John Miller Baer Cartoons, 1920-1963
Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Baer, John Miller, 1886-1970.
- Abstract:
- 94 original editorial cartoons primarily from the 1920s to 1940s.
- Extent:
- 2.6 linear ft.
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
-
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
John Miller Baer Cartoons,
Background
- Scope and content:
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The John Miller Baer Cartoons are comprised of 94 original, undated political cartoons primarily from the 1920s to the early 1940s. The populist political sentiment in Baer's cartoons is paramount as he typically depicted the plight of the average American worker or farmer affected by the negative influence of corruption.
The cartoons are signed "John Baer" (some are signed "John Baer for Labor"). For some cartoons there is more than one version and several contain notes and sketches on the back. Materials used include illustration board, ink and pencil. Dimensions vary; the majority measure at least 16" x 20".
- Biographical / historical:
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John Miller Baer (1886-1970) was an American cartoonist and politician.
John Miller Baer was born on March 29, 1886 on a farm in Blackcreek, Wisconsin. After graduating from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin in 1909 with a bachelor of arts degree, Baer moved to Beach, North Dakota. Baer worked as a civil engineer, a farmer and postmaster and began submitting cartoons and articles to newspapers. Baer's political ideology solidified as he began to feel that big business and corruption led to farmers being taken advantage of. Baer drew cartoons for the Non-Partisan Leader and in 1916 resigned as postmaster and moved to Fargo where he was a cartoonist for the Fargo Courier-News.
Baer entered politics as the first person elected to Congress with the endorsement of the National Nonpartisan League. He was elected on the Nonpartisan ticket in 1916 to a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican representative for 1st District of North Dakota. But controversy followed Baer to Washington D.C. Baer refuted the New York Times' claim that during his campaign he declared "this is no time to make an issue of Americanism" and the paper accused him of being too closely aligned with socialism. Others in Congress insinuated that he was an unpatriotic, foreign influence. While in office, he continued to use his cartoons to influence others and received criticism from his colleagues in 1920 for drawing for the Plumb Plan League which was thought to be responsible for the railroad strike.
After failing to win another term during the 1920 election, Baer returned to journalism as a cartoonist for the National Railroad Union newspaper, Labor, where he produced cartoons arguing for improved conditions for the American worker and the unemployed.
John Miller Baer died in Washington, D.C. on February 18, 1970.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Art Wood , 1970.
- Arrangement:
-
Cartoons are foldered alphabetically by caption. Untitled cartoons are at the end of the collection.
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- Art -- Cartoonists
Agriculture -- Caricatures and cartoons.
American wit and humor, Pictorial.
Big business--United States -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Caricatures and cartoons -- United States.
Cartoonists -- United States.
Consumers -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Editorial cartoons -- United States.
Farmers -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Labor Movement -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Populism -- United States -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Cartoonists.
Cartoons (humorous images)
Editorial cartoons. - Names:
- United States. Congress -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Baer, John Miller, 1886-1970. - Indexes:
-
Index to cartoons
The following is a list of predominant people, places and subjects appearing in the editorial cartoons in this collection. The list is not exhaustive. Some subjects may require you to browse with alternative terms.
B= Box, F= Folder. For example: B1F1= Box 1 Folder 1.
Agricultural Adjustment Administration B1F9 American Federation of Labor B1F1B1F8 automation B1F10 banking industry B1F1B1F5 big business B1F3-B1F10 bonus bill B1F7 bread trust B1F8 Britain B1F10 Butler, William B1F8 Canada B1F5B1F10 coal industry B1F3-B1F4 Congress B1F1-B1F5B1F7-B1F9 consumers B1F1B1F3-B1F6B1F8-B1F9 Coolidge, Calvin B1F7 corruption B1F3 cost of living B1F1-B1F2B1F7B1F9 Daugherty, Harry M. B1F2 defense industry B1F2-B1F3B1F5 democracy B1F4 Democratic Party B1F10 economy B1F6 elections B1F2B1F7B1F10 Esch-Cummins Act B1F8 farmers B1F1-B1F2B1F5B1F7-B1F10 Frazier-Lemke Bill B1F2B1F7 Gould, Arthur B1F8 Great Depression B1F1B1F7 Harding, Warren G. B1F8 industry (general) B1F6-B1F7B1F10 inflation B1F1B1F5 Jones, James Elwood B1F4 La Follette, Phil B1F3 labor B1F1-B1F5B1F8-B1F10 Lodge, Henry Cabot B1F7 MacDonald, Ramsay B1F10 military B1F6 miners B1F3-B1F4 money trust B1F9 National Recovery Administration B1F3B1F9 Norris, George W. B1F3B1F7 partisanship B1F7 patriotism B1F7 peace B1F3B1F6 politics B1F2B1F5B1F7B1F9-B1F10 power trust B1F9 progressive reforms B1F9 prosperity B1F3B1F5 public opinion B1F1 railroad industry B1F1-B1F5B1F8-B1F9 Reconstruction Finance Corporation B1F1 Red Scare B1F4B1F9 Roosevelt, Franklin D. B1F5-B1F6B1F8 Smith, Frank L. B1F8 Steck, Daniel B1F4 steel industry B1F7 strikes B1F2 Supreme Court B1F9 tariffs B1F3 taxes B1F3-B1F5B1F9 Texas B1F7 unemployment B1F1-B1F5B1F7 unions B1F1-B1F2B1F7-B1F9 Vare, William B1F8 voting B1F2B1F7 Wagner Connery Bill B1F1 Walsh, Thomas J. B1F3 West Virginia B1F4 Willkie, Wendell B1F4 women B1F2B1F7 World War II B1F1
Access and use
- Restrictions:
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The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
- Terms of access:
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Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
- Preferred citation:
-
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
John Miller Baer Cartoons,
- Location of this collection:
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Special Collections Research CenterSyracuse University LibrariesBird Library, Room 600Syracuse, NY 13244, United States
- Contact:
- 315.443.2697scrc@syr.edu