Elephants

This postcard shows an elephant assisting a man climb onto its back. Charles C. Myers explains that in India and Ceylon, elephants are trained to help with the heavy lifting in many industries, including construction.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Most all the heavy work is done by elephants. They are trained to do most anything and when building houses and bridges etc. elephants do all the lifting of heavy building material and they are indeed obedient servants.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Newspaper clipping of cartoon showing Theodore Roosevelt, holding a rifle, looking at oversize tracks labeled “The third term idea.” An elephant hides nearby in the brush.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1908

In the first section of the cartoon, President Roosevelt holds a “cablegram” from the “Atlantic Cable Co.” that reads, “Mr. Roosevelt killed an elephant. Roosevelt ($6.00),” as he gestures to the African standing behind him for his gun. There are large footprints in the ground. Caption: Special Correspondent Roosevelt–“Ha! I have a tip that Mr. Roosevelt is about to slay an elephant. It’ll make a hot story.” In the second section, Roosevelt holds “cable blanks” in one hand and his gun in his other hand as he follows the tracks. The African says, “I feel the sleeping sickness getting me!” Caption: “Now for a scoop!” In the third section, Roosevelt stumbles upon reporters from “The Sun” and “The World”. They say, “Fire when you are ready, Mr. Roosevelt.” The elephant is sweating profusely and leans on a tree. Caption: “Dee–lighted!”

comments and context

Comments and Context

With only a month and two days remaining in the term of Theodore Roosevelt, the cartoonists of America were not about to lose the last opportunities to depict their peripatetic president, nor milk the last drops of comic speculations about his African safari — especially when Roosevelt announced that he would allow no press coverage.

Rear Admiral Presley Marion Rixey looks on as President Roosevelt fires at two targets shaped like a lion and elephant with the names “Foraker” and “Tillman” respectively on them. Two rabbits–“Mellen” and “Paul Morton–as well as a wolf–“E. H. Gary” also watch. Beside them is “the spear that knows no brother.” Caption: Prepare targets similar to those shown above, lead the Faunal Naturalist to the rifle range and he will do the rest.

comments and context

Comments and Context

McKee Barclay’s drawing represents, in cartooning terms, a mixed metaphor, calling upon several thematic and political threads in one image. President Roosevelt appears to be readying himself for his upcoming African safari by target practice; yet he concentrates by labelling two of targets with the names of two of the most persistent of the president’s critics, Senators Joseph Benson Foraker and “Pitchfork” Benjamin R. Tillman.

President Roosevelt wears a “typewriter” on his back and points his finger at an elephant in Africa as another man photographs the incident. Caption: Mr. Roosevelt’s equipment need not be expensive.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Among a multitude of cartoon speculations on Theodore Roosevelt’s upcoming African safari, artists played variations on the simple theme that wild animals would be cowed by the belligerent Roosevelt.

The Theodore Roosevelt quote on this postcards reads: “Sentimentality is the most broken reed upon which righteousness can lean.”

Collection

Fritz R. Gordner Collection

Creation Date

1910

The Cracker Jack Bears are at the circus. One bear rides an elephant while juggling four boxes of Cracker Jack while the other bear feeds the elephant peanuts. A poem about Cracker Jack at the circus is located at the top right hand corner of the card. Number eleven in a series of sixteen cards that were sent for free to anyone who mailed in ten sides from Cracker Jack boxes or ten cents in “silver or stamps.”

Collection

Fritz R. Gordner Collection

Creation Date

1907

Kermit Roosevelt will continue to write to Robert Harry Munro and Isabella Ferguson although he has not received a reply yet. Roosevelt recounts his hunting exploits, interactions with the indigenous peoples, and his hopes of visiting the Fergusons at Saranac after returning from Africa.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1909-12-26

An elephant in a top hat and suit talks with a bull moose in a suit as Woodrow Wilson walks by.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1912-1920

This image depicts two sphinx-like figures, one with the head of Theodore Roosevelt, and the other with the head of William Jennings Bryan. Beneath these figures stand two figures representing the two main political parties holding their hats in their hands, along with question marks. This is likely in reference to the influence that both men held in their respective parties, and the lingering questions of who they would endorse (or indeed, if they would run for the presidency themselves).

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1912

This cartoon depicts a race between the three candidates of the 1912 presidential election sitting astride animals symbolizing their respective parties: Wilson riding a donkey, Taft riding an elephant, and Roosevelt riding a moose. The White House sits in the background as the ultimate finish line. Taft and Wilson are neck and neck, while Roosevelt’s moose bites at Taft’s elephant, seemingly distracting it and slowing it down.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1912

Roosevelt and Taft stand at the head of an elephant (representing the G.O.P) saddled with two chairs. While the president’s chair has a sign on it noting that it is reserved, the vice president’s chair is vacant. Roosevelt pulls on the elephant’s trunk attempting to move it while Taft looks on. Charles Evans Hughes sits in the window of a building labeled “Governor’s Office, Albany.” Timothy L. Woodruff holds a ladder through a street floor window with a sign on it reading “It might taper down to Tim.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1908-01-30

Theodore Roosevelt sits on top of a Republican party elephant with a rate bill under his arm. Roosevelt is facing a man labeled Allison, who is standing under an arch labeled full court review.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1906-05-08

Theodore Roosevelt leads a “G.O.P.” elephant with “Cortelyou,” “Bliss” and money bags on top of the elephant in the direction of “Wall Street.” Dog labeled “yellow dog fund” follows behind. Lambs in window watch procession.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1905-09-25

Theodore Roosevelt on lead elephant, “vice president” Charles Fairbanks in tow. “The railroads” and “the trusts” on far left and right. Judges, army and navy men in middle. Man carrying shovel labeled “Panama” leading procession.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1905-03-04

Joseph Gurney Cannon, speaker of the House of Representatives, stands at right, facing two elephants, a large one labeled “For President” with Theodore Roosevelt on its back, and a small one labeled “For Vice President” awaiting a rider.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1904-06-15

A silver elephant wearing a ribbon labeled “Currency Problem” stands in a stall with a shackle labeled “Cleveland’s Veto” on one foot. A notice on the wall states, “Look Out for the Elephant – He is Dangerous.” A battered old man labeled “Dem. Majority” lies on the floor, while another man labeled “Rep. Majority” approaches reading a booklet labeled “Republican Method of Handling Financial Elephants.” Uncle Sam taps him on the shoulder in warning. Caption: Uncle Sam–Don’t be over-confident, my friend; – he was too much for that Democratic keeper, and he may be too much for you!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1895-02-06

Uncle Sam uses a pitchfork to pile up money labeled “$160,000,000.00 Yearly” as food for a “U.S. White Elephant” wearing a military hat labeled “Pensions.” Caption: “Has the moth of avarice, the canker of greed, so eaten into the hearts of this generation that they are unmindful of these men? God forbid!” (From Harrison’s speech to the G.A.R. encampment.)

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1893-09-20

President McKinley rides an elephant driven by Marcus A. Hanna. The elephant is carrying Russell A. Alger, Nelson Dingley, William R. Day, and William T. Sampson. A second elephant follows, and a group of men that includes “Nelson A. Miles, Theodore Roosevelt, Joseph Wheeler, Fitzhugh Lee, Henry C. Lodge, William R. Shafter, Winfield S. Schley, John T. Morgan, Cushman K. Davis, George Dewey,” and others, march alongside under the standard “Imperialism for Ever.” A group of disgruntled men sit on the roadside, watching the procession.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1899-01-18

President McKinley, with an enormous white elephant labeled “Philippines” wearing an eye patch labeled “Aguinaldoism” behind him, speaks to the 55th Congress. Many of the Congressmen react with fear, notably, George F. Hoar in the lower left foreground, and Speaker of the House Thomas B. Reed who drops the gavel. Caption: President McKinley (to the 55th Congress)–Now, gentlemen, I’ve done my share; – I pressed the Spaniards; you do the rest!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1898-12-21