Van Humbug 's Cabinet of Curiosities
date: label: Date made
content: 1837
name: label: depicted
content: Van Buren, Martin
label: depicted
content: Blair, Francis Preston
label: depicted
content: Forsyth, John
label: depicted
content: Wright, Silas
label: depicted
content: Woodbury, Levi
label: depicted
content: Dickerson, Mahlon
label: depicted
content: Kendall, Amos
label: depicted
content: Poinsett, Joel Roberts
label: maker
content: Swett, Moses
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This 1837 is a commentary on the Specie Circular, an executive order implemented by President Andrew Jackson in 1836, and implemented by Martin Van Buren during his presidency. In this print, New York politician/ longtime ally of Van Buren, Silas Wright who is holding a whip and driving a carriage. Seated next to him is “Globe” editor, Francis Preston Blair who is giving a speech on the Species Circular and its impact through a trumpet. The carriage is being pulled by a team of four horses with the heads of Secretary of the Treasury Levi Woodbury, Secretary of War Joel Roberts Poinsett, Secretary of the Navy Mahlon Dickerson, and Postmaster General and Democratic political advisor Amos Kendall. These four men were part of the driving force of the Specie Circular, represented in this print by them pulling President Van Buren and Secretary of State John Forsyth. They are chasing a devil-like character who is leading them towards a gold nugget in the road. The Specie Circular mandated that all government lands be purchased in gold or silver, a decision in line with the Jackson Administration’s desire to preserve the gold standard for currency.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The lithographer of this print is Moses Swett. He began his career in Boston around 1826, working with the Pendletons and Annin and Smith, and as the superintendent of the Senefelder Lithographic Co. from 1828 to 1829. In 1830 he moved to New York, and worked with George Endicott until 1836 when he moved to Washington.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: District of Columbia, Washington
topic: label: Subject
content: Economy
label: Subject
content: Political Caricatures
label: Subject
content: Chronology: 1830-1839
label: Subject
content: Carriages
label: Subject
content: Music
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.60.3419
label: catalog number
content: 60.3419
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: image: 11 3/4 in x 19 1/4 in; 29.845 cm x 48.895 cm