Give him the Schley degree / Kep.

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Give him the Schley degree / Kep.

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Summary

Illustration shows three elderly naval officers questioning the spirit of John Paul Jones regarding the "Navy Dept. vs. Jones" for charges of conduct during the Revolutionary War, such as "Item 962 concerning the charge of cowardice" and on another paper "Did you get a rake-off in the Grog contract?" A map on the wall in the background shows "the loop of the Bonhomme Richard". The cartoonist is spoofing a court of inquiry requested by Admiral Winfield Scott Schley following accusations regarding his conduct during the Battle of Santiago.

Caption: Chairman of Paul Jones Inquiry Board Captain Jones, did you or did you not say, "Damn the Alliance! Let her take care of herself!"
Illus. in: Puck, v. 57, no. 1480 (1905 July 12), cover.
Copyright 1905 by Keppler & Schwarzmann.

It wasn't really until the 1700s that caricature truly blossomed as a form of political criticism. In the late 1750s, a man named Thomas Townshend began using the techniques employed by earlier engravers and applying them towards a political model. This gave Thompson's cartoons a much greater feeling of propaganda than previous artistic critiques of the time. The intense political climate of the period, and often accusatory nature of most political cartoons forced many artists to use pseudonyms in order to avoid accusations of libel. Other artists took it a step farther, and left their cartoons completely unsigned, foregoing any credit they may have received. Political higher-ups were notoriously touchy about their reputations and were not afraid to make examples of offenders. Puck was the first successful humor magazine in the United States of colorful cartoons, caricatures and political satire of the issues of the day. It was published from 1871 until 1918.

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Date

01/01/1905
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Contributors

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956, artist
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Source

Library of Congress
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Copyright info

No known restrictions on publication.

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