Exceptional Lincoln and Slavery Political Cartoons

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/1/2014

Bound Volume of 52 weekly issues of “Punch, or the London Chariari,” London, January 4, 1862 through December 27, 1862, 9” x 11,” in green boards which are tight but show wear at spine, interior pages VG. Punch was widely read in America during the War as England had considerable trade relations with the United States, including a large trade in Southern cotton. The United States was a significant military and economic power, and the moral and economic issue of slavery was important particularly as the British had abolished slavery. There are eight important Lincoln and three important Slavery engavings presented in this volume. Each of the engravings are printed on one side only. We mention several which include; January 11, 1862, a full page engraving, "Up a Tree— Colonel Bull and the Yankee 'Coon." Inspired by the Mason and Slidell incident, and having in mind Davy Crockett's familiar story of Colonel Scott and the coon, depicts that animal with the head of Lincoln, crouched on the limb of a friendly tree, and gazing furtively down on John Bull, armed with a blunderbuss and about to fire, whereat the following dialogue ensues: “Coon; Air you in arnest, colonel? Colonel Bull;I am. Coon; Don't Are—I'll come down." ...plus, Aprul 5, 1862, another full page engraving, "OBERON and TITANIA." President Lincoln garbed as Oberon is addressing Virginia, who as Titania holds a negro child by the hand: “Oheron: I do but beg a little nigger boy to be my henchman.Titania: Set your heart at rest. The northern land buys not this negro child from me.” This cartoon depicts Lincoln’s efforts to solve the slave question by purchasing the slaves from the masters. Lincoln continued to labor valiantly but in vain for compensation to Southern owners. , plus, May 24, 1862, another full page engraving, "THE NEW ORLEANS PLUM." Suggested by the capture the preceding month of New Orleans by Union naval and land forces under Farragut, the artist borrowing from an old nursery tale, shows Lincoln seated in a corner and plucking a plum from the generous pudding in his lap. “Big Lincoln, up in a corner, thinking of humble pie, found under his thumb a New Orleans plum and said ‘What a cute Yankee am I.’” ...plus, July 26, 1862, another full page engraving, 'The Latest From America; Or, the New York 'Eye Duster' to be Taken Every Day,” This cartoon, designed to make light of the war news sent out from New York at that time, represented Lincoln as a bartender, standing behind a bar, on which are bottles inscribed " Bunkum," "Bosh," and "Brag," and shifting a concoction labelled "The New York Press" from the glass of Victory to that of Defeat....plus, August 9, 1862, another full page engraving, "ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER." President Lincoln garbed as Uncle Sam, hands a musket and cartridge box to Sambo, saying ‘Why, I du declare, it’s my dear old friend Sambo. Lend us a hand, old hoss, du.” This masterful political cartoon anticipates the importance of former slaves to the Union war effort in the Civil War. A month after its publication Abraham Lincoln in September 1862 issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation and in 1863 the recruitment of blacks commenced in earnest...plus, August 23, 1862, another full page engraving, "LINCOLN'S TWO DIFFICULTIES.” The President, again in the guise of Uncle Sam, with hands in pocket and a perplexed expression on his face, exclaims to a tax collector on his right and to a soldier on his left: “What? No money! No men!’’ ...plus, "THE OVERDUE BILL." The drawing shows President Lincoln seated at a desk, with hands, as usual, thrust into his pockets, glancing uneasily at a paper inscribed, "I promise to subdue the South in ninety days—-Abe Lincoln,’’ held out to him by a Confederate soldier, who says: “Your ninety days’ promissory note isn’t taken up yet, sirree!’” ... plus, October 18, 1862, another full page engraving, ABE LINCOLN'S LAST CARD; OR, ROUGE-ET-NOIR." Shows President Lincoln playing the race card as he holds the ace of Spades in the air. And a few Slavery cartoons such as September 13, 1862, another full page engraving, ""Not up to Time; or, Interference Would be Very Welcome." The cartoon shows the exhuasted combatants falling into the arms of their Negroe backers as Britain and France discuss interfering....plus, October 18, 1862, a half page engraving, "More free than Welcome A Prospective Fix." Shows a Black speaking with Uncle Sam, “Nigger; ‘Now den, Massa Jonathan, what you goin' to do wid dis Child? Eh?’”

Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).