Bernhard Gillam

Bernhard Gillam was a British-born American political cartoonist who rose to prominence in the late 19th century, best known for his scathing, highly influential caricatures that could sway national elections. He was born on April 28, 1856, in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, and emigrated with his family to New York City in 1866. After a brief stint as a law-office copyist, Gillam turned to engraving and then cartooning, his early work appearing in the *New York Graphic*. He contributed to *Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper* and *Harper's Weekly*, where he worked alongside Thomas Nast during James A. Garfield's 1880 campaign. Later, at *Puck* magazine, he came under the tutelage of Joseph Keppler, and he also produced work for *Judge*, where he became director-in-chief in 1886.

Gillam's most famous cartoon, "Phryne before the Chicago Tribunal" (also called "The Tattooed Man"), published in *Puck* on June 4, 1884, depicted Republican candidate James G. Blaine covered in tattoos listing his corruption scandals. The cartoon was widely credited with helping elect Democrat Grover Cleveland, despite Gillam himself being a Republican who voted for Blaine. In the 1888 and 1892 campaigns, his cartoons championed Republican protectionism against Democratic free-trade policies. Gillam died of typhoid fever on January 19, 1896, in Canajoharie, New York. His work remains a landmark in the power of political cartooning.