The Would Be Mayor Preparing to Quell a Riot
date: label: Date made
content: n.d.
name: label: depicted
content: Morgan, John J.
label: maker
content: Robinson, Henry R.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This print is a portrayal of the New York Tammany Democrats mayor candidate in the April 1837 municipal elections. The candidate, aristocratic John J. Morgan, appears in stark contrast to the rioting masses that comprise his party. Morgan is surrounded by an entourage, shaded by an umbrella held by a uniformed attendant, proceeded by an African American carrying two pistols, and followed by a third man holding a chair. They are approaching two poorly dressed “Tammany Irishmen,” who question who Morgan is. The men are likely members of the Loco Foco faction of the party, who due to the split in the party, were running David R. Jacques as their mayoral candidate. Behind the men, is a riot, where men are throwing jabs at both the Tammany Hall Democrats and John J. Morgan who they see as sickly and out of touch. Comments from the rioters include, “Don’t whistle in the face of the new mayor, he may catch the grippe,” and “vel vot of it, who cares for Mr. Morgan, a good puff will blow him away. This print erroneously refers to Morgan as the new mayor, but actually he was defeated in the election by Whig candidate, Aaron Clark.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The publisher 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
topic: label: Subject
content: Furnishings
label: Subject
content: Municipal Government
label: Subject
content: Political Parties
label: Subject
content: Political Caricatures
label: Subject
content: Blacks
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.60.3428
label: catalog number
content: 60.3428
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: image: 9 1/8 in x 15 5/8 in; 23.1775 cm x 39.6875 cm