In May of 1881, Thomas Nast took on the Star Route scandal in Harper's Weekly. Postmaster-General James is shown using the 26-inch aperture "Great Equatorial" telescope to investigate "The Star Route Ring." Nast urges him to find "the whole truth, even if the heavens fall." The cartoonist offers up an elaborate zodiac where Gemini is represented by the twins "Tweed Ring" and "Star Ring." Nast's readers, of course, would be familiar with his frequent criticism of Tammany Hall's "Boss" Tweed, so here he gets to equate the two scandals.
 |
| Thomas Nast The Great Refracting Telescope at Washington, D.C. Postmaster-General James, let us have the whole truth, even if the political heavens fall. Harper's Weekly, May 28, 1881, p. 352 |
The page is offered for sale by the Argosy Book Store in New York:
 |
| Thomas Nast Argosy Book Store listing accessed June 21, 2025 |
Note: For more information, follow the aqua link to Wikipedia's page on the Star Route scandal. There's also more to be learned about the 26-inch "Great Equatorial" telescope that was once located in Washington, D.C.
04978
No comments:
Post a Comment