Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-27

Sir John Tenniel,

Sir John Tenniel was the famous
English cartoonist who so mercilessly
caricatured Abraham Lincolh during
the Civil War. He was the dean of
the worlds great political cartoonists.
Tenniel held the record for coptinu-
Gus service. Fifty years were spent,
with scarcely a holiday, as cartoonist
for London Punch. His pencil pleased
millions. He set the principle of the
political cartoon so firmly that 1t has
been adopted the world over. His keen
political foresight was worked out in
more than 1000 sketches. touching
upon, and perhaps deciding. the great
world events during the last half OF
the 18th century.
Queen Victoria received the famous
cartoonist and in 1893 knighted him for
his services to his country.
His first great achievement as an
Illustrator was in his youth. when ne
figuratively stepped into the hearts on
children of all nations as illustrator OF
"Aesops Fables" and won even more
fame as the original illustrator of
Lewis Carols Alice in Wonderland
DO they suppose there is anything
funny about ma?" was his answer to
the offer to join Punch in 1851. lie
had lust submitted his designs for
frescoes in the Palace of Westpin-
ster. 1t was with reluctance that he
gave up his ambition to be great
painter and accepted the offer. Rus
kin once said that the cartoonist might
have won renown as painter, and
added. "Tennel has much of the
symbolic mystery of imagination which
belonged to the great leaders of class
ic art"
Tenniel was a wizard in forecast
ing political events. He and his as
sociates would gather on Wednesdays
and discuss the subject of the cartoon
Tor the next weeks issue. Thus they
had to decide a week in advance what
was to be the outcome of current po-
litical troubles. In all his half-eentury
of service. Tenniel, it is said, made but
one false prophecy.
It was during the rebellion in SUI
dan. General Gordon and his army
were besieged in khartum. A British
army was marching to the rescue. The
next issue of Punch showed Tenniers
cartoon, picturing Gordon elasping the
hand of the relieving general, with the
army of relief in the background. The
title read: AT Last" The journal
was scarcely on the newstands when
word came that Khartum had fallen,
and Gordon and his garrison massa-
cred
Americans will remember the furore
created by Tenniel during the Mason
and Slidell affair in 1861 when the
United States was forced in the in
terests of peace to give way to Eng
land. Mason and Slidell. appointed by
the Confederate government to repre-
sent it in England and France, were
seized on board an English mail
steamer by Captain Wilkes of the
United States sloop San Jacinto, and
Great Britain forthwith demanded
their release.
Sir John was a typical old-world
gentleman--born in London in 1920.
During the latter part of his life ne
became totally blind. Even during his
service on Punch he had the use OF
but one eye. The other was lost dur
ing his youth while fencing with MS
father. He bore his aff1iction philo-
sophically. In referring to it on one
occasion he remarked: ut is curious
thing, isn't it, that two of the princi-
pal men of Punch, Du Maurier (author
of Trilby) and l, have only two eyes
between u.s.
The political leaders. artists and le-
toratteu in London will gather about
the bier of the venerable patriarch to
pay tribute to his genius. 1t is PROB
able that memorial exhibition Will
be given of his most celebrated
sketches.