The Death of Old Tammany and His Wife Loco Foco
date: label: Date made
content: 1837
name: label: maker
content: Robinson, Henry R.
label: artist
content: Clay, Edward Williams
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This 1837 print satirizes the heavy losses suffered by the New York Democratic Party in the that year’s municipal election and the growing influence of the American press. The center of the print features a Native American man representing the Tammany Hall faction of the Democratic Party, dying from an arrow shot by a member of the Whig press, while his wife Loco Foco depicted as an Irish woman, kneels on the ground and clutches at his waist. Tammany Hall and Loco Foco were both factions of the New York Democratic Party, who differed greatly on economic policy. They both ran Democratic candidates in the 1837 municipal election, splitting the vote and securing a Whig victory. Both Tammany Hall and the Loco Focos were decimated by the Whig Party, as shown by the dialogue: “Farewell to all my greatness. This last blow has settled me. My dear Loco Foco, stretch out your arms to me; I die!” and “Arrah be my soul Ould Tammany, your faithful Loco Foco will die widt you! I’m knockt all to smidereens!” Behind Tammany and Loco Foco are prominent New York Democrats including federal District Attorney, William M. Price, Alexander Ming Jr., and Elijah F. Purdy, who are buckling under the realization that they lost both the Mayor’s Office and the Common Council to the Whigs. Whig ballots float in the air around them, and two Democrat newspapers, the “Times” and the “Plain Dealer” are on the ground under the throng of Democrats. On the left of the print, is a crowd of prominent members of the Whig press including “Courier and Enquirer” editor, James Watson Webb, who has just shot the fatal blow striking “Old Tammany” in the heart. Standing with Webb are Charles King, editor of the “New York American,” holding a sword, Mordecai Manuel Noah, editor of the “New York Star,” holding a pike, and men representing other Whig papers, the “Gazette” and “Express” holding clubs. At their feet is the famously cross eyed Scottish immigrant, James Gordon Bennet, founder and editor of the “New York Herald,” a paper independent of political ideology but still important at the time for its developments in journalistic practice. He noted for his April 1836 journalistic interview and coverage of the gruesome murder of prostitute Helen Jewett in New York City, and was also the first to interview a sitting president when he sat with President Martin Van Buren in 1839. While the “Herald” was officially independent, it did endorse presidential candidates, and by the end of the Civil War had the highest circulation in the country.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The lithographer of this print is Edward Williams Clay (1799-1857). Clay was a caricaturist, engraver, lithographer, and etcher, as well as a portrait painter. Before his career as an artist, Clay was admitted to the Philadelphia Bar, but quickly left to pursue art in New York City. After losing his eyesight he retired from art and held minor office in Delaware before his death in December of 1857.
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.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: Chronology: 1830-1839
label: depicted
content: Communication, newspapers
label: depicted
content: Indians
label: depicted
content: Native Americans
label: depicted
content: Municipal Government
label: depicted
content: Political Parties
label: Subject
content: Political Caricatures
label: depicted
content: Voting
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
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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.60.3355
label: catalog number
content: 60.3355
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 10 1/4 in x 13 3/4 in; 26.035 cm x 34.925 cm