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Woodrow Wilson, as a farm-hand on Uncle Sam’s farm, drives a horse team labeled “Democratic Senate” and “Democratic House” toward a plow labeled “Tariff Reform Pledges.” Uncle Sam is leaning on a fence, talking to Wilson. Caption: “At last, by Crackey, we got a team that’ll pull together, so the sooner we get to plowin’ the sooner we’ll get through.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-11-27
Uncle Sam, wearing royal robes and a crown, sits on a throne. At his feet is a court jester labeled “Andy” sitting with his legs crossed and holding a short staff with two balls attached labeled “Bluff” and “Guff.” Nearby is a book titled “Skibo Joke Book.” Caption: Sometimes his prattle becomes a trifle wearing.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-12-18
Uncle Sam, as a pig farmer, holds a bucket labeled “Ship Subsidy” that he is about to pour into an overflowing trough labeled “Dingley Tariff” for a large hog labeled “Organized Greed.”
Udo J. Keppler’s mastery of caricature grew stronger through the years, even for imaginary characters like Uncle Sam. The frustration and disgust of the iconic Uncle Sam is so distorted that many readers probably were inclined to share the negative emotion before studying the labels.
Uncle Sam’s Christmas tree is about to topple over onto him because there are too many heavy ornaments near the top, including a red devil labeled “Politician,” a cannon labeled “Sherman Law,” a jack-in-the-box labeled “Wickersham,” a basket filled with food labeled “Cost of Living,” a parrot labeled “Woman Suffrage,” a ball labeled “Increased Taxes,” a large book labeled “Over-Legislation,” another ball with a “$” and the face of big business, an automobile labeled “Extravagance,” a large ball labeled “Bill” with the face of President Taft, and an angel labeled “Teddy.” Caption: Uncle Sam’s Christmas crash.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-12-20
A caricature of a Jewish man dressed as Uncle Sam, with a “Passport” in his pocket, stands outside the Moscow city walls trying to gain entry. A large bear wearing a crown labeled “Russia” is leaning over the walls, preventing the man from entering.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-01-10
An Asian, possibly Chinese, soldier offers scissors labeled “Enlightenment” to Uncle Sam so that he can cut off his long braid labeled “Partisan Politics.” The soldier’s own severed braid labeled “Servitude” lies on the ground at his feet.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-01-31
A man labeled “Infant Industries” is having a seizure in front of Uncle Sam and Columbia. Columbia, holding a purse labeled “High Protection,” is giving him a hand-out while Uncle Sam reaches into his pocket. Caption: Whenever he spots an easy-looking couple, he flops and has one.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-03-20
Theodore Roosevelt charges through the air at a high rate of speed at an extremely large President William H. Taft who is seated on top of the White House. Uncle Sam appears as a professor of physics explaining the illustration. Caption: Professor Sam of the Department of Physics — Gentlemen, we are about to witness what really happens when an Irresistible Force meets an Immovable Body.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-03-27
Uncle Sam, as a knight on horseback, carries a lance labeled “Anti-Fly Crusade.” He is charging toward a gigantic fly emerging from a container with a small child at its feet. Caption: A challenge to that greatest of public enemies, the disease-breeding fly.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-05-15
In a boxing ring, Uncle Sam is the referee for a boxing match between Theodore Roosevelt, with his campaign manager Joseph M. Dixon, on the right, and President William H. Taft, with his campaign manager William Brown McKinley, on the left. Standing at the back of the ring are challengers to the winner of the match: “Harmon, Clark, Wilson, [and] Underwood” as the Democratic hopefuls in the upcoming presidential election. William Jennings Bryan, between the ropes, appears to be climbing out of the ring. Caption: Referee Sam — It gives me great pleasure to announce to you that Battling Wilson of New Jersey, Kid Harmon of Ohio, Fighting Underwood of Alabama, and Scrapper Clark of Missouri, will challenge the winner of this bout!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-05-29
Theodore Roosevelt grimaces in anger with both arms raised. He is wearing Uncle Sam’s clothes, who is running off in a barrel to hide his nakedness. Also departing in fear are the Republican elephant and the Democratic donkey. Convention Number.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1912-06-19
An ailing Uncle Sam, holding his head and his stomach, stands in the middle of a half-circle with a series of private citizens telling him what ails the country: “Socialist Agitation!, Laws Not Enforced!, Public Service Commission!, Persecution of Rail Roads!, Plutocracy!, Interference with Business!, Graft!, Too Much Legislation!, Rum!, Blue Laws!, [and] Roosevelt!” Caption: “Do you want to know what’s the matter with you? Well, I’ll tell you!”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-01-25
Uncle Sam, as Rip Van Winkle, returns from his tariff sleep to discover that other countries now dominate foreign trade. His old rifle labeled “Monopoly Tariff” is outdated. John Bull sits with other representatives of foreign countries outside the “Inn of South American Trade.” In the background, steamships with flags of many nations unload freight. An insert shows a map and “The North Americans Idea of the Western Hemisphere.” Caption: Sam Van Winkle finds a lot of hustling strangers in his place at the inn.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-02-08
Uncle Sam is marrying a woman labeled “Canada” with President Taft as the clergyman. When Taft asks anyone who objects to the marriage to speak, all the guests in the church (they all have hogs heads) clamor to object. Caption: Clergyman Taft — Into this common-sense estate of Reciprocity these two persons present come now to be joined. If any man can show just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now sp– / Chorus of Tariff-Protected Monopolies — We object!
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-03-08
A resolute Uncle Sam, as a soldier with rifle, stands on a pile of money bags labeled “Financial Interests in South & Central America.” Sleeping on the ground, using the bags as pillows, are men labeled “St. Petersburg, Wall St., Lombard St., Paris Bourse, Berlin, [and] Vienna.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-04-05
Uncle Sam stands behind a group of legislators and businessmen who are bowing before a large hog labeled “Greed” with its front feet in a trough labeled “Wall Street.” Caption: Those who know the term but not its meaning may find enlightenment above.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-04-19
A diminutive Uncle Sam rows a sailboat and receives a helping hand from J. P. Morgan.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-04-26
The Roman god Mars, eating a battleship, is seated a table with Uncle Sam and Marianne (symbol of France) and the rulers of European and Asian countries at the “Dreadnought Club,” each awaiting their meals of munitions and armaments being brought to the table by a heavily burdened waitress labeled “Peace.” Caption: Peace — “Waiting on a crowd like this is no job for a woman.”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-05-31
A large knight sitting on a horse holds a lance with a banner that states “American Crops.” He has thrown a gauntlet to the ground before him. In the background, Uncle Sam and Columbia sit beneath a canopy in front of a building that appears to be the U.S. Capitol.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-09-06
In a shooting match between France and Germany, a white bird labeled “Peace” has just been released from a trap labeled “Moroccan Situation” and the contestants are each waiting for the other to shoot first. Gathered around the shooting platform are rulers from European and Asian countries, including Uncle Sam, Edward VII, King of Great Britain, and Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia. Caption: If either one of them shoots, it is all off with the bird. Hunting and Shooting Number.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1911-10-04