A party of patches
Creator: Judge Magazine
Date: June 6, 1891
This political cartoon drawn by Bernard Gilliam was copied from the satirical magazine Judge presents the Republican perception of the People's (Populist) Party. The artist depicts the People's Party as a hot air balloon made up of a patchwork of pieces, with each piece labeled with the name of the political organization or party that has been subsumed under the banner of the Populists. Some of the more recognizable "patches" include the Prohibition Party, the Greenback Party, the Farmer's Alliance, and the Knights of Labor Party. Inside the balloon's basket are two leading Populists from Kansas, William Peffer and "Sockless" Jerry Simpson.

A petition humanity must heed
Creator: American Medical Association
Date: September 1914
A cartoon showing a baby signing a petition titled "Give me pure milk that I may live". The cartoon appeared in the Bulletin of the Kansas State Board of Health.

Are these noble statesmen and lawmakers fighting for the interests of the workers? Oh, dear, NO
Creator: Walker, Ryan, 1870-1932
Date: June 1, 1912
Political cartoon drawn by Ryan Walker for the socialist newspaper, Appeal to Reason, which was published in Girard, Kansas. The cartoon depicts a concerned worker watching Republican presidential candidate William Taft and Progressive presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt brawl and curse. Socialist candidate Eugene Debs and his running mate Emil Seidel received 6% of the popular vote in the 1912 election.

Cartoon showing dancing goats
Date: September 21, 1930
A cartoon showing dancing goats celebrating the revocation of Dr. Brinkley's medical license in Kansas.

Economic circulating library
Creator: Heston, Watson
Date: October 3, 1892
The caption to this political cartoon charges the Associated Press with trying to discredit and marginalize the People's Party by not reporting on it. The cartoon attributes the success of the People's Party to a circulating library of pamphlets on economic issues and a "reform press" that raised public awareness of the Populist movement. The illustrated cartoon shows a group of reform newspaper men requesting publications from the "Economic Circulating Library." Created by controversial cartoonist Watson Heston, the cartoon was reproduced in the People's Paper published in Stafford, Kansas. The People's Party took control of the Kansas legislature in 1890 when ninety-two Populists were voted into office. Two years later more candidates from the People's Party were elected. These Populist candidates included Governor Lorenzo Lewelling and all other statewide officials.

Forcing slavery down the throat of a freesoiler
Date: 1856
An 1856 cartoon depicting President James Buchanan and Senator Lewis Cass standing on a Democratic platform marked "Kansas", "Cuba" and "Central America". They are pulling the hair of a giant Free Soiler as President Franklin Pierce holds down his beard and Senator Stephen Douglas shoves an African American man down the Free Soiler's throat.

Get the anti "flu" habit
Date: Between 1918 and 1919
A cartoon published by the Topeka Health Service of Shawnee County, illustrating precautions to combat and prevent the further spread of the influenza.

Grangers versus hoppers
Creator: Henry Worrall, 1825-1902
Date: 1874-1875
This is a carte-de-visite published by the Downing Gallery in Topeka, Kansas. It depicts a cartoon by Kansas artist Henry Worrall showing Kansas farmers (Grangers) battling grasshoppers. The National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry was originally founded with the idea of educating and connecting farmers within America. The first Grange was set up in Fredonia, New York. From there granges spread across the U.S., providing classes and social events to farmers. The first Kansas Grange was organized in 1872 at Hiawatha. Within a few years, more than 1,000 Granges claiming more than 30,000 members had been established across the state. Read more about the Grange in Kansapedia.

Gulliver bound down by the Democratic Lilliputians
Creator: Judge Magazine
Date: Between 1890 and 1895
This political cartoon from the satirical magazine Judge illustrates the Republican perception of the Democratic Party and Peoples' (Populist) Party by adapting a classic story from Gulliver's Travels. The cartoon depicts politicians, activists, and wealthy Americans tying down a giant man who symbolizes industrial prosperity. The ties stretching across his lower body represent "tariff tinkering" and "free silver," political issues where many Democrats and Populists were in agreement. William Peffer, a Kansas Populist, stands on a podium near the center giving a speech about silver. Judge magazine, created by artists who had previously worked for the well-known magazine Puck, began in 1881.

Heroic deeds for Funston yet to perform
Date: 1899
A magazine illustration playing on Frederick Funston's recent notoriety as a war hero. Copied from the Journal (Minneapolis).

Hesston Manufacturing Company cartoon
Creator: Hesston Manufacturing Company
Date: June 14, 1957
This cartoon from the Hesston Manufacturing Company is a representation of five men, one woman and baby with a tag line below. This publication funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission through the Kansas State Historical Records Advisory Board.

Hesston Manufacturing Company cartoon
Creator: Hesston Manufacturing Company
Date: July 16, 1957
This cartoon card from July 1957 represents four men and a woman with a car outside a building with a tag line beneath. This publication funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission through the Kansas State Historical Records Advisory Board.

Hesston Manufacturing Company cartoon
Creator: Hesston Manufacturing Company
Date: August 15, 1957
This cartoon card from August 1957 represents three men discussing their scarecrow which has crows covering it with a tag line below. This publication funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission through the Kansas State Historical Records Advisory Board.

Hesston Manufacturing Company cartoon
Creator: Hesston Manufacturing Company
Date: May 15, 1957
This cartoon is a representation of a car with people inside driving down railroad tracks with a train following behind. Below the cartoon is a tagline. This publication funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission through the Kansas State Historical Records Advisory Board.

Hesston Manufacturing Company cartoon
Creator: Hesston Manufacturing Company
Date: September 15, 1957
This cartoon card from 1957 represents three men and a dog walking to school with a tag line below the drawing. This publication funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission through the Kansas State Historical Records Advisory Board.

Hesston Manufacturing Company cartoon
Creator: Hesston Manufacturing Company
Date: April 16, 1957
This cartoon is a representation of two men in water surrounded by mountains. One man is holding boat ores and the other man is holding a fishing pole. Below the cartoon is a tagline. This publication funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission through the Kansas State Historical Records Advisory Board.

Hesston Manufacturing Company cartoon
Creator: Hesston Manufacturing Company
Date: March 19, 1957
This cartoon is a representation of a man in a barrel with onlookers standing in a field on the opposite side of a fence. Below the cartoon is a tagline. This publication funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission through the Kansas State Historical Records Advisory Board.

Hesston Manufacturing Company cartoon
Creator: Hesston Manufacturing Company
Date: February 15, 1957
A promotional cartoon distributed by the Hesston Manufacturing Company in Hesston, Kansas. The cartoon depicts "Willie" driving dangerously, realizing like thousands of farmers, short cuts are dangerous, and why more farmers are insisting on Hesston combine attachments. This publication funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission through the Kansas State Historical Records Advisory Board.

His death or yours!
Creator: Kansas State Board of Health
Date: 1914
"His Death Or Yours" cartoon addressing the diseases transmitted by flies and encouraging people to install and use screen doors. This item was copied from the Kansas State Board of Health Bulletin.

Industrial Workers of the World
Date: July 24, 1920
This political cartoon shows the invasion of the Wobblies in a Kansas wheat field. The illustration was based on the June 24, 1920 I.W.W. District Court case in Butler, Kansas, that prohibited members of the Industrial Workers of the World, better know as the Wobblies, from carrying out their "unlawful practices" of political and industrial change in Kansas.

Liberty, the Fair Maid of Kansas, in the Hands of the Border Ruffians
Date: Between 1854 and 1861
This cartoon depicts William L. Marcy, James Buchanan, Franklin Pierce, Lewis Cass, and Stephen Douglas harassing Liberty, the representation of Kansas Territory. A former U.S. senator from New York, Marcy was a leader of the conservative Democrats, with pro-Southern leanings much like those of presidents Pierce and Buchanan; Marcy served as secretary of war (1845-1849) under James K. Polk and secretary of state (1853-1857) under President Pierce, during the worst of the Kansas troubles.

"Mr. G. Hopper, Kansas"
Creator: Vance, F. T.
Date: 1875
This humorous cartoon illustration depicts a grasshopper standing upright with a crutch, eye patch, and a sling holding his left arm. By his side is a small suitcase. The countryside in the background has been completely stripped of all greenery, with only tree trunks and twigs surviving. In 1874, Kansas was hit with a grasshopper plague that destroyed most of the farmers' crops.

Political cartoon by Myron A. Waterman
Creator: Waterman, Myron A.
Date: 1898
Political cartoon by Myron A. Waterman (1855-1937) depicting E. H. Funston announcing his bid for governor. The cartoon appeared on the front page of Topeka's The Advocate and News on March 30, 1898 with the caption "From 'Way Down Yonder in de Co'n Fiel'." Waterman (1855-1937) first gained recognition in the latter part of the 19th century when he established and edited the Fort Scott Lantern. He held a number of other occupations throughout his life including working in the drug store business and serving as a deputy state bank commissioner of Kansas from 1894 to 1901. Waterman was a staunch prohibitionist and a member of the First Congregational Church in Topeka, Kansas. This cartoon appeared on the front page of Topeka's The Advocate and News on March 30, 1898.

Political cartoon concerning Dr. John R. Brinkley
Date: Between 1930 and 1934
Political cartoon concerning Dr. John R. Brinkley. The Milford, Kansas, physician ran as an independent write-in candidate for Governor of Kansas in 1930, 1932, and 1934.

Railroad question!
Date: Between 1870s and 1880s
A cartoon encouraging owners and business men of Wichita, Kansas, to attend a town meeting that address the issues and concerns of railroads and other forms of transportation in their community.