Page:The Newspaper and the Historian.djvu/470

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

not sandalwood but Deodar pine. The apparent trustworthiness of an official document was thus overthrown by the unimpeach able evidence of a style of art confirmed by the use of the microscope.87 Somewhat later, sketches made by Simpson of

the sword, spur, and cross used in the investiture of Lord Bute as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, said to have been those used

by Godfrey of Bouillon , showed that the claim was without foundation as the spur sketched had a roulette , while the spurs

of the time of Godfrey had only spikes.88 Thus the illustration

becomes of value in exposing the falseness of claimsmade through ignorance or pretense.

The close alliance between the illustration and poetry ex plains why the illustration in the periodical press and the graphic press as a whole have the quality of interpretation less often found in other parts or forms of the press. The artistic insight

of the illustration enables it not only to interpret the present but also often gives it a prophetic character not found elsewhere.

The cartoons of Puck from 1876 to 1893 show an understanding and appreciation of the character of Bismarck and Emperor

William II that subsequent events have proved correct; 89 they did much to interpret to his own generation, as well as to the following , the aims and achievements of President Cleveland .

“ No history of Napoleon is quite complete which fails to recog nize Gillray as a potent factor in crystallizing public opinion in England.” 90 The success of Gillray was the more noteworthy since it is often difficult for a foreign illustrator to interpret correctly the characteristics of the leading personages of other countries , - Albert Shaw has shown the failure of foreign cartoon ists, even friendly ones , to have a correct understanding of Roosevelt as depicted either by his admirers or by unfriendly

critics ; they give at best but a nondescript creation .91 If " Du 87 William Simpson, Autobiography, pp. 126-128. 88 Ib ., pp . 212 - 213 .

89 J. Keppler and H . C . Bunner , A Selection of Cartoons from Puck. An interesting European cartoon in 1890 showed the Kaiser rocking the

boat in which the European powers were sitting, but saying to him , “ Don 't go on like that, or you 'll upset us all.” — CartoonsMagazine, November, 1914 , p . 621, from Punch, May 10, 1890 .

90 Cartoons Magazine, November, 1914 , p . 580 . 91 A Cartoon History of Roosevelt's Career.