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America’s Image Maker
Macculloch Hall Historical Museum holds the largest single collection of Nast works in the United States. Acquired by the Museum directly from the artist’s family, examples include drawings in both pencil and ink, gouache, paintings in watercolor and oils, preliminary drawings and doodles, and artist and printer proofs. The Nast archives contain his personal correspondence and personal photographs, including the family photo album. While Nast works are always on display at the Museum, the bulk of the collection is available for research by appointment.
Thomas
Nast (1840-1902) immigrated to America from Landau, Germany when he was five
years old. With only limited education and even less art training he joined
the art staff of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated as a teenager. After traveling
in Italy reporting on the campaign of Garibaldi, he joined Harper’s Weekly
as a war correspondent during the Civil War. While working for Harper’s
until 1887, Nast created hundreds of cartoons including those of national symbols
forever linked to his genius---the Democratic Donkey, Republican Elephant, Uncle
Sam, Columbia, Tammany Tiger and Santa Claus.
Following reversals in both his relationship with the editor of Harper's and in his personal fortune, Nast was nearly bankrupt. In 1902, accepting the only steady paying job he could find, Nast traveled to Ecuador as a minor diplomat. There he died of Yellow Fever.
Thomas
Nast and Morristown
Thomas Nast moved his family to Morristown, NJ in 1870, believing it to be
a safe distance from his political enemy, William "Boss" Tweed of New York.
Although his work for Harper's took him weekly to New York for overnight
stays, Nast was a full-fledged resident of Morristown. He was an honorary member
of the fire department and supported the efforts of his local lyceum and other
charities. Many of his drawings depict his home with Morristown in the background.
The Art of War
Today many reporters, cameramen, and photographers flock to the site of major conflicts throughout the world. The news is brought to us in real time through television and radio as battles are fought. The War in Iraq was covered in such depth that we were able to watch the war and follow it daily through various media; it was the most fully covered conflict in history. The technology of today allows for minute-by-minute updates from the field. In past wars, media coverage may not have been so technologically advanced, but many reporters, photographers, and illustrators were also able to bring the war into people's living rooms in different ways.
Thomas Nast was one of these illustrators. Nast began his career as a war correspondent covering the War in Italy in 1860 for The Illustrated London News and New York Illustrated News. He followed Giuseppe Garibaldi's campaign to liberate and unify Sicily and the southern Italian states, depicting the events in pencil, crayon, ink, and paint. The artist compiled a sketchbook of the campaign's events, now in Macculloch Hall's collection.
Nast's experience as a war correspondent in Italy made him a leading candidate to cover the Civil War that was breaking out back home. When Nast returned to New York in December of 1860 he continued to work for the New York Illustrated News, but it was not until August of 1862 that Nast began his illustrious career at Harper's Weekly, at the age of 22. Sometimes he was summoned to the battlefields to draw what he saw firsthand, while other times he would work from other artists' sketches from the field.
Before TV and radio, Thomas Nast brought the war into people's homes. He illustrated battles, showed various parts of the country throughout the war, and depicted loved ones back home worrying and praying for their sons, husbands, and brothers. The April 30, 1864 issue of Harper's Weekly included a Nast drawing entitled The Press on the Field which showed how illustrators and reporters covered the Civil War. The drawing also depicts a sketchbook similar to the one Nast kept during his years in Italy.
Nast's drawings for Harper's Weekly were one of the main sources of war information for the public. Anyone could see what was happening by looking at the picture, so people did not even need to know how to read to keep up to date with the war. Because Nast's images were how many people viewed the war, he had a profound impact on the conflict through his pictures. President Abraham Lincoln called Nast ". . . our best recruiting sergeant."
As a war correspondent, Nast was the forerunner to today's field reporters. As cautious as reporters may be, they do still add their own personal bias and that of the company for which they work. Like modern media representatives, Nast was able to sway the public's judgment on the Civil War through his pro-Union drawings. Today's reporters may not be as blatantly biased as Nast, but some prejudice does still exist as they continue the tradition of bringing current events into America's living rooms.
Thomas
Nast Publications Available from Macculloch Hall
Thomas Nast and the Glorious Cause: The Civil War, 28 pages illustrated
The Immortal Light of Genius: Shakespeare, Nast & 19th Century American Culture, 13 pages illustrated
Thomas Nast Portrays a Changing America, 24 pages illustrated
Contact Museum for availability and shipping information.
Funding for this page provided by the Jockey Hollow Foundation
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