Granny Harrison Delivering the Country of the Executive Federalist
date: label: Date made
content: n.d.
name: label: depicted
content: Van Buren, Martin
label: depicted
content: Calhoun, John Caldwell
label: depicted
content: Blair, Francis Preston
label: possibly depicted
content: Kendall, Amos
label: depicted
content: Benton, Thomas Hart
label: artist attribution
content: Ames, Daniel Fletcher
label: maker
content: Robinson, Henry R.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This undated print most likely is in reference to the Election of 1840 between incumbent Democratic president, Martin Van Buren and his Whig opponent, William Henry Harrison. Van Buren is depicted seated, clutching the arm of a chair labeled “US,” while wearing an ermine cape and crown as an allusion to his predecessor, Andrew Jackson. To Van Buren’s left, Harrison dressed as a woman, is pulling at Van Buren’s head with a pair of obstetrical forceps saying, “you must come my baby, if you stay here much longer you will kill your Mammy.” Portraying Harrison as a midwife plays to the metaphor of him removing or “delivering” the country of what the Whigs saw as an “executive Federalist.” Van Buren is struggling against Harrison, and “can’t hold on much longer.” Four men, South Carolina Senator John C. Calhoun, “Globe” editor, Francis P. Blair, Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton, and favored Democratic advisor, Amos Kendall, cling to Van Buren, holding his leg and cape in order to keep him on the throne. The men beg “Granny” Harrison to keep Van Buren in the throne until “his incubation be more complete,” but Democrats were unsuccessful, and Harrison easily won the election.
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: Political Parties
label: Subject
content: Costume
label: Subject
content: Political Caricatures
label: Subject
content: U.S. National Government, executive branch
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
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content: Clothing & Accessories
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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.60.3371
label: catalog number
content: 60.3371
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Lithograph
label: Object Type
content: Lithograph
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: image: 9 1/2 in x 14 1/8 in; 24.13 cm x 35.8775 cm