Gift of
Edmund S. Valtman

Original Drawings by Pulitzer Prize-Winning Editorial Cartoonist

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Edmund Valtman has given 73 original drawings for his editorial cartoons to the Library of Congress. Valtman, who won the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning, invigorated his work and the profession with symbols and figures drawn from everyday life, subtle punchlines, and spare pen compositions. Born and trained in Estonia prior to his arrival in the United States in 1944, he took an anti-Soviet stance in his commentaries on Cold War issues, which dominate the given works. They also chronicle domestic issues, portraying people and events from the Nixon presidency to the Clinton administration. Valtman assembled the drawings specifically for the Library of Congress. The Library's unparalleled holdings of American editorial cartoonists' drawings were built on artists' gifts and his generous donation supports this tradition. Such acquisitions as this are critical to the growth of the Library's graphic collections and ensure their continued relevance and vitality.