The AAEC Editorial Cartoon Digital Collection project will result in the creation of an Internet-accessible, fully searchable database of digitized versions of original editorial artworks by more than 300 artists from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The cartoons date from 1782 to 1980, though the bulk of the collection was created since 1960. For researchers and students, editorial cartoons provide a caricature of social and political thought in the past.
Cartoons survive as an art form and as journalism.
They present educators with engaging and effective instructional resources. As a part of its Editorial Cartoon Collection, the University Libraries hold more than 6,500 examples of this format. Originally prepared for newspapers, magazines, and in some cases television, the cartoons address a spectrum of topics ranging from presidential elections to high school sports. The collection presents artistic commentary on the Civil Rights Movement, Watergate, and the Vietnam War. Some of the artwork reflects changes in American social and political attitudes.