News Note
date: label: date made
content: 1906 - 1907
label: date made
content: 1906 - 1907
name: label: maker
content: Berryman, Clifford
notes: label: Description
content: This object is an original pen and ink political cartoon hand drawn on white paper circa 1906-1907 by Clifford Berryman in Washington, D.C. It depicts Senator Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn of Kentucky (Senator 1885-1897 and 1901-1907) as a farmer surrounded by farm animals, all uttering the name “Washington”; and a farm building. Stiles asks the question "Did anybody call me Cincinnatus?"
label: Description
content: There is a penciled inscription along the bottom that reads "News note - Press dispatches state that former Senator J.C.S. Blackburn finds farm life uninteresting and will enter the race for U.S. Senator against Judge Paynter." Berryman’s number “1249” is stamped in blue ink in the lower right corner and crossed out in pencil. Beneath this mark is another Berryman number, 7250, also stamped in blue ink. The drawing is signed “Berryman” in the lower right area of the illustration.
label: Description
content: A Democratic Party presidential hopeful in 1896, Blackburn lost the nomination to William Jennings Bryan. In years before and after that time he served as Senator from Kentucky until he lost a re-election bid in 1906 to Thomas Hanson Paynter.
label: Description
content: Berryman’s humorous rather than literal references to Cincinnatus and George Washington, with their similar life stories noted by historians, were intended to make the reader question whether Blackburn’s decision would lead to the same fate as these two celebrated and respected ancients: both were senior leaders who were enjoying retired life as farmers, but then willingly left that behind to return to public service when called. Once their skillful leadership brought improved conditions to the people, they willingly left absolute power behind to resume retired life.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: District of Columbia
label: associated place
content: United States: Kentucky, Kentucky
topic: label: used
content: Humor
label: general subject association
content: Political Campaigns
label: decorative motif
content: Farming
label: referenced
content: Roman history
label: general subject association
content: Political Campaigns
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.322733.017
label: catalog number
content: 322733.017
label: accession number
content: 322733
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Cartoon
label: Object Name
content: political cartoon
label: Object Type
content: editorial cartoons
label: Object Type
content: Drawing
label: Object Type
content: cartoons
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: pencil (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: hand-drawn (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: ink stamp (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 19 1/4 in x 15 in; 48.895 cm x 38.1 cm