Photo, Print, Drawing Wait till the Dies committee hears about this! / Herblock.
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About this Item
Title
- Wait till the Dies committee hears about this! / Herblock.
Summary
- Editorial cartoon shows a six-panel strip distorting commonly understood information about the myth of Santa Claus to portray him as a communist, such as noting the North Pole's proximity to Soviet Russia, the existence of Christmas clubs, and entering the country "under cover of darkness". The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was referred to as the "Dies Committee" after Martin Dies who was appointed the first head of the committee in 1937.
Names
- Block, Herbert, 1909-2001, artist
Created / Published
- [1938 Dec.] c1938.
Headings
- - Dies, Martin,--1900-1972
- - United States.--Congress.--House.--Committee on Un-American Activities--1930-1940
- - Santa Claus--1930-1940
- - Communists--1930-1940
Format Headings
- Drawings--American.
- Editorial cartoons--1930-1940.
- Ink drawings--1930-1940.
Genre
- Editorial cartoons--1930-1940
- Ink drawings--1930-1940
- Drawings--American
Notes
- - Caption label from exhibit "Herblock's Gift": From early in his career, Herblock's legions of faithful readers eagerly awaited his annual Christmas portrayals of Santa Claus, as had fans of his famous cartooning predecessor Thomas Nast two generations before. In December, 1938, as Americans warily witnessed the rise of communism in Europe, Herblock warned against unconstitutional attacks on civil liberties by the House Special Committee to Investigate Un-American Activities and Propaganda in the United States, led by chairman Martin Dies, a Democrat from Texas. Herblock satirically suggests that the Dies Committee might, through the prism of its aggressive anti-communist campaign, see in Santa a potential subversive threat to the American democratic way of life.
- - Title from item.
- - Distributed by NEA Service, Inc.
- - LCCN of duplicate record: 2003652658 (deleted)
- - Forms part of: Herbert L. Block collection (Library of Congress).
- - Exhibited in: "Herblock's Gift : Selections from the Herb Block Foundation Collection" at the Library of Congress, 2003.
- - Exhibited: "Capitol Visitor Center" at the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C., 2015.
- - Exhibited: "Wit and Humor: American Political Cartoons", at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, 1000 George Bush Drive, West College Station, TX, July 1, 2019 - January 5, 2020.
Medium
- 1 drawing on laid paper : ink, crayon, and opaque white over blue pencil underdrawing ; sheet 51.3 x 38.4 cm.
Call Number/Physical Location
- BLOCK, no. 181 (BB size) [P&P]
Source Collection
- Block, Herbert, 1909-2001. Herbert L. Block collection (Library of Congress)
Repository
- Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
Digital Id
- hlb 00181 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hlb.00181
- ppmsca 03064 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.03064
- cph 3c32869 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c32869
Library of Congress Control Number
- 2010635670
Reproduction Number
- LC-DIG-hlb-00181 (digital file from original drawing) LC-DIG-ppmsca-03064 (digital file from original) LC-USZ62-132869 (b&w film copy neg.)
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
Online Format
- image