William Newell
Datenot dated
Artist
Thomas Nast
(American cartoonist, illustrator, 1840–1902)
MediumPen, ink, and graphite on scratchboard
Dimensions14 1/4 × 10 1/4 in. (36.2 × 26 cm)
Credit LineAcquisition Fund, 2017
Object number2017-23
On View
Not on viewClassificationsDRAWING
Label TextWilliam Newell (1817-1901), whose photographs show him with a shaggy mustache (and often beard) was an American doctor, member of Congress, and Governor of New Jersey. He is most remembered for the Newell Act of 1848, which established the United States Life-Saving Service, a federal agency that in 1915 became the Coast Guard.German-born Thomas Nast was an influential caricaturist and editorial cartoonist who created the donkey and elephant symbols for the Republican and Democratic parties, and the Santa Claus figure that became standard in the United States. His incisive satirical images helped destroy Boss Tweed, leader of New York City's corrupt political machine in the 1870s.
