The writing on the wall

Louis Dalrymple prints bring back the bold colour cartoons of America's golden age of political satire. Dalrymple drew for Puck and Judge in the 1890s, when big chromolithograph cartoons on their covers and centre pages shaped the debates of the day. Our collection of fine art prints covers his views on free silver, tariffs, elections, McKinley and Bryan, the Spanish-American War and everyday life.

About Louis Dalrymple

Louis Dalrymple was born in Cambridge, Illinois, on 19 January 1866. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Art Students League of New York.

He started young: he was on the staff of Judge from 1883 to 1885, and in 1885, aged about nineteen, he became chief cartoonist of the New York Daily Graphic. His caricatures appeared regularly in Puck and Judge through the 1890s and early 1900s, covering the presidential campaigns, the money question and America's new overseas empire.

Dalrymple married twice, first Letia Carpenter of Brooklyn and then Mary Ann Good. His health failed in his last years, and he died in a New York sanitarium on 28 December 1905.

Style and Subjects

Dalrymple worked in the grand style of the 1890s humour weeklies: crowded, theatrical scenes printed in full colour, with politicians drawn as recognisable caricatures and labels spelling out every symbol. Uncle Sam, Columbia and party animals appear often, alongside the bosses and trusts of the day.

His jokes run from gentle comedy about sport, holidays and fashion to sharp attacks on opponents. The bright colour and strong drawing make the cartoons striking even for viewers who do not know the politics behind them.

Famous Works

• The Duty of the Hour: to Save Her Not Only from Spain, but from a Worse Fate (1898). A Puck cartoon on Cuba from the run-up to the Spanish-American War.
• School Begins (1899). A Puck cartoon of January 1899 on America's new overseas territories.
• McKinley's Easter Egg. President McKinley in a seasonal political joke.
• Bryan's Progress. William Jennings Bryan on the campaign trail.
• Uncle Sam's Summer Girl for '95 (1895). A light-hearted fashion cartoon.
• The Greatest Race of the Yachting Season. Politics turned into a yacht race.
• Tariff Reform Tonic. A cartoon on the tariff debates of the 1890s.

Decorating with Dalrymple Prints

Dalrymple's cartoons make a lively gallery in a study, home office, library or games room, and they are a natural choice for anyone who loves history or politics. Group several in matching frames for a vintage newsroom look.

The lighter subjects, such as the yachting race or the summer girl, suit a hallway, bar area or guest room. Thin black frames with a white mat let the bright colours stand out.

FAQ

Who was Louis Dalrymple?

Louis Dalrymple (1866–1905) was an American cartoonist known for his colour caricatures in Puck and Judge and for his work as chief cartoonist of the New York Daily Graphic.

What were Puck and Judge?

Two rival American humour magazines of the late 19th century, famous for their large, full-colour political cartoons.

What did Louis Dalrymple draw about?

Mostly politics: presidential elections, free silver and the money question, tariffs, trusts and the Spanish-American War, along with lighter social comedy.

Where did Louis Dalrymple train?

At the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Art Students League of New York.

Are Dalrymple's cartoons still relevant?

Many of his cartoons reflect the prejudices of the 1890s as well as its politics, so they are best read as historical documents. They remain a vivid record of how Americans argued about their country's direction.

Related Artists

• Udo Keppler: fellow Puck cartoonist of the same years
• Samuel Ehrhart: Puck colleague in the 1890s and 1900s
• Frederick Burr Opper: Puck cartoonist of the same era
• Bernhard Gillam: leading cartoonist at Puck and Judge
• Thomas Nast: the pioneer of American political cartooning