Whig Bazaar
date: label: Date made
content: 1837
name: label: depicted
content: Van Buren, Martin
label: maker
content: Robinson, Henry R.
label: artist
content: Clay, Edward Williams
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: In this 1837 print, President Martin Van Buren is seated at a counter where wigs are sold. He asks to be fitted for a wig, but the shop keeper responds, “Can’t do it Sir! Your head was never made for one of ours, but we can recommend some conservative oil!” At the time of this print, the Panic of 1837 was in full effect, and this print is warning Van Buren that he cannot hide from the Jacksonian Democratic mistakes of his presidency. While the shopkeeper is unable to help Van Buren, an additional man points to who can help him: a devil seated on the counter. The devil is holding an “uncontaminated Loco Foco scratch,” out to Van Buren. The Loco Foco faction of the Democratic Party were primarily located in New York City, but the name Loco Foco was quickly adopted by opponents of the Democratic Party to degrade them. On the counter in the shop labeled “Patterns for Wigs” with the “H” crossed out to continue the same play on words found in the title, are busts of famous patriots such as Benjamin Franklin modeling wigs. The artist and publisher of this print were well known Whig lithographers, and by using founding fathers as models for the Wigs, it solidifies the party’s superiority.
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 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: Economy
label: Subject
content: U.S. National Government, executive branch
label: Subject
content: Political Parties
label: Subject
content: Adornment
label: Subject
content: Glasses
label: Subject
content: Chronology: 1830-1839
label: Subject
content: Political Caricatures
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
label: See more items in
content: Clothing & Accessories
label: See more items in
content: Peters Political Prints
label: See more items in
content: Art
label: See more items in
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.60.3358
label: catalog number
content: 60.3358
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: image: 9 1/4 in x 13 1/2 in; 23.495 cm x 34.29 cm