Loco Foco Expresses, Arriving at Washington
date: label: Date made
content: 1838
name: label: depicted
content: Van Buren, Martin
label: depicted
content: Marcy, William L.
label: depicted
content: Cambreleng, Churchill C.
label: maker
content: Robinson, Henry R.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: In this 1838 caricature, President Martin Van Buren welcomes friends who are members of the Loco Foco party to the White House. The Loco Foco party was an offshoot of the Democratic Party focused on abolishing any antidemocratic and elitist financial policies and disbanding the National Bank. They were originally called the Equal Rights Party, but they became known as the Loco Foco party after Tammany Hall Democrats turned out the gas lights at their nominating convention, forcing them to light their meeting using loco foco matches. The Loco Foco Party never became a national party, and they were often mocked within the Democratic Party and by their opponents. Martin Van Buren calls his Loco Foco visitors dear “old friends,” an illusion to his long standing opposition to the National Bank that he shared with Loco Foco Democrats. On the wall behind Van Buren and the unidentified Loco Foco party member, is a portrait of esteemed journalist, presidential advisor, and Washington Globe editor, Francis Preston Blair. Blair was instrumental in creating Democratic propaganda for Andrew Jackson, so his presence on the wall foreshadows Van Buren’s future decision to satisfy the Loco Foco desire for a treasury completely separate from the federal government via the Independent Treasury Act of July 4th, 1840.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The lithographer of this print is Henry R. Robinson (1827-1877). Robinson worked in New York, and had a store to sell his prints. In 1842, he was arrested for selling obscene pictures and books leading to the September 28, 1842 court case, People vs H. R. Robinson found in the District Attorney Indictment Papers, Municipal Archives. He was politically affiliated with the anti-Jackson Whig party which was made obvious by the wig silhouette used in 1838 as an advertising logo for his shop.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
label: depicted
content: United States: District of Columbia, Washington
label: depicted
content: United States: District of Columbia, White House
topic: label: Subject
content: Furnishings
label: Subject
content: U.S. National Government, executive branch
label: Subject
content: Political Parties
label: Subject
content: Chronology: 1830-1839
label: Subject
content: Uniforms, Military
label: Subject
content: Political Caricatures
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
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content: Clothing & Accessories
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content: Peters Political Prints
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content: Art
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content: Domestic Furnishings
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Harry T. Peters "America on Stone" Lithography Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.60.3332
label: catalog number
content: 60.3332
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: image: 9 5/8 in x 15 1/2 in; 24.4475 cm x 39.37 cm