Family

An “Honest Laborer,” with a “Savings Book” in his coat pocket, sits with his family around a table at dinner. An agitator tries to incite him to adopt the violent practices of anarchy. The laborer looks a bit like Abraham Lincoln, and hanging on the wall in the background is a portrait of George Washington. Caption: Honest Laborer (to Anarchistic Agitator)–Help you to destroy law and order? – not much! – and your stories that we are starving are all false!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1893-09-06

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

At center, “America’s Real Order of the Descendants of Kings” shows an African American laborer, a woman domestic, and an Irish hod carrier. The surrounding vignettes depict family members discussing their ancestral heritage, or lack of it, as well as shysters offering to provide ancestors to those lacking proper pedigree.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1898-03-16

A young woman wearing a waistcoat, vest, and pantaloons, stands with her hands in her pockets. Her mother looks on. Caption: Mrs. Newgurl (to Daughter)–Goodness me, Kitty! Don’t stand there with your hands in your pockets, that way; – you don’t know how ungentlemanly it looks!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1895-04-17

This vignette cartoon chronicles the social and financial fortunes of the “Smallclip” family following Mrs. Smallclip’s interview with reporters and artists for the society pages of the newspaper. The society report leads to a dinner with “old friends” at their “modest home,” resulting in another notice in the society news where they are referred to as “leaders of fashion.” This causes Mrs. Smallclip to refurnish their home “on a scale in keeping with her new social status,” which places a financial strain on Mr. Smallclip. Mr. Smallclip is beset with bills as the cost of Mrs. Smallclip’s ascending social status begins to overwhelm him. The final vignette shows the Smallclip family a year later in humble housing, Mr. Smallclip having failed to meet the financial obligations of society leadership.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1896-04-01

A newspaper clipping detailing part of the speech Theodore Roosevelt gave at Saratoga, New York, on idealism and protecting one’s family and country.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1918-07-18

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

Former president Grover Cleveland and his wife Frances play with their children, Ruth, Esther, and Marion, in the backyard of their residence. Several men labeled “Morgan, Daniel, Pugh, Faulkner, Vest, Dana, [and] Gorman” spy on them from behind a fence, bushes, and over a hedge.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1897-06-09

Print shows a woman attending to an infant in a bassinet while a man hangs tiny stockings on the mantel of the fireplace.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1899-12-13

A crowd of parents and children shop in the toy department of a department store at Christmas, where Santa Claus surrounded by a group of parents. Caption: “Bring the little ones; let them enjoy this wonderful Christmas Carnival to their hearts’ content.”–Extract from a department store adv.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1913-12-17

A dejected soldier sits at a train station beneath a sign that states “Trains Leave Every Hour for Fort Tombstone Fort Lonesome Fort Scalp’em and all Western Army Outposts” and near another sign that states “Special Accommodations for Transferred Army Officers,” with an infant on his lap and his traveling orders labeled “Ordered to go West Secy. Endicott” between his knees. His extended family of wife, mother-in-law(?), children’s nanny, and several rambunctious children accompany him. In the lower right foreground is a valise labeled “Major Dunerfull.” Caption: The effect of government reform on a military man of quiet domestic ambitions.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-08-26

At the front doorstep of a house, a young man is headed for college. He is wearing a sweater with a large “Y” on it and is carrying a suitcase labeled “Harold Halfback Yale” and a football. His sobbing mother hands him a football helmet and shoulder-pads, and a little girl hands him a “First Aid Kit” and shin-guards. A dog standing with the mother and sister is also crying. In the background, a man sitting in a small horse-drawn carriage waits for the young man to finish his goodbyes. Caption: The Spartan Mother — Go, my boy!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1913-09-24

At center, the father of four children is buried beneath their “Graduation Bills.” Surrounding vignettes show the children, “Gladys, aged 6” at her “Kindergarten Graduation,” “Herbert, aged 12” at his “Academy Commencement,” “Egbert, aged 18” graduating from “High School,” and “Clara, aged 22” at her “‘dear old’ College” graduation, all in the space of about 3 weeks. Hanging on the wall in his study is a sign that states “Whither are we drifting? We are drifting to the poorhouse d—- quick.” Caption: Or, the beginning and the end of commencement.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1913-06-11

In this article, published in the Ladies Home Journal in April 1917, Theodore Roosevelt laments that many parents who have had to work hard to earn success spoil their children by sparing them such hard work. Both wealthy and poor parents are inclined to this fault. The children of such parents lack self-reliance and hardihood, essential character traits for their own success. The result is a decline not just for the individuals but also for the nation as a whole.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917

In this article, published in the Ladies Home Journal in October 1916, Theodore Roosevelt proposes that the foundation for success in life is to fulfill one’s duties of providing for yourself and your dependents. Only on this foundation can the “superstructure” of philanthropy be built. Roosevelt describes a man who became involved in a movement for uplift of others, to the neglect of his work responsibilities. The man and his wife and family went downhill, and his intended philanthropy failed, because he had not laid a sure foundation by fulfilling his primary duty to his own family first.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1916

Theodore Roosevelt was pleased to hear from Sarah Bancroft Leavitt. He wishes Leavitt could have been at the Orthopaedic. He always associates Leavitt with his father, mother, and aunt Anna Bulloch Gracie who had such fun together and did so much good for others.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1916-02-09

Theodore Roosevelt is pleased to hear from Sarah Bancroft Leavitt. Archibald Roosevelt is recovering from his wounds and is only concerned about returning to the front. Archie was awarded the French Croix de guerre and Kermit Roosevelt received the British Military Cross. Kermit has also been transferred to the American military as a captain of artillery. Ted Roosevelt and Quentin Roosevelt are fighting in France. Richard Derby is serving with the 2nd Division in France.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-06-01

Theodore Roosevelt shares his growing fondness for William Sheffield Cowles, suggests plans for their upcoming visit, and notes that Alice Roosevelt is still excited about her recent time with Anna Roosevelt Cowles.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1898

Vignettes depict the craze for cigar bands and the various ways in which they can be used to celebrate special occasions, such as getting married, the birth of a child, a holiday turkey dinner, on clothing to identify a family, as collectibles, and as a closure for a coffin. Caption: Dedicated to the gent who smokes ’em with the belts on.

comments and context

Comments and Context

As Puck magazine’s color centerspreads were increasingly given over to humorous cartoons, usually vignettes of commentary on a social, not political, issue of the day, the three cartoonists usually handling the assignments were S. D. Ehrhart, L. M. Glackens, and J. S Pughe.

A large ghoul, wearing a dark shroud labeled “Necessity” and holding a whip, leads a small child out of a home where an unemployed parent is slumped over a table in the background. Over the door is a sign that reads “Lead Kindly Light,” and outside the doorway, two children are walking toward a factory and a sign that states “Machinery Operated by Children – Men Need Not Apply.” Caption: From the cradle to the mill.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1912-04-10