Ramses I, King of Egypt

President Roosevelt, in the dress of a Roman warrior, is presented by Pallas Athena representing Columbia (a symbol of the United States in the hands of some cartoonists) to five great mythological gods and historical figures of war. They are: Ramses, Julius Caesar, Achilles, Cleopatra, and Alexander the Great.

comments and context

Comments and Context

This cartoon was one of a series by Otto Cushing, who invariably drew his figures in Classical and sculptural appearance throughout his career with Life and the New York Herald. The series for Life ran over several months and was collected in book form.

A visitors’ gallery at the 2nd Peace Conference at the Hague shows tyrants, invaders, and conquerors seated, including: Frederik II, Oliver Cromwell, Ramses, William I, Hannibal, Attila the Hun, Alexander the Great, Richard the Lion Hearted, Caesar, Saladin, Napoleon I, Charlemagne, and Theodorick. They are all laughing.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The Second International Peace Congress at the Hague — considered the last and most idealistic act of United States Secretary of State John Hay before he died in 1905 —  might have died stillborn because most nations of the civilized world were arming and re-arming at alarming rates at the time. Even the world’s most prominent peace advocate, Andrew Carnegie, who financed many of the conference’s expenses, had sold massive quantities of armor-plate and steel that was clearly to be used for battleships and weapons.

Theodore Roosevelt, on his way to the “Hall of Fame,” passes between two rows of kings, emperors, military leaders, statesmen, and others, including, on the left, “Alexander, Nimrod, Caesar, Joshua, Solomon, Moses,” and possibly Ramses I, King of Egypt; and on the right, “Wellington, Washington, Napoleon I, Frederick the Great, Cromwell, Shakespere [sic], Luther,” and two unidentified kings, possibly William I and Richard I, kings of England.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1912-09-04