The the cartoon shows Uncle Sam examining the teeth (labeled: "Wall Street Interests") of a powerful horse (labeled: Central Bank) offered by Senator Nelson W. Aldrich, (who strongly resembles the financier, J.P. Morgan). By 1909 most people thought the American banking system to be badly in need of reform. Aldrich advocated the establishment of a Central Bank, a proposal opposed by progressive Democrats who say it as an attempt by the financiers of Wall Street to gain control. Much of the banking system was in increasing disarray in the early Twentieth Century and the commercial efforts to gain control of the financial environment led to the establishment of the Federal Reserve System in 1914.

Udo J. Keppler, who drew this cartoon, was the son of the founder of Puck Magazine. Born in 1872, he joined the Puck staff as an editorial cartoonist in 1891. He took control of the magazine after his father's death in 1894, and in 1917, sold it to William Randolph Hearst, who shut it down in 1918. This example of his editorial cartooning gives a strong flavor of his style and what might be called "scathing" today.

Puck Magazine was one of the first political satire and humor magazines in America. It started as a German language, bi-weekly in St. Louis in 1871. Puck faired badly and quickly folded but the pair moved the operation to New York City in 1876, with an English-language version first appearing in 1877. It was published in both German and English with the English version fairing poorly until it started to take on such controversial local topics as Tammany Hall corruption, and national issues like Ulysses S. Grant's attempt to win a third term as President. His political cartoons were notoriously biting, garnering much attention for Puck, and he was one of the first artists to use color lithography for caricature.

Medium : 1 drawing on stipple paper : ink

Created/Published : December 10, 1909

Creator : Udo J. Keppler, artist, 1872-1956

Part of the Art Wood Collection of Caricature and Cartoon housed in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress

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Product #: ppmsca05868