by Kevin Lilly
Retired Cass Circuit Court Judge Julian Ridlen has spent the last six months preparing for a large display of his extensive collection of political cartoons from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
His work is coming to fruition this weekend when he will join Indianapolis Star cartoonist Gary Varvel in opening an exhibit called, “Campaigns & Cartoons: Role of Caricature in Political Persuasion, 1862-1912” at the President Benjamin Harrison Home in downtown Indianapolis.
Ridlen recently talked about his motivation to bring to light the significance of caricature in the political process more than 100 years ago.
“This is a time when the print media was king,” Ridlen said. “It had no competition. The means of communicating with the general public was through the written word and the visual.”
Compared to the political cartoons of today that generally contain a single thought drawn in a small box, those studied by Ridlen contain multiple layers of meaning produced in a larger format.
For example, in Frederick Opper’s “Great Political Excitement in Indiana: The Whole State on the Stump,” that was published in Puck magazine, the artist portrays famous figures from the time atop tree stumps carrying messages regarding the 1880 presidential campaign. Civil rights advocate Frederick Douglass is seen supporting James Garfield, as is Civil War hero John Logan with the phrase, “He is pure and holy.”
A closer look shows a disabled veteran symbolizing the fight for better benefits and a mother holding her child, which to Ridlen represents advocating for families.
What’s interesting to Ridlen is that many of the topics expressed back then remain current today.
“You had immigration, you had taxes, you had veterans benefits, wages, family,” he said.
An aspect Ridlen enjoys about the caricatures is the interpretation, which can be a challenge being so far removed from those days.
“I had to play detective,” Ridlen said of making meaning of the works to be on display.
The cartoons contain literary references to Shakespeare, Greek mythology and the Bible. There were also a number of figures to identify, such as politician Whitelaw Reid and newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer. That information is provided on each display item to give viewers guidance.
Ridlen would like people to be both entertained and educated by the exhibit. For the opening, he will split time with Varvel, who will discuss his presidential depictions, as well as unveil an original drawing of Benjamin Harrison.
• Kevin Lilly is news editor of the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at 574-732-5117 or kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com.
Want to go?
What: “Campaigns & Cartoons”
When: Exhibit opens at 3 p.m. Sunday and remains on display through Dec. 30
Where: The President Benjamin Harrison Home, 1230 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis
On the Web: For more details, visit www.pbhh.org or call Erin Trisler at 317-631-1888.
