Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-11-17
American Caricature.

American Caricature.
"Carlcaturing is now more popular than
ever before in America and the probabili.
ties are that the public will continue tc
encourage it," remarked a well-knoWr
caricaturist, sentcntously. us he gently
stroked his chin whiskers and gazed at the
toes of his boots.
Yes; there are many good caricaturists
now
"What has led up to this?"
The education of the people as much as
anything. 1t is only Of recent years that
the public could be made to think in this
direction. By degrees the cartoons were
improved and elaborated until now, we are
at higher point than ever before;
Are your caricaturcs the result of a
happy thought or an inspiration usually ?''
"Well, " remarked the artist with a Grin
that took all the romance out of the subject
at swoop: ''therc is about as much in
spiration about caricaturing rs there is
about cleaning streets. Success is achieved
by persistent and untiring study and cenu-
inc hard work. What you wish to know is
how our pictures arc produced week after
week, year after year, is it 2"
THAT is it exactly"
swell, to begin with. il is necessary to
read the daily papers very carefully and to
keep thoroughly abreast ofthe times. This
is not to be done with any idea of amuse-
ment but as necessary course of study.
Then every morning the members of the
stall of the paper meet and discuss the ad-
visibility ofdrawing such and such picture.
1t Is always difficult to get good ideas.
Great care must be taken not to come out
too carly with Il political cartoon, for it
takes the public some time to grasp thor
oughly an idea, and its presentation before
it is widely understood leads to confusion.
Much worse, however. is the effect of a car
toon that comes out too late. 1t falls flat
then, and the paper suffers palpably. 1t is
sometimes very difficult to avoid thing of
this sort. We get caught in spite of our
selves once III while, but often escape by
miracle. The best instance I ever heard
of was i'll the great political contest at Chi
cago in 1850, when the machine was the
standing terror of the people. We 90 to
press on Friday, and the paper is issued
early Wednesday morning. We found that
1t was necessary TO have a picture on the
great Chicago sensation, but couldn't tell
what the political situation would be by the
time the paper was issued five or six tlavs
later, and were nervous about it. At last
this Is Il State secret-wc decided to pro-
ducc something that might be construed
either way Late Friday ! went to work at
a double page picture representing the ma
chine, as being blown to atoms, with Grant
and the '30G' spinning in the air. We in
tended to say that the picture represented
the wish of the people, but did not
dare to hope that the machine really
would 20 up. Tuesday night, how
ever, The great blast occurred, and we came
out few hours later with our picture,
which had been printing since Friday. We
took big chances and won. That one sue.
cess did Il great deal for us, and we gained
Il reputation for prophetic wisdom. | am
of the opinion that a forecast is the strong
est kind of II picture"
Are the greatest successes gained with
political subjects ~
'WclI, it is IL great field, but social sub
iccts are almost as important The trouble
| have always found is that Americans arc
not quite broad enough. They see harm
where none is intended or thought of, and
! am obliged to exercise the greatest pre-
caution to keep the pictures at certain
standard. Both German and French carl.
caturists exercise their imaginative faculties
in Il way that would call out unqualified
condemnation here. If in the course of
drawing Il picture they have an opportuni-
ty of introducing Il female figure, they throw
III one with voluptuous curves and attrac-
tive pose, and the revelation Of a we'll turn
ed leg detracts nothing from her attrac-
tlveness. The French and German public
see nothing ccnsurable in that but if it is
tried here an awful hue and cry is raiscd.'
How do you catch the portrait of public
men,"
1T is not done by intuition. We have all
the photographs that we can gather of cele-
brities. and every year go to Albany and
Washington and spend several weeks in
making careful sketches ofpublic men. To
a practiced eye every man suggests some
animal. David Davis. for instance, irresis-
tibly suggests the elephant. 1t is one of the
rare old principles of the craft that Grant
must always smoke and JEFF Davis wear
hoop skirts. Beecher is made by scattering
some long hair over Il very red face with
thick lips and beefy chin"
DO people object to being carcatured ??
politicians do not now, but they created
some trouble years ago. They have tried
to bribe me in two instances, and I have re.
ceived q number of threatening letters, but
the majority of victims enjoy the publicity
We are very much annoyed, and have
been for years, by people who imagine
that we are putting caricatures of them
in our pictures when we have probably
never seen them before. One man
came down to the office and protested vehement
ly every time we printed a picture with Post
master James face in it. He was a crank. ant
imagined that he looked like the postmaster, bu
there was no likeness whatever. Mr.. Henr,
Bergh has called twice to protest and we have hat
4 number of other cases"
Yet they buy the paper, do they not?"
Not only buy it at the stalls but actually sub
scribe for years. Our subscription book show
rather remarkable names.
SIS the remuneration for the work of caricatur
ing heavy?"
"A bright man can make plenty of money.
conscientious man of moderate ability can make