Robeson, George M. (George Maxwell), 1829-1897

Peace, and the good will of all men

A large group of men are gathered around a monument to bust Ulysses S. Grant that includes “Grant’s Last Letter.” Some of the men are laying wreaths at the base, labeled “Southern Soldiers, Northern Soldiers, Our Friend, [and] Old Soldiers.” Some of the men are labeled “Capital, Labor, Republican, Democrat, Irish, [and] German.” Standing in the background, separate from the others, are William M. Evarts, Whitelaw Reid, James G. Blaine, John A. Logan, George M. Robeson, and another man. Caption: Another lesson for the “Bloody Shirt” patriots.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-08-05

The new leader and the old chorus

John Logan, labeled “New Leader” of the Republican Party, the “party of Reform and Puritee,” holds a paper that states “Logan Speec[h] at Boston July 1885.” He is standing in the street between the White House and the U.S. Treasury, leading a chorus of tramps identified as “J. Gould, Field, Mahone, Roach, Riddleberger, T. Platt, Ex leader [James G. Blaine], Robeson, Keifer, Chandler, Brady, [and] Dorsey,” and an unidentified blind man who looks like Benjamin F. Butler. Some carry battered hand-pails labeled “Empty Hopes.” On the United States Treasury building is a sign, “Notice No Tramps,” and on the White House, where President Cleveland is leaning out a window, is another sign that states “No Tramps Admitted.” Uncle Sam, as a policeman, is leaning against the wall.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-07-15

The old partners in the new navy job

John Roach and George M. Robeson, dressed as 16th century soldiers, are performing a song and dance routine on a stage. Roach is holding a paper that states “Contract for new U.S. Cruisers $2,440,000 and ‘Extras!’ Awarded to John Roach.” Caption: When of corruption the public is weary, And the papers have found us out, / Our future then looks dark and dreary, And our profits are involved in doubt / That is the time for disappearing; Just take a header, down you go / But appropriations new are nearing–Bob up serenely from below! –“Olivette” amended.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-07-11

The three buddensieks of the American navy

George M. Robeson, William E. Chandler, and John Roach sit on the hull of a ship resting on its side with patches labeled “Repairs” partially covering holes. Caption: A historical picture.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-07-01

There’s a new policeman on the beat

Two crooks labeled “Robeson” and “Roach” walk down a sidewalk, whistling. They are being trailed by William C. Whitney, Secretary of the Navy, as a policeman. Caption: “Cheese it!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-06-24

Two political paths

“Evarts, Reid, Robeson, Logan, [and] Blaine” and William W. Phelps stand on the remains of a bridge “washed away by the freshet of Nov. 1884” labeled “Partisan Civil Service” and find it difficult to get to the other side of the river. In the background, on a solid “Civil Service Reform” bridge are President Cleveland, members of his cabinet, Carl Schurz, and others unidentified, one holding a sheet of paper labeled “A Mugwump Engineer” and others holding a board labeled “Tariff Reform.” In the upper left corner is a flag pole with a banner that states “Non-Partisan Civil Service” and a municipal building labeled “Good Government.” Caption: The Democrats have the Mugwump bridge, and a fair chance to reach the goal; but our Republican friends seem to have struck a pretty hard road to travel, just at present.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-06-10

“Ship-building for repairs”

Secretary of the Navy William C. Whitney carries a large book labeled “Navy Yard Investigations,” and confronts George M. Robeson, William E. Chandler, and John Roach, who are cowering at his approach outside the “U.S. Navy Ya[rd] Office.” Whitney is gesturing toward sailing ships that are being repaired, among those identified are “Shenandoah: for Building – $463,866, Repairs – $906,481; Ossipee: for Building – $407,064, for Repairs – $1,197,391; Kearsarge: cost – $286.918, Repairs – $1,123,416; [and] Mohican: Repairs cost $900,000.” Caption: Secretary Whitney – “It seems to me, Gentlemen, that you have been repairing a damaged party out of a decaying navy.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-06-03

Nursing our infant industries

Several congressmen and senators are dressed as women nursing symbols of American industry. Sherman and Blaine feed “American Swine” as it sits on a rocking horse. William D. Kelley, known as “Pig-Iron Kelley,” hugs a tin-man labeled “Iron” with a locomotive for a head and clutching a pig labeled “Pigdron” [sic]. Thomas Ochiltree kisses “American Beef,” Warner Miller hugs “Wood Pulp,” John P. Jones comforts “Silver Mining,” Charles W. Jones combs “Cotton,” and George M. Robeson and John Roach pass “Ship Building” off to “John Bull” hiding in the bushes. Uncle Sam sits with Liberty in the upper left.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1883-06-27

Congressional cracksmen

“Policeman Puck” and Uncle Sam investigate a robbery at the U.S. Treasury. A safe has been broken into and a barrel labeled “150,000,000 $ Surplus” is empty, and there is a hole in the floor which leads to the Congressional chamber, below. A crumpled notice on the floor of the chamber states, “Congressional Theatre – The Hit of the Season!!! ‘The 40 Thieves’ – Keifer manager, Robeson property man.” The robbery happens to coincide with the end of the first session of the 47th Congress. A ladder labeled “Adjournment of Congress” leans against an open window, supported by John A. Logan and John Sherman, as Horace F. Page and two other Congressmen descend. Other Congressmen, among them George M. Robeson carrying a sack labeled “Navy Appropriation” and James D. Cameron dragging a sack labeled “River & Harbor,” are headed for their home states carrying sacks with “$” on them. Caption: Policeman Puck to Uncle Sam–“This is the work of Professionals!”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-08-16

A summer smoke-cloud

Puck reclines before a table covered with alcoholic beverages, some labeled “V. H. Dusenbury’s P.P. Brandy” and “Puck Punch [No London Punch],” smoking and blowing smoke rings. Among the figures appearing in Puck’s smoke cloud are Chester Alan Arthur labeled “For a Good Veto” and fishing for “Popularity”; George M. Robeson at the helm of a boat carrying a large money bag labeled “Appropriation”; Jay Gould, Russell Sage, and William H. Vanderbilt sailing on a boat labeled “Monopoly”; Susan B. Anthony and another woman, George William Curtis labeled “Civil Service Reform,” Roscoe Conkling, Jay A. Hubbell labeled “Deform,” Ulysses S. Grant labeled “No Third Term,” David Davis, Robert Green Ingersoll boxing with Thomas De Witt Talmage, James Gordon Bennett, “Old Rossa” with “Dynamite,” Cyrus W. Field trying to net a “Coronet,” John Kelly and Samuel J. Tilden on a seesaw, William Russell Grace standing on a rock labeled “Public Esteem” with Seth Low trying to climb up, and James Russell Lowell on a “British Mission.”

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1882-08-09

Report from the committee on naval affairs of the House of Representatives

The Committee on Naval Affairs reports on the service of Lewis Randolph Hamersly in the volunteer Navy and in the Marine Corps. Hamersly is asking to be placed on the retired list of the Marine Corps, having resigned his commission many years earlier because of illness. The bill being considered by the House of Representatives would grant him that request. The report includes a letter from Secretary of the Navy Benjamin F. Tracy, testifying to Hamersly’s commendable conduct.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1892-05-10