Moses and Aaron
date: label: date made
content: ca 1904
name: label: depicted
content: Bryan, William Jennings
label: referenced
content: Roosevelt, Theodore
label: depicted
content: Parker, Alton Brooks
label: associated institution
content: Democratic National Party
label: maker
content: Berryman, Clifford
notes: label: Description
content: This object is an original pen and ink political cartoon hand drawn on white paper by Clifford Berryman circa 1904 in Washington, D.C. It depicts William Jennings Bryan in a classical robe, saying "You know what I think of our Moses. Well, he's better than Roosevelt anyhow!" and sitting backwards on the back of a donkey. Bryan is holding a scroll in his left hand that reads "'I am willing to be the Aaron of the party. 'W.J.B."
label: Description
content: Alton B. Parker stands in the background. He is wearing a large turban and classical robe, and is holding the donkey by the reins. The drawing is signed "Berryman" in the lower right area of the illustration.
label: Description
content: Though Bryan had sought the nomination of the Democratic Party in 1904, he lost it to Parker (who lost the presidential election in a landslide to Theodore Roosevelt). Berryman is using the biblical brothers Aaron and Moses to draw an analogy to Bryan and Parker. He depicts Bryan as the Aaron, the elder and a prophet, the wiser, silent candidate but not the wishful nominee; and Parker as the Moses, the younger, more visible, and actual winner of the nomination who was “better than Roosevelt anyhow.”
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: District of Columbia
topic: label: used
content: Humor
label: used
content: Satire
label: Subject
content: Political Caricatures
label: general subject association
content: Politics
label: general subject association
content: Political Campaigns
label: general subject association
content: Political Campaigns
label: decorative motif
content: Bible
label: general subject association
content: Political Conventions
label: related event
content: Presidential Campaign of 1904
setName: label: See more items in
content: Political History: Political History, Campaign Collection
label: See more items in
content: Government, Politics, and Reform
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Miss Florence S Berryman
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PL.322733.014
label: catalog number
content: 322733.014
label: accession number
content: 322733
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Cartoon
label: Object Name
content: political cartoon
label: Object Type
content: cartoons
label: Object Type
content: editorial cartoons
label: Object Type
content: Drawing
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: hand-drawn (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 15 in x 13 1/4 in; 38.1 cm x 33.655 cm