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Photo, Print, Drawing Running the "machine"

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[ b&w film copy neg. ]

About this Item

Title

  • Running the "machine"

Summary

  • A scathing attack on the ineptness and military ineffectualness of the Lincoln administration. The cartoon derives its title from an indiscreet letter written by secretary of war Edwin McMasters Stanton to past President James Buchanan immediately following the Union army's defeat at the Battle of Bull Run. Stanton wrote, "The imbecility of this Administration, culminated in that catastrophe (Bull Run), and irretrievable misfortune and national disgrace never to be forgotten are to be added to the ruin of all peaceful pursuits and national bankruptcy, as the result of Mr. Lincoln's 'running the machine' for five months." William Pitt Fessenden (far left) cranks out greenbacks from "Chase's Patent Greenback Mill." Fessenden succeeded Salmon P. Chase as Treasury secretary. He says, glaring at the figures seated around the table, "These are the greediest fellows I ever saw. With all my exertions I cant satisfy their pocket, though I keep the Mill going day and night." Seated at the table (clockwise from top left) are Stanton, Lincoln, secretary of state William H. Seward, Navy secretary Gideon Welles, and two unidentified contractors. At left a messenger hands an envelope to Stanton, announcing, "Mr. Secretary! here is a dispatch. We have captured one prisoner and one gun; a great Victory." Elated over this minuscule achievement, Stanton exclaims "Ah well! Telegraph to General Dix [Union general John A. Dix] immediately." Meanwhile, Lincoln is guffawing because he is reminded of "a capital joke." (See "The Commander-in-Chief Conciliating the Soldiers Votes," no. 1864-31, for the allusion.) Seward, with a bell in one hand, hands an envelope "Fort Lafayette" to a young officer or cadet, saying, "Officer! I am told that Snooks has called me ʺ Humbug'--Take this warrant and put him in Fort lafayette--I'll teach him to speak against the Government." Seward was criticized for arbitrarily arresting civilians and incarcerating them in federal prison at Fort Lafayette. Beside Seward Gideon Welles ineptly works out a problem. "They say the Tallahasse sails 24 miles an hour!--Well then, we'll send 4 Gunboats after her that can sail 6 miles an hour, and that will just make enough to catch her." At center bottom, the two contractors ask for more greenbacks.

Names

  • Currier & Ives.
  • Cameron, John, approximately 1828-, artist

Created / Published

  • [New York] : Published by Currier & Ives, 152 Nassau St. N.Y., c1864.

Headings

  • -  Army (U.S.)
  • -  Bull Run, Battle of
  • -  Chase, Salmon P
  • -  Currency and currency policy 8aDix, John A
  • -  Fessenden, William P
  • -  Fort Lafayette
  • -  Lincoln, Abraham, and 1864 presidential race
  • -  Navy (U.S.)
  • -  Seward, William H., as secretary of state
  • -  Stanton, Edwin M
  • -  Treasury of the United States
  • -  War Department
  • -  Welles, Gideon

Headings

  • Lithographs--1860-1870.
  • Political cartoons--1860-1870.

Genre

  • Political cartoons--1860-1870
  • Lithographs--1860-1870

Notes

  • -  Title from item.
  • -  Probably drawn by John Cameron.
  • -  Currier & Ives : a catalogue raisonné / compiled by Gale Research. Detroit, MI : Gale Research, c1983, no. 5697
  • -  Wilson, pp. 274-275
  • -  Weitenkampf, p. 141
  • -  Century, p. 108-109
  • -  Published in: American political prints, 1766-1876 / Bernard F. Reilly. Boston : G.K. Hall, 1991, entry 1864-7.

Medium

  • 1 print on wove paper : lithograph ; image 27 x 35 cm.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • PGA - Currier & Ives--Running the machine... (B size) [P&P]

Repository

  • Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Digital Id

  • pga 05000 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pga.05000
  • cph 3a11882 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3a11882

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2003689257

Reproduction Number

  • LC-DIG-pga-05000 (digital file from original item) LC-USZ62-9407 (b&w film copy neg.)

Rights Advisory

  • No known restrictions on publication.

Online Format

  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

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  • Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.
  • Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-pga-05000 (digital file from original item) LC-USZ62-9407 (b&w film copy neg.)
  • Call Number: PGA - Currier & Ives--Running the machine... (B size) [P&P]
  • Access Advisory: ---

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Currier & Ives, and John Cameron. Running the "Machine". , ca. 1864. [New York: Published by Currier & Ives, 152 Nassau St. N.Y] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003689257/.

APA citation style:

Currier & Ives & Cameron, J. (ca. 1864) Running the "Machine". , ca. 1864. [New York: Published by Currier & Ives, 152 Nassau St. N.Y] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2003689257/.

MLA citation style:

Currier & Ives, and John Cameron. Running the "Machine". [New York: Published by Currier & Ives, 152 Nassau St. N.Y] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2003689257/>.