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Photo, Print, Drawing "White is black. Black is white. Night is day--" / Herblock.

[ digital file from original drawing ]

Full online access to this resource is only available at the Library of Congress.

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[ digital file from original drawing ]

Full online access to this resource is only available at the Library of Congress.

About this Item

Title

  • "White is black. Black is white. Night is day--" / Herblock.

Summary

  • Editorial cartoon shows "a massive fortress topped with onion domes, blaring senseless slogans, provides a fitting metaphor for the totalitarian authority of the Soviet Union, whose flag flies above the tallest dome. Herblock skillfully unites the visual symbol of state power with the act of broadcasting the cartoon's title -- contradictory phrases that recall the newspeak practiced with numbing effect by jailers of the dystopian police state in George Orwell's landmark novel (1949) 1984. The bastion of power rests ominously upon a global grid." [Source: exhibit caption]

Names

  • Block, Herbert, 1909-2001, artist

Created / Published

  • 1950 July 6.

Headings

  • -  Forts & fortifications--Soviet Union--1950
  • -  Loudspeakers--Soviet Union--1950
  • -  Public speaking--Soviet Union--1950
  • -  Propaganda--Soviet--1950
  • -  Cold War--1950
  • -  Communism--Soviet Union--1950
  • -  Totalitarianism--Soviet Union--1950

Format Headings

  • Drawings--1950.
  • Editorial cartoons--1950.

Genre

  • Editorial cartoons--1950
  • Drawings--1950

Notes

  • -  Caption label from exhibit "Herblock!" (2009) "White is Black, Black is White, Night is Day ": Herblock depicts a massive fortress topped with onion domes blaring senseless slogans as a metaphor for the totalitarian authority of the Soviet Union, whose flag flies above the tallest dome. Herblock skillfully unites the visual symbol of state power with the act of broadcasting the cartoon's title contradictory phrases that recall the "newspeak," which is the kind of speech pattern practiced with numbing effect by jailers of the dystopian police state in George Orwell's landmark 1949 novel 1984. The bastion of power rests ominously upon a global grid.
  • -  Title from item.
  • -  Signed "Herblock" lower right.
  • -  Published in the Washington Post, July 6, 1950.
  • -  Copyright 1950, The Washington Post Co.
  • -  Forms part of: Herbert L. Block Collection (Library of Congress).
  • -  Exhibited in: "Herblock!" at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., 2009-2010.

Medium

  • 1 drawing on layered paper : graphite, ink, with opaque white over graphite underdrawing ; 57.7 x 36.4 cm (sheet)

Call Number/Physical Location

  • BLOCK, no. 2574 (BB size) [P&P]

Source Collection

  • Block, Herbert, 1909-2001. Herbert L. Block collection (Library of Congress)

Repository

Digital Id

  • ppmsca 19974 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.19974
  • hlb 02574 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hlb.02574

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2009632042

Reproduction Number

  • LC-DIG-ppmsca-19974 (digital file from original drawing) LC-DIG-hlb-02574 (digital file from original drawing) LC-DIG-hlb-02574 (digital file from original drawing)

Rights Advisory

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: Herbert Block ("Herblock") - Rights and Restrictions Information

  • Rights Advisory: Publication may be restricted. For information see "Herbert Block ("Herblock") Rights and Restrictions," https://aj.sunback.homes/rr/print/res/271_herb.html
  • Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-ppmsca-19974 (digital file from original drawing) LC-DIG-hlb-02574 (digital file from original drawing) LC-DIG-hlb-02574 (digital file from original drawing)
  • Call Number: BLOCK, no. 2574 (BB size) [P&P]
  • Access Advisory: ---

Obtaining Copies

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      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.

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Cite This Item

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

Chicago citation style:

Block, Herbert, Artist. "White is black. Black is white. Night is day--" / Herblock. Soviet Union, 1950. July 6. Photograph. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/2009632042/.

APA citation style:

Block, H. (1950) "White is black. Black is white. Night is day--" / Herblock. Soviet Union, 1950. July 6. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/2009632042/.

MLA citation style:

Block, Herbert, Artist. "White is black. Black is white. Night is day--" / Herblock. July 6. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/2009632042/>.