Top of page

Photo, Print, Drawing The modern Gilpins. Love's labor lost

[ digital file from b&w film copy neg. ]

About this Item

Title

  • The modern Gilpins. Love's labor lost

Summary

  • A parody of Democratic politics in the months preceding the party's 1848 national convention. Specifically, the artist ridicules the rivalry within the party between Free Soil or anti-slavery interests, which upheld the Wilmot Proviso, and regular, conservative Democrats or "Hunkers." The "Gilpins" (named after the hero of William Cowper's 1785 "Diverting History of John Gilpin," who also loses control of his mount, to comic effect) are regular Democrats Lewis Cass, Thomas Hart Benton, and Levi Woodbury, who ride a giant sow down "Salt River Lane" away from the "Head Quarters of the Northern Democracy," which displays a Liberty cap and a flag "Wilmot Proviso." Cass, a former general and avid expansionist, wears a military uniform and brandishes a sword "Annexation." John Van Buren (right), a Free Soil Democrat, tries to restrain the pig by holding its tail. He remarks, "This is our last hope. If the tail draws out, they are gone for good." A man at left tries to block the pig's passage shouting "Stop, stop, Old Hunkers! here's the house!" Cass orders, "Clear the road. Don't you see that we are fulfilling our manifest destiny!" Benton asserts, "We are not a whit inclined to tarry there." On the far right a stout gentleman chases after them calling, "Hey! hey, there! where upon airth are you going? Come back here to your quarters!" Meanwhile former President and Free Soil contender Martin Van Buren is neck-deep in a pool at the lower right. He laments, "Had I served my country with half the zeal with which I served my illustrious predecessor, I should not thus have slumped in the mud." He refers to his service under Andrew Jackson, whom he succeeded as President. Attribution of "The Modern Gilpins" to John L. Magee is based on its similarities in draftsmanship and facial characterizations to Magee's 1850 satire "The Clay Statue," (no. 1850-9) and to several Mexican War prints he executed for the publisher Baillie.

Names

  • Baillie, James S., active 1838-1855.
  • Magee, John L.

Created / Published

  • N.Y. : Published by James Baillie, 1848.

Headings

  • -  Benton, Thomas Hart,--1782-1858
  • -  Cass, Lewis,--1782-1866
  • -  Van Buren, John,--1810-1866
  • -  Van Buren, Martin,--1782-1862
  • -  Woodbury, Levi,--1789-1851
  • -  Free Soil Party (U.S.)--1840-1850
  • -  Wilmot proviso--1840-1850
  • -  Presidential elections--United States--1840-1850
  • -  Hunker Democrats
  • -  Salt River

Format Headings

  • Lithographs--1840-1850.
  • Political cartoons--1840-1850.

Genre

  • Lithographs--1840-1850
  • Political cartoons--1840-1850

Notes

  • -  Entered . . . 1848 by J. Baillie.
  • -  Published by James Baillie, 87th St. near 3d Avenue, N.Y.
  • -  Signed: Mack del (John L. Magee).
  • -  Title appears as it is written on the item.
  • -  Weitenkampf, p. 91-92.
  • -  Forms part of: American cartoon print filing series (Library of Congress)
  • -  Published in: American political prints, 1766-1876 / Bernard F. Reilly. Boston : G.K. Hall, 1991, entry 1848-3.

Medium

  • 1 print : lithograph on wove paper ; 31.2 x 39 cm. (image)

Call Number/Physical Location

  • PC/US - 1848.B157, no. 41 (B size) [P&P]

Source Collection

  • American cartoon print filing series (Library of Congress)

Repository

Digital Id

  • cph 3a19493 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3a19493

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2008661478

Reproduction Number

  • LC-USZ62-17296 (b&w film copy neg.)

Rights Advisory

  • No known restrictions on publication.

Online Format

  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not license or charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot grant or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute the material.

Ultimately, it is the researcher's obligation to assess copyright or other use restrictions and obtain permission from third parties when necessary before publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the Library's collections.

For information about reproducing, publishing, and citing material from this collection, as well as access to the original items, see: American Cartoon Print Filing Series - Rights and Restrictions Information

  • Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.
  • Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-17296 (b&w film copy neg.)
  • Call Number: PC/US - 1848.B157, no. 41 (B size) [P&P]
  • Access Advisory: ---

Obtaining Copies

If an image is displaying, you can download it yourself. (Some images display only as thumbnails outside the Library of Congress because of rights considerations, but you have access to larger size images on site.)

Alternatively, you can purchase copies of various types through Library of Congress Duplication Services.

  1. If a digital image is displaying: The qualities of the digital image partially depend on whether it was made from the original or an intermediate such as a copy negative or transparency. If the Reproduction Number field above includes a reproduction number that starts with LC-DIG..., then there is a digital image that was made directly from the original and is of sufficient resolution for most publication purposes.
  2. If there is information listed in the Reproduction Number field above: You can use the reproduction number to purchase a copy from Duplication Services. It will be made from the source listed in the parentheses after the number.

    If only black-and-white ("b&w") sources are listed and you desire a copy showing color or tint (assuming the original has any), you can generally purchase a quality copy of the original in color by citing the Call Number listed above and including the catalog record ("About This Item") with your request.

  3. If there is no information listed in the Reproduction Number field above: You can generally purchase a quality copy through Duplication Services. Cite the Call Number listed above and include the catalog record ("About This Item") with your request.

Price lists, contact information, and order forms are available on the Duplication Services Web site.

Access to Originals

Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm.

  1. Is the item digitized? (A thumbnail (small) image will be visible on the left.)

    • Yes, the item is digitized. Please use the digital image in preference to requesting the original. All images can be viewed at a large size when you are in any reading room at the Library of Congress. In some cases, only thumbnail (small) images are available when you are outside the Library of Congress because the item is rights restricted or has not been evaluated for rights restrictions.
      As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. If you have a compelling reason to see the original, consult with a reference librarian. (Sometimes, the original is simply too fragile to serve. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject to damage. They are also easier to see online where they are presented as positive images.)
    • No, the item is not digitized. Please go to #2.
  2. Do the Access Advisory or Call Number fields above indicate that a non-digital surrogate exists, such as microfilm or copy prints?

    • Yes, another surrogate exists. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate.
    • No, another surrogate does not exist. Please go to #3.
  3. If you do not see a thumbnail image or a reference to another surrogate, please fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. In many cases, the originals can be served in a few minutes. Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Reference staff can advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served.

To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and 5:00 at 202-707-6394, and Press 3.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Baillie, James S., Active, and John L Magee. The modern Gilpins. Love's labor lost. United States, 1848. N.Y.: Published by James Baillie. Photograph. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/2008661478/.

APA citation style:

Baillie, J. S. & Magee, J. L. (1848) The modern Gilpins. Love's labor lost. United States, 1848. N.Y.: Published by James Baillie. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/2008661478/.

MLA citation style:

Baillie, James S., Active, and John L Magee. The modern Gilpins. Love's labor lost. N.Y.: Published by James Baillie. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/2008661478/>.