The Power of the Press

a Chicago Sun-Times printing plate of Jacob Burck's editorial cartoon, "Impeachment", 1973-74

I found these two Chicago Sun-Times printing plates (c. early 1970s) at a local thrift just last year and knew almost immediately there had to be a story behind them. I soon discovered that both Nixon-era political cartoons were created by painter, sculptor and nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist, Jacob Burck. 

Burck, who began to create political cartoons in the late 1920s, not only influenced a generation of cartoonists with his signature style of using ink brushes, grease pencils and lithograph crayons, he also won a Pulitzer Prize in 1941 for his moving cartoon for the Chicago Daily News of a little girl kneeling bedside in prayer, in a bombed building in war-torn Europe, entitled  "If I Should Die Before I Wake." 

An outspoken critic of social injustices, politicians and pretenders, the Polish-born artist would challenge newspaper audiences from coast to coast, for over 40 years. 

In my research, I read that Nixon was a great admirer of Burck's art and collected it. However, the impeachment scene above and the one which follows, depicting life at Nixon's "West Coast White House" in San Clemente, California - where money apparently grows on (palm) trees - suggests the artist did not reciprocate.

In finding historical relics such as these, I am constantly reminded of how much our pasts, presents and futures are eternally connected by opposing forces - good vs. evil, have vs. have nots, us vs. them; the old world and ways vs. the new.

A recent quote I read by "The Onion" sums it up beautifully: 

"History sighs. Repeats itself."

Chicago Sun-Times printing plate of Jacob Burck's editorial cartoon lampooning Nixon, early 1970s.