for sending him a copy of the Grotonian. He hopes that, unlike the rest of his family, Quentin Roosevelt will keep writing. Theodore hopes that over Easter the family can be together at Oyster Bay. He thought of visiting Groton School over Washington’s birthday but did not think he would be able to see Quentin then, so he has postponed his visit until the spring.

Collection

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site

Creation Date

1915-03-08

Puck, wearing the bright red outfit of a musketeer, walks between two rabbits who are each carrying an Easter egg. A tonsured monk in a cowl, reading a Bible or missal, occupies the foreground.

Comments and Context

Throughout virtually all of its life, Puck magazine published special issues with non-political covers for Christmas, Easter, “Mid-Summer,” and occasionally Thanksgiving numbers.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Columbia is adjusting her bonnet, which is a battleship labeled “World Power” with two guns labeled “Army” and “Navy.” It is spewing thick black smoke labeled “Expansion.” She is inserting a tiny sword as a hatpin to hold it in place.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1901-04-06

Special Easter edition cover, in an art nouveau style, shows a woman performing a magic trick by making Easter eggs and other prizes flow from a piece of paper rolled up like a cone; also a young girl with angel wings is holding an Easter egg and a rabbit.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1900-04-18

Theodore Roosevelt wants to add to the good wishes already sent by Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-04-21