THE AMERICAN DIFFICULTY:

President Abe: "What a nice White House this would be, if it were not for the Black!"

§ Among the many reasons Lincoln had to undertake and continue the Civil War, many assumed the two major issues were the preservation of the Union and the end of slavery. Lincoln himself was zealous in his belief that the Union must be preserved, but was more conflicted on the issue of slavery. In his personal correspondence, Lincoln himself said, "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that." Thus, for Lincoln, ending slavery was inconsequential to his decision to wage war against the South. Here, the London cartoonist shows Lincoln contemplating the inconvenience of the issue of slavery, as he stokes the fire and his house fills with smoke

See: William S. Walsh: "ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE LONDON PUNCH: Cartoons, comments and poems...."

Source: British PUNCH humor/satire magazine, original, pulled from a vintage copy from May 11, 1861. Size 8 1/2 x 11" (approximately) Condition: very good -- general toning, clean, the page has been humidified and flattened for best appearance and for framing; the backside is blank. 

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WHO IS THE ARTIST?:

+ Sir John Tenniel 1820 –1914) was an English illustrator, graphic humourist and political cartoonist prominent in the second half of the 19th century. An alumnus of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, he was knighted for artistic achievements in 1893, the first such honour ever bestowed on an illustrator or cartoonist.

+ Tenniel is remembered mainly as the principal political cartoonist for Punch magazine for over 50 years and for his illustrations to Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871). Tenniel's detailed black-and-white drawings remain the definitive depiction of the Alice characters, with comic book illustrator and writer Bryan Talbot stating, "Carroll never describes the Mad Hatter: our image of him is pure Tenniel."

WHAT IS PUNCH?

Punch, a magazine of humor and satire, ran from 1841-2002. A very British institution renowned internationally for its wit and irreverence, it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration. Punch was the world's most celebrated magazine of wit and satire. From its early years as a campaigner for social justice to its transformation into national icon, Punch played a central role in the formation of British identity -- and how the rest of the world saw the British nation. In its formative years Punch combined humors, illustration and political debate with a fresh and radical audacity. During its heyday in the late 1800s, it reflected the conservative views of the growing middle-classes and copies of it could be found in the libraries of diplomats, cabinet ministers and even royalty. In the Western world, Punch played a significant role in the development of satire. In the world of illustration, it practically revolutionized it. Over the decades as it charted the interests, concerns and frustrations of the country and today it stands as an invaluable source of cartoon art, satire, but as primary source material for historians.