Employment (Economic theory)

Vignettes lightheartedly depict Irish domestic servants being pampered and coddled by their employers in efforts to keep them happy and happily employed, chiefly, by taking their minds off their domestic duties by providing pleasant distractions.

comments and context

Comments and Context

A Puck centerspread cartoon — the home, approximately once a month, of multiple genre gags on a social (not political) topic, occasionally merged two themes. In the example, artist S. D. Ehrhart falls back on two cliches frequently used by cartoonists — interestingly, social trends headed in opposite directions at the time.

Two Irish housewives are visiting. One is sitting in a chair, holding an infant, and with a young boy standing next to her, smoking a cigar. They are discussing the boy’s desire to work for Richard Croker, a Tammany Hall boss. Caption: Mrs. Grogan. — Little Patsy siz phwhin he grows up he wants ter git a job workin’ fer Dick Croker. Mrs. Hogan. — Doin’ phwhat? Mrs. Grogan. — Either mayor or jockey; – he don’t care phwhich!

comments and context

Comments and Context

Behind the wonderful drawing by Rose O’Neill, who created the iconic Kewpie Doll a decade after this cartoon’s publication, and stagey Irish dialect is a political fact of which most readers would have been aware: “Boss” Croker of New York City’s corrupt Democratic machine Tammany Hall was also a breeder of thoroughbred race horses. Many Tammany politicians, from ward-heelers to mayors were, like Croker himself, rough Irish immigrants.

A thin, tattered “Pullman Sleeping Car Porter” holds a piece of paper “Tips Daily Average on each Trip” which shows a 70% reduction in tips between 1890 and 1900. At the bottom it states “Pullman Porter’s Labor Union.” He is appealing to the president of the railroad company to become a salaried employee. An insert shows the Pullman porter “As we used to know him,” plump, with his pockets stuffed with cash and with rings on his fingers. Caption: “Say, Boss, if the public won’t pay me my wages any longer I guess the company ‘ll have to do it!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1901-09-04

William J. Moran offers some criticisms of a statement from Theodore Roosevelt published in The Outlook about the recent Court of Appeals decision on the New York Compulsory Compensation Law. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-05-18