BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Library of Congress -- Exhibit: Swann Gallery

DC -- Library of Congress -- Exhibit: Swann Gallery:

Bruce Guthrie Photos Home Page: [Click here] to go to Bruce Guthrie Photos home page.

Description of Pictures: March 18, 2011–Ongoing
The exhibition reveals the power of cartoons to illuminate both human nature and history as well as provoke laughter and reflection. The diverse selection of images on display here represents the fascinating world of caricatures, political cartoons, comics, animation art, graphic novels, and illustrations. These treasured cartoons from the Swann and other cartoon collections indicate the broad range of holdings in the Library of Congress.
This exhibition and the Swann Gallery are made possible by the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon.

Recognize anyone? If you recognize specific folks (or other stuff) and I haven't labeled them, please identify them for the world. Click the little pencil icon

underneath the file name (just above the picture). Spammers need not apply.

Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

Accessing as Spider: The system has identified your IP as being a spider.
IP Address: 3.16.212.99 -- Domain: Amazon Technologies
I love well-behaved spiders! They are, in fact, how most people find my site. Unfortunately, my network has a limited bandwidth and pictures take up bandwidth. Spiders ask for lots and lots of pages and chew up lots and lots of bandwidth which slows things down considerably for regular folk. To counter this, you'll see all the text on the page but the images are being suppressed. Also, some system options like merges are being blocked for you.
Note: Permission is NOT granted for spiders, robots, etc to use the site for AI-generation purposes. I'm sure you're thrilled by your ability to make revenue from my work but there's nothing in that for my human users or for me.
If you are in fact human, please email me at guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can check if your designation was made in error. Given your number of hits, that's unlikely but what the hell.

Help? The Medium (Email) links are for screen viewing and emailing. You'll want bigger sizes for printing. [Click here for additional help]

Share: Facebook Twitter Digg
[1] LOCSWN_160512_001.JPG	[2] LOCSWN_160512_006.JPG	[3] LOCSWN_160512_011.JPG
[4] LOCSWN_160512_016.JPG	[5] LOCSWN_160512_026.JPG	[6] LOCSWN_160512_034.JPG
[7] LOCSWN_160512_047.JPG	[8] LOCSWN_160512_056.JPG	[9] LOCSWN_160512_065.JPG
[10] LOCSWN_160512_078.JPG	[11] LOCSWN_160512_082.JPG	[12] LOCSWN_160512_101.JPG
[13] LOCSWN_160512_106.JPG	[14] LOCSWN_160512_113.JPG	[15] LOCSWN_160512_116.JPG
[16] LOCSWN_160512_120.JPG	[17] LOCSWN_160512_124.JPG	[18] LOCSWN_160512_128.JPG
[19] LOCSWN_160512_132.JPG	[20] LOCSWN_160512_137.JPG	[21] LOCSWN_160512_146.JPG
[22] LOCSWN_160512_149.JPG	[23] LOCSWN_160512_159.JPG	[24] LOCSWN_160512_167.JPG
[25] LOCSWN_160512_178.JPG	[26] LOCSWN_160512_186.JPG	[27] LOCSWN_160512_199.JPG
[28] LOCSWN_160512_210.JPG	[29] LOCSWN_160512_213.JPG	[30] LOCSWN_160512_216.JPG
[31] LOCSWN_160512_219.JPG	[32] LOCSWN_160512_222.JPG	[33] LOCSWN_160512_224.JPG
[34] LOCSWN_160512_227.JPG	[35] LOCSWN_160512_230.JPG	[36] LOCSWN_160512_233.JPG
[37] LOCSWN_160512_236.JPG	[38] LOCSWN_160512_240.JPG

Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. LOCSWN_160512_006.JPG: Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon New York advertising executive Erwin Swann (1906–1973) was an avid collector of original cartoon drawings by notable humorous and satiric artists. With encouragement from his wife Caroline (1913–1964), he began acquiring cartoon art works in the early 1960s and soon had more than 2,000 drawings and prints representing 400 artists and spanning two centuries. In 1967, he established the Swann Foundation in order to encourage appreciation for the dynamic, evolving field of cartoon and illustration arts. An early advocate for the serious treatment of cartoon art, Swann enlisted legendary figures for his advisory board, including caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, cartoonist Rube Goldberg, and humorist S. J. Perelman. Since its inception, the Swann Foundation has helped preserve a vital aspect of cultural heritage by expanding the formal study of cartoons created by artists from around the world. The Foundation, administered since 1996 by the Library's Prints and Photographs Division, continues to sponsor annual fellowships for scholarly study at the Library of Congress, support publications and exhibitions, offer public lectures to reach new audiences, and acquire and preserve more cartoons. Thanks to Erwin Swann's impressive vision, the Swann Foundation endures as an invaluable catalyst for broadening recognition of the cartoon arts and producing an impact that extends beyond national borders.
2. LOCSWN_160512_011.JPG: Lincoln's Civil War Policies Miss Columbia, a symbol of the American people, confronts President Abraham Lincoln and decries the enormous human toll of the Civil War by demanding, "Mr. Lincoln, give me back my 500,000 sons!!!" Lincoln avoids her gaze and replies evasively despite the proclamation at his feet calling for more troops. Produced late in the Civil War, this print criticizes the president's war policy. Artist Joseph E. Baker, produced many military prints for J.H. Bufford in Boston. Joseph E. Baker (1837-1914). Columbia Demands Her Children! Boston, 1864
3. LOCSWN_160512_016.JPG: Flapper An elegant beauty is shown smoking in this dramatic drawing by Russell Patterson dating from the 1920s, a time when a woman smoking was regarded as glamorous, yet risque. The jagged lines of her hem and bent arm play off the exaggerated loops of smoke wafting across black space. A cartoonist, illustrator, and designer, Patterson won a following for his images of flappers and other stylist figures that appeared in such magazines as College Humor, Collier's, Liberty, Cosmopolitan, and Life. Russell Patterson (1896-1977). Where There's Smoke, There's Fire, ca 1920.
4. LOCSWN_160512_026.JPG: Civil Rights in Russia: This imagined scene shows Russian writer Boris Pasternak (1890-1960) and a fellow prisoner splitting logs and discussing their "crimes." Bill Maudlin won his second Pulitzer Prize in 1959 for this cartoon in which he sharply criticizes the Soviet Union for not allowing Pasternak to travel to accept his Nobel Prize for literature. Perhaps best known for his World War II cartoons, Maudlin went on to produce many cartoons championing the oppressed, particularly those being deprived of their civil rights. Bill Maudlin (1921-2003). "I won the Nobel Prize for literature. What was your crime?" 1958
5. LOCSWN_160512_034.JPG: Commentary on World War I American artist Boardman Robinson depicts the figure of Death urging an emaciated donkey towards a precipice with a carrot labeled "Victory." By questioning the possibility of victory in World War I, Robinson conveyed his opposition to it in this and other cartoons published in The Masses, the leftist journal to which he began contributing in 1912. Influenced by the work of Honore Daumier (1808-1879), Robinson developed his hallmark style using emphatic, expressive strokes of lithographic crayon. Boardman Robinson (1876-1952). Europe 1916.
6. LOCSWN_160512_047.JPG: Caricature of S. J. Perelman David Levine deploys an amazing variety of lines to portray the strong features of the American humorist S. J. Perelman (1904–1979) -- the bushy eyebrows, large bespectacled eyes, prominent nose, moustache, cleft chin, and asymmetrically shaped head. Note the use of thick, thin, curved, and straight lines, and parallel hatching. Beginning in 1963, Levine's insightful drawings of leading writers and public figures were a defining feature of The New York Review of Books for more than four decades and brought him international acclaim. David Levin (1926-2009). S.J. Perelman, 1978.
7. LOCSWN_160512_056.JPG: French Social Satire In this lithograph, Honoré Daumier suggests that what is deemed foreign or strange depends on the eye of the beholder. If French people and animals were exhibited in China, they would be a remarkable curiosity and attract crowds. In addition to lighthearted social satire, Daumier also drew biting portrayals of the powerful and strongly influenced succeeding generations of artists.
8. LOCSWN_160512_065.JPG: London Print Shop In the late eighteenth to early nineteenth centuries, print shops were distinctive features of London, offering caricatures for sale or evening rental, and providing free entertainment for passersby. In this example, George M. Woodward presents contrasting reactions from two men looking at caricatures of themselves in the window: Parson Puzzletext is angry, while Captain Ruiz advises calm because caricaturists "like to see people in a passion." Woodward focused mainly on middle- and lower-class subjects in the more than 500 popular prints he created.
9. LOCSWN_160512_082.JPG: First Spider-Man Cartoon In the opening page of the Spider-Man origin story, Steve Ditko depicts the hero Peter Parker as a social outcast, physically distant from his classmates. The panel on the right signals Parker's future transformation into the Marvel comic superhero. With writer Stan Lee, Ditko created this classic of the comic book's "Silver Age" (1956–1969), an era of superheroes' resurgence in the mainstream comic book industry, following the genre's decline after World War II. Ditko's clean, eye-catching design pulls the viewer into the scene and sets the suspenseful tone for the eleven- page story.
10. LOCSWN_160512_101.JPG: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs From left to right, each of the seven dwarfs, Bashful, Sleepy, Doc, Happy, Dopey, Grumpy, and Sneezy, is carefully individualized in facial expression, figure, and pose in this charming presentation drawing attributed to Swedish-born children's book illustrator Gustaf Tenggren. The names and physical traits of the dwarfs in this drawing are retained in the popular film classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, created by Walt Disney (1901–1966). Tenggren worked on the later stages of Snow White and mainly provided inspirational sketches and publicity materials.
11. LOCSWN_160512_106.JPG: Bashful
12. LOCSWN_160512_113.JPG: Sleepy
13. LOCSWN_160512_116.JPG: Doc
14. LOCSWN_160512_120.JPG: Happy
15. LOCSWN_160512_124.JPG: Dopey
16. LOCSWN_160512_128.JPG: Grumpy
17. LOCSWN_160512_132.JPG: Sneezy
18. LOCSWN_160512_137.JPG: Impossible Interviews Mexican-born artist Miguel Covarrubias pairs the aging capitalist John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (1839–1937), with the communist leader Josef Stalin (1878–1953). Covarrubias portrays the men as captains of industry in one of his "Impossible Interviews," his celebrated series in Vanity Fair that featured well known public figures who would never be seen together in real life. A master caricaturist, Covarrubias boldly distorts the outer appearances of his subjects as a means of suggesting inner traits of character.
19. LOCSWN_160512_146.JPG: Caroline and Erwin Swann Memorial Exhibition The Swann Memorial Exhibition reveals the power of cartoons to illuminate both human nature and history as well as provoke laughter and reflection. The diverse selection of images on display here represents the fascinating world of caricatures, political cartoons, comics, animation art, graphic novels, and illustrations. These treasured cartoons from the Swann and other cartoon collections indicate the broad range of holdings in the Library of Congress. This exhibition of facsimiles was made possible by Erwin Swann (1906–1973) and his wife Caroline (1913–1964), whose impressive collection of cartoon art was bequeathed to the Library in two installments in 1974 and 1977 with an endowment fund. An avid collector, Erwin Swann began building his collection in the early 1960s, eventually assembling more than 2,000 works of cartoon art representing 400 artists and spanning two centuries. The quality and variety that characterize the Swann Collection attract new cartoon donations each year enabling the Library's graphic arts resources to grow in breadth, depth, and capacity to inspire new scholarship and creativity.
20. LOCSWN_160512_149.JPG: Race Relations Oliver W. Harrington demonstrates how African American children's aspirations are easily quashed in this and other examples from Dark Laughter, the cartoon feature that he created. The beautifully drawn figures and scene, along with the boy's words combine to convey a poignant message on inequities of opportunity and exemplify Harrington's effective use of cartoon art to comment sharply on race relations. After completing a degree in art from Yale University, he became one of the first African American cartoonists to win international recognition.
21. LOCSWN_160512_167.JPG: Liberty's Fate Canadian artist Anita Kunz speculates humorously on the fate of American liberty at the start of the twenty-first century in this Fourth of July cover design for The New Yorker. The mountain climber who audaciously scales the face of Lady Liberty suggests the possibility of unexpected, unwelcome assaults on the free democracy symbolized by the Statue of Liberty. The drawing displays Kunz's polished technique in gouache and her ability to engage viewers' minds with provocative perspectives on powerful symbols.
22. LOCSWN_160512_178.JPG: Afghan Women Ann Telnaes uses streamlined, symbolic forms to highlight the plight of women in Afghanistan. The heavy ball and chain that shackles three Afghan women wearing burkas represents the power of the Taliban to limit their ability to move and be informed. Women in Afghanistan were particularly vulnerable targets at this time when U. S. forces were preparing to attack their country. A Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, Telnaes often draws attention to women's issues around the world in her work.
23. LOCSWN_160512_186.JPG: Gasoline Alley The vividly colored Gasoline Alley used to fill an entire page in the Sunday newspaper comics section. In this early example, Uncle Walt and little Skeezix enjoy an outing in Walt's roadster until the radiator boils over, which cuts short their trip. Frank King debuted Gasoline Alley in 1919. When Baby Skeezix appeared on Walt's doorstep on February 14, 1921, the characters began to age normally, a ground-breaking development in comics. The strip continues to be published.
24. LOCSWN_160512_199.JPG: Jules Feiffer's Signature Character Jules Feiffer celebrates escape through his signature character, the dancer in the black leotard. As she moves upward and away, a small boy admires her ascent. This example exhibits the flowing, spontaneous quality of Feiffer's drawing and the indomitable spirit of this recurring figure. Feiffer's distinctive use of panels for humorous social and political satire challenged traditional distinctions between comic strip and editorial cartoon and influenced many cartoonists at work today.
25. LOCSWN_160512_210.JPG: A dance to summer. In this dance I symbolize the restlessness of new seasons.
26. LOCSWN_160512_213.JPG: The desire to escape -- from boredom --
27. LOCSWN_160512_216.JPG: From responsibility --
28. LOCSWN_160512_219.JPG: From cool men --
29. LOCSWN_160512_222.JPG: From all the inadequate pleasures
30. LOCSWN_160512_224.JPG: The desire to lift oneself out of the predictable --
31. LOCSWN_160512_227.JPG: And never have to return
32. LOCSWN_160512_236.JPG: Some dancer
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Bigger photos? To save server space, the full-sized versions of these images have either not been loaded to the server or have been removed from the server. (Only some pages are loaded with full-sized images and those usually get removed after three months.) I still have them though. If you want me to email them to you, please send an email to guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can email them to you, or, depending on the number of images, just repost the page again will the full-sized images.
Connection Not Secure messages? Those warnings you get from your browser about this site not having secure connections worry some people. This means this site does not have SSL installed (the link is http:, not https:). That's bad if you're entering credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal information. But this site doesn't collect any personal information so SSL is not necessary. Life's good!
Photo Contact: [Email Bruce Guthrie].