Printed cartoons

Edgar Wentwork archive of primary material documenting the career of a little-known American cartoon illustrator from 1886 to 1912. There are original cartoons and related correspondence containing approximately 295 pen and ink drawings and sketches, 125 illustrations,170 loose drawings, including his personal album, "Original Pen & Pencil Sketches, A Book of the Etiquette of the Day, by Ed. Wentworth, 1886."

General warning: Twenty three of his cartoons portray racial and ethnic stereotypes, exaggerating the faces and language of marginalized groups of people including African American, Indigenous, Irish, and Jewish people.These materials are preserved for their historical significance even though they are offensive. Some cartoons are clearly offensive with Black face, lynching, and false representations of people. Others are satirical and the line is hard to draw between offensive versus making fun of racial injustice. Some illustrations stimulate important discussions.

His drawings also include rural farmers, portraits, criminals, animals, food, prohibition of alcohol and the temperance movement, and politicians, including presidents of the United States.

The correspondence includes seven letters from publishers about acceptance, rejection, and/or payment for Wentworth's cartoons. There is one letter from Howard, Ainslee & Co., publisher's of The Yellow Kid and six letters from Arkell Publishing Co., publisher of Judge. Twenty two envelopes without contents dated the same time each month suggest subscriptions with the Boston newspapers, The Herald and The Boston Globe. Also included is an issue of The Yellow Kid.