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Photo, Print, Drawing The folly of secession

[ digital file from b&w film copy neg. ]

About this Item

Title

  • The folly of secession

Summary

  • South Carolina struggles against the outgoing Buchanan administration in an attempt to "smash the Union up!" The artist uses the age-old pictorial conceit of two parties pulling on the different ends of a cow, while a man in the middle (in this case identified as "Georgia") happily milks the beast. The cow is emblazoned with the statement, "The Union. I have a good Constitution, and can stand a pretty strong pull!" The cartoon no doubt refers to South Carolina governor Francis Pickens's attempts early in 1861 to attract other Southern states to the secessionist cause. The artist clearly sympathizes with James Buchanan's efforts to preserve the Union. As Pickens expresses his intent Buchanan vows, "Not if I can prevent it governor!" The cow also speaks, "Governor, if you pull too hard on my tail, I'll kick you into the Atlantic Ocean." Toombs chimes in, "Pull away boys!! Georgia will get the cream of this joke!!" as he draws milk into a pail labeled "City of Savannah." The artist may be referring to Georgia's exploitation of the conflict to seize federal Fort Pulaski at Savannah on January 3. (Georgia's perfidy is cited again in "The Southern Confederacy A Fact!!!," no. 1861-22.) Although the print has no imprint it is, as Weitenkampf asserts, clearly the work of Currier & Ives.

Names

  • Currier & Ives.

Created / Published

  • New York : Published by Currier & Ives, 1861.

Headings

  • -  Buchanan, James,--1791-1868
  • -  Pickens, F. W.--(Francis Wilkinson),--1805-1869
  • -  Toombs, Robert Augustus,--1810-1885
  • -  Criticism--1860-1870
  • -  Secession--Georgia--1860-1870
  • -  Secession--South Carolina--1860-1870
  • -  Fort Pulaski (Ga.)--1860-1870
  • -  Savannah (Ga.)--1860-1870

Headings

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

Genre

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

Notes

  • -  Published by Currier & Ives, New York.
  • -  Title appears as it is written on the item.
  • -  Gale, no. 2256.
  • -  Weitenkampf, p. 128.
  • -  Published in: American political prints, 1766-1876 / Bernard F. Reilly. Boston : G.K. Hall, 1991, entry 1861-5.

Medium

  • 1 print : lithograph on wove paper ; 27.8 x 38 cm. (image)

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Stern Collection, portfolio 4, no. 15 c-Rare Bk Coll

Repository

  • Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Digital Id

  • cph 3b38363 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b38363

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2008661613

Reproduction Number

  • LC-USZ62-92039 (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-USZ62-92039 (b&w film copy neg.)
  • Call Number: Stern Collection, portfolio 4, no. 15 c-Rare Bk Coll
  • 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. The Folly of Secession. Fort Pulaski Georgia Savannah South Carolina, 1861. New York: Published by Currier & Ives. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2008661613/.

APA citation style:

Currier & Ives. (1861) The Folly of Secession. Fort Pulaski Georgia Savannah South Carolina, 1861. New York: Published by Currier & Ives. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2008661613/.

MLA citation style:

Currier & Ives. The Folly of Secession. New York: Published by Currier & Ives. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2008661613/>.