Lions

President Roosevelt fires his “no. 2 for birds” shotgun at a “Panama lyre-bird” (Joseph Pulitzer) in the African wilderness. Meanwhile, a “Congress” lion and “Foraker & Brownsville” hippopotamus stay in the background. Roosevelt is surrounded by his big stick–“for fighting at close quarters”–a typewriter, a notebook, a wireless box, a camera, a “no. 6 for lions etc.” gun, a toothbrush, and a book entitled “Wild Animals and Their Habits.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

This cartoon represents a fair summary of Theodore Roosevelt’s last months in office. He was wildly popular throughout the country, and by common consensus he could have been renominated by the Republican Party if he had not renounced interest on election night of 1904. And even as some Democrats urged him to run again, and recognized that their platforms and Roosevelt’s policies were consanguine, he could have been confident of reelection.

President Roosevelt runs after a lion that he fires at while “naturalists, professors, etc.” follow behind him. Kermit Roosevelt fires a pistol while sitting on a tree branch.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The continual and almost preternatural hostility of cartoonist Edward Joseph McBride and the St. Louis Republic toward Theodore Roosevelt extended after his presidency, and displayed animus to the animals. A month after election day, 1908, the cartoonist turned his attention to malign fantasies of the ex-president in Africa on a planned year-long safari.

President Roosevelt, in the shape of a lion, holds Oklahoma Governor Charles Nathaniel Haskell in his mouth. William Jennings Bryan runs away with a “saucy letter” spear in his left hand. In the background is an “heirship” balloon that has been poked.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Cartoonist Albert Jean Taylor in the Los Angeles Times employed puns (monkey, lion, a balloon labeled “heirship”) as well as caricature to make a clear statement of the political situation on late September 1908.

A lion reaches out to claw President Roosevelt as he types on a typewriter. Beside him is a “dictionary,” a gun, and a boy reading a “natural history” book. A snake looks at the boy.

comments and context

Comments and Context

In mid-1908, the American public focused its attention on new items in the headlines. As per usual, they often centered on President Roosevelt as had been the case for the seven years of his administration, and during other positions he held. In some venues he seemed larger than the entire Spanish-American War; and the romance of the American West — much of what the public knew of it — was synonymous with Roosevelt.

President Roosevelt has his big stick at his feet and holds out his hands toward a snake, a lion, a tiger, a giraffe, a rhino, and a monkey. The “G.O.P.” elephant says, “He hypnotized me.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

The Washington Herald’s Joseph Harry Cunningham paid subtle compliments to President Roosevelt in this cartoon that was published precisely a week before the Republican National Convention would convene in Chicago. Presidents did not attend their parties’ conventions in those times, nor did candidates unless they were nominated in last-minute stampedes or compromises.

A close-up photograph of a lion taken by Friedrich Bronsart von Schellendorf.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-09

In honor of President Roosevelt’s upcoming African safari, C. Bryson Taylor writes about the sights, conditions, hazards, and necessary supplies of a hunting trip in safari. Taylor details the guides, provisions, ammunition, and medicines travelers will need when embarking into the “dark and brooding heart” of Africa. Taylor also weaves in two fictional stories about previous hunting parties, which demonstrate the harshness of the expeditions.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-01-09

Theodore Roosevelt would like a .22 rifle with a peep sight and 1000 cartridges charged to his account. Scribner’s Magazine has published an article about Roosevelt’s successful hunting with the .405 in Africa.

Collection

Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Creation Date

1909-05-12

Theodore Roosevelt always knew George von Lengerke Meyer would do well as head of the Navy and congratulates him on his speech. Roosevelt describes the luck he has had hunting on African safari and the numbers and types of animals shot, 33 in total for Roosevelt, and 27 for his son Kermit Roosevelt. The elder Roosevelt apologizes for the short pencil-written letter and sends well wishes to Meyer’s wife, Marian Alice Appleton Meyer.

Collection

Massachusetts Historical Society

Creation Date

1909-09-10

Theodore Roosevelt recounts for George von Lengerke Meyer the “really great sport” he and son Kermit Roosevelt are encountering on their African safari, including the numbers and types of animals they’ve killed. Roosevelt hopes Meyer will give his regards to his wife Marian Alice Appleton Meyer and President Taft, whom he thinks “has done admirably.”

Collection

Massachusetts Historical Society

Creation Date

1909-05-17

Theodore Roosevelt would like a .22 automatic repeating rifle and 1000 cartridges charged to his account and sent to Alfred E. Pease. Roosevelt has done well with the .405 on safari in Africa.

Collection

Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Creation Date

1909-05-12

American author and journalist Poultney Bigelow writes to President Roosevelt asking for a nonsalaried mission to Abyssinia, to present condolences on behalf of all Americans for the loss of the King of Abyssinia’s pet lion.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-04-06

The Theodore Roosevelt quote on this postcard reads: “We believe that our ideals should be high, but not so high as to make it impossible measurably to realize them.”

Collection

Fritz R. Gordner Collection

Creation Date

1910

Medium-close shots of lions roaring and moving through underbrush. In the middle of the film there is a brief scene of an unidentified woman in an outdoor setting.

Collection

Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound

Creation Date

1910

Kermit Roosevelt describes his travels in Africa. He has hunted giraffe, lion, and cheetah. There have been issues with smallpox, particularly among their native guides.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1910-02-05

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

Photograph showing the interior of the Theodore Roosevelt birthplace museum with displays of photographs, a stuffed lion in the center of the room, and a portrait of Roosevelt on the back wall.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1923-12-17

President Grover Cleveland, wearing military uniform, gives a twist to the British Lion’s tail as it stands on a small island labeled “Great Britain” just off the coast of the “United States” where Cleveland and his backers are standing. Among Cleveland’s backers are Thomas B. Reed, Charles A. Dana doing a headstand on the “N.Y. Sun,” George F. Hoar holding a rifle, William E. Chandler wearing a grenadier’s bearskin hat and holding a sword, Henry C. Lodge with a sword, John T. Morgan, and Charles A. Boutelle also wearing a bearskin hat.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1896-01-08

A monkey wearing a military uniform holds a sword labeled “Clan-na-Gael” and a flag that states “No Peaceful Solution! War!” The monkey stands on soil labeled “United States,” looking across the “Atlantic Ocean” at a lion dozing on ground labeled “Great Britain.” At the monkey’s feet is a cup labeled “To Free Ireland,” with a tag that states “Servant Girls Please Contribute.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1895-10-23

The Russian Bear sits at a table, carving a large roast beef labeled “Siberian Railway.” Serving pieces on the table are labeled “Enlarged Navy,” “New Spheres of Influence,” and “Better Financial System,” and a bottle of champagne is labeled “Port Arthur Fortification.” On the right, the British Lion labeled “England” is reclining on a small piece of land across a body of water.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1898-09-21