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As Tom Nast Predicted It by Nast, Thomas, 1840-1902, artist
Public domain · digitally restored by ComicBooks.com
Nast & the Birth of the Political Cartoon

As Tom Nast Predicted It

Nast, Thomas, 1840-1902, artist · 1892

Nast draws Benjamin Harrison in Roman imperial armor—laurel crown, starred breastplate, scepter in hand—riding a massive Republican elephant whose trunk curves downward toward the caption "Forward March!" The beast fills the frame, coiled and powerful, while Harrison sits stiffly erect, the posture of a Caesar rather than a republic's servant. The cartoon ran in the San Francisco Examiner reprinted from the Chicago Inter Ocean and carries Nast's own signature and year. By 1892 Nast was estranged from mainstream Republicanism, and the image critiques Harrison's position as party leader—a rider seemingly overwhelmed by the powerful machine backing him.

About this artifact

Creator
Nast, Thomas, 1840-1902, artist
Date
1892
Rights
Public domain — free to view, share, and reuse.
Restoration
Digitally restored and hosted by ComicBooks.com.

Part of our mission to preserve and restore the public-domain heritage of the medium.