The promised feast

John Samuel Pughe prints bring back the colour and bite of Puck, America's great humour magazine of the 1890s and 1900s. Pughe drew covers, back pages and centrefolds about presidents, elections, empire, big business and everyday life, full of crowded scenes and clever jokes. Our collection of fine art prints includes his cartoons of Bryan and McKinley, Spain and the Philippines, Rockefeller and the trusts, Roosevelt, airships, football and Thanksgiving.

About John Samuel Pughe

John Samuel Pughe was born on 3 June 1870 in Dolgellau, Merionethshire, Wales, and came to the United States with his parents at the age of two.

He studied art at Cooper Union in New York and drew news illustrations for the New York Recorder, Brooklyn Life and the Brooklyn edition of the World. In 1894 he joined Puck, the colour humour weekly, and he remained one of its regular cartoonists until December 1908.

Pughe died on 19 April 1909 at Lakehurst, New Jersey, aged 38. The Library of Congress catalogues more than 300 of his works, most of them Puck prints dated by issue from 1894 to 1908.

Style and Subjects

Puck was printed in bright colour lithography, and Pughe made full use of it. His cartoons are busy, carefully drawn scenes packed with recognisable politicians, labelled figures and visual puns, often borrowing from fables, plays, the Bible and history to make a point.

He could be sharp, as in his attacks on monopolies and trusts, but he also had a gentle, comic side, with holiday covers, sports scenes and fanciful pictures of airships and the future. The faces are expressive and the colours warm and lively.

Famous Works

• Captains of Industry (1894–1908). Pughe's take on the business giants of the age.
• Belshazzarfeller's Feast (1894–1908). Rockefeller cast as the Babylonian king Belshazzar at his feast.
• The Spider and the Three Silly Flies (1894–1908). A fable turned into a political warning.
• When McKinley Is President (1894–1908). A cartoon from the McKinley–Bryan election years.
• Bryan's Gas (1894–1908). A jab at William Jennings Bryan's speeches.
• The Aguinaldo Guard (1894–1908). A cartoon on the war in the Philippines.
• The Latest Chinese Wall (1894–1908). A comment on trade and tariffs.
• The Skeleton at the Feast (1894–1908). An uninvited guest spoils the party.

Decorating with Pughe Prints

Pughe's colourful Puck cartoons are made for a study, home office, library or den, especially for anyone who enjoys American history or politics. A row of election cartoons in thin black or red frames makes a witty display above a desk.

His holiday covers and sports scenes are fun choices for a kitchen, games room or family room, and they make thoughtful gifts for history teachers, lawyers and political junkies.

FAQ

Who was John Samuel Pughe?

John Samuel Pughe (1870–1909) was a Welsh-born American cartoonist who drew for Puck magazine from 1894 to 1908.

What was Puck magazine?

A colour humour weekly published in New York, famous for its political cartoons printed in bright lithography.

What subjects did Pughe draw?

Elections and presidents from McKinley and Bryan to Roosevelt, the Spanish-American War and the Philippines, Rockefeller and the trusts, and lighter subjects such as football, Thanksgiving and airships.

Where can I see Pughe's cartoons?

The Library of Congress holds more than 300 catalogue records for his Puck prints, most of them viewable online. The Historical Society of Pennsylvania has also shown his cartoons.

Where was Pughe born?

In Dolgellau, Merionethshire, Wales, in 1870. His family brought him to the United States when he was two.

Related Artists

• Udo Keppler: fellow Puck cartoonist of the same years
• Louis Dalrymple: Puck and Judge cartoonist of the same years
• Frank Arthur Nankivell: fellow Puck cartoonist
• Thomas Nast: the great American political cartoonist before him