Frightful Figuring for "Old Figgers"
Frightful Figuring for "Old Figgers"
Usage conditions apply
- Description
- This object is an original pen and ink political cartoon hand drawn by Clifford Berryman on white paper circa 1912 in Washington, D.C. The title, possibly not finalized, reads "Frightful Figuring for Old Figgers" and is inscribed as well as crossed out in pencil. The drawing depicts Charles Henry Grosvenor (Republican Congressman from Ohio) busily tallying numeric scores for William Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Robert M. La Follette (Sr.) of Wisconsin, and Albert B. Cummins of Iowa. He says to himself: "Figgerin' isn't what it used to be!" Various numbers appear in the background. He is surrounded by books he may have authored (real or perhaps imaginary for the purpose of this illustration) with titles such as "Grosvenor on Election Statistics," Grosvenor's Political Mathematics," and "Old Figgers or How I Calculate." Berryman's number 2235[5?] is stamped twice in blue ink in the lower right corner. The drawing is signed "Berryman" in the lower right area of the illustration.
- Grosvenor had a lengthy and varied career in American politics. He worked as the statistician for the Republican Party because of his interest in numeric political calculations and became nicknamed "Old Figgers." He supported Taft but his arithmetic showed Roosevelt was in the lead - hence, the title "Frightful Figuring for 'Old Figgers.'"
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Object Name
- Cartoon
- political cartoon
- Object Type
- Drawing
- cartoons
- editorial cartoons
- date made
- ca 1912
- referenced
- Taft, William H.
- La Follette, Robert M.
- Roosevelt, Theodore
- associated
- Republican Party
- maker
- Berryman, Clifford
- place made
- United States: District of Columbia
- Physical Description
- paper (overall material)
- ink (overall material)
- pencil (overall material)
- ink stamp (overall material)
- hand drawn (overall production method/technique)
- Measurements
- overall: 20 in x 16 in; 50.8 cm x 40.64 cm
- ID Number
- PL.322733.010
- catalog number
- 322733.010
- accession number
- 322733
- subject
- Humor
- Satire
- Political Campaigns
- Political Conventions
- Mathematics
- Elderly
- Presidential Campaign of 1912
- See more items in
- Political and Military History: Political History, Campaign Collection
- Government, Politics, and Reform
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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