Masks and Faces

Masks and Faces


171
Title: Masks and Faces

Year: 1862

Creator: Western Reserve Historical Society

Description:
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA (MAKE CONNECTION): “Masks and Faces,” published in Southern Illustrated News, continues the theme of linking Lincoln with demonic imagery. The caption reads “King Abraham before and after issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.” The cartoon equates Lincoln with the Devil, holding a human mask in his left hand. In his right hand is a chain symbolizing his attempts to dominate the Southern states. In the background is a partially completed Washington monument “representing the Southern belief that the forefathers had fought for rights that included slavery (Smith 76). Resting atop the Washington monument is a noose that signifies the South’s hatred for Lincoln. On the ground is a scrolled up copy of the Emancipation Proclamation with the date “Jan 1. 1863” scribbled upon it. “Masks and Faces” works to capture the South’s hatred of Lincoln and their deepest belief that their fight is a just one.

URL:
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG03/henning/cwcartoons/ward.htm