Top of page

Notice
Monday, February 16, 2026: For the President's Day holiday, The Library will open under normal operating hours.

[ digital file from color film copy transparency ]

More Resources

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

About this Item

Title

  • The old story

Summary

  • Proof for a published image in which a clothed wolf wearing a top hat labeled "Socialism," carries the book Progress and Poverty by H. George in his coat pocket. Red Riding Hood stands beside him on a path in the forest.

Names

  • Tenniel, John, 1820-1914, artist

Created / Published

  • 1884 Jan. 26 [publication date]

Headings

  • -  Little Red Riding Hood (Fictitious character)--1880-1890
  • -  Socialism--1880-1890
  • -  Wolves--1880-1890

Format Headings

  • Editorial cartoons--British--1880-1890.
  • Periodical illustrations--British--1880-1890.
  • Prints--British--1880-1890.

Genre

  • Editorial cartoons--British--1880-1890
  • Periodical illustrations--British--1880-1890
  • Prints--British--1880-1890

Notes

  • -  Inscribed below title: Red Riding Hood. (a bread-winner). "What large eyes you've got!" The Wolf. "All the better to see with, my dear!" She. "What a wonderful tongue you've got!!" He. "All the better to persuade you, my dear!" She. "But what great big teeth you've got!!!" He. "N'yum! N'yum!" (To himself) "All the better to eat you, my dear!"
  • -  No copyright information found with item.
  • -  Signed, lower left: JT monogram; below monogram, in pen: John Tenniel.
  • -  Title inscribed below image.
  • -  Bequest and gift; Caroline and Erwin Swann; 1974; (DLC/PP-1974:232.638)
  • -  The cartoon is a parody on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood and the published version was accompanied by a poem which warned the laborer of the dangers of socialism as personified by the wolf. It might been motivated by the formation of a group called the Fabian Society in January of 1884, and the increased interest in socialist doctrines as formulated in Henry George's Progress and Poverty (1879) and Karl Marx's Das Kapital (1867).
  • -  Published in: Punch, January 26, 1884.
  • -  Exhibited: Graham Gallery, "Cartoon and Comic Strip Art," 1972.

Medium

  • 1 print : wood engraving on bristol board ; 30 x 23 cm. (sheet)

Call Number/Physical Location

  • SWANN - no. 711 (A size) [P&P]

Source Collection

  • Caroline and Erwin Swann collection of caricature & cartoon (Library of Congress)

Repository

Digital Id

  • cph 3g12999 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3g12999
  • cph 3b34220 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b34220

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2009617454

Reproduction Number

  • LC-USZC4-12999 (color film copy transparency) LC-USZ62-87777 (b&w film copy neg.)

Rights Advisory

  • No known restrictions on publication. No renewal in Copyright Office.

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: Caroline and Erwin Swann Collection of Caricature and Cartoon - Rights and Restrictions Information

  • Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication. No renewal in Copyright Office.
  • Reproduction Number: LC-USZC4-12999 (color film copy transparency) LC-USZ62-87777 (b&w film copy neg.)
  • Call Number: SWANN - no. 711 (A 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:

Tenniel, John, Artist. The Old Story. , 1884. [publication date] Photograph. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/2009617454/.

APA citation style:

Tenniel, J. (1884) The Old Story. , 1884. [publication date] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/2009617454/.

MLA citation style:

Tenniel, John, Artist. The Old Story. [publication date] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/2009617454/>.