An Interesting Family
date: label: Date made
content: n.d.
name: label: depicted
content: Van Buren, Martin
label: depicted
content: Calhoun, John Caldwell
label: depicted
content: Benton, Thomas Hart
label: maker
content: Robinson, Henry R.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This undated caricature depicts President Martin Van Buren as a marsupial (most likely an opossum), rising on his hind legs to show his “young” located in his pouch. The three men in his pouch are Missouri Senator, Thomas Hart Benton, former Vice President, John C. Calhoun, and Washington “Globe” editor, Francis Preston Blair. These three men were favored allies of Van Buren, and are depicted here as literally being in his pocket. Van Buren’s presidency was often controversial as he was seen as carrying on the Jackson Administration’s agenda, but the three men pictured were steadfast allies and strong supporters as he sought reelection against Whig candidate William Henry Harrison in 1840.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The lithographer 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: Wild Animals
label: Subject
content: Chronology: 1860-1869
label: Subject
content: Political Caricatures
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.60.3365
label: catalog number
content: 60.3365
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: image: 12 3/4 in x 10 5/8 in; 32.385 cm x 26.9875 cm