Amusing set of seven original Theodore Roosevelt-related comic strips by Boston Globe cartoonist Wallace Goldsmith, accomplished in ink on cardstock sheets ranging in size from 19.75 x 4.75 to 20.75 x 8, the reverse of six stamp-dated to 1912. The comic strips, each signed in the lower right by Goldsmith, are titled in pencil in the upper border. The titles with a brief comic strip summary are as follows: “In Africa He Finds Literature a Telling Weapon,” Teddy goes on safari, rides a “G.O.P.” elephant and hurls a typewriter at a “Tammany Tiger”; “He Was at Home In Any Country,” Roosevelt makes pitstops in nations like Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and France; “He Visited the Crowned Heads of Europe,” Teddy visits King George V and approves of his throne; “He Lands in Africa,” African animals of all sizes run for their lives from a gun-toting Roosevelt; “As President He Discovers ‘Peace Hath Its Victories,’” Roosevelt is awarded the “Nobel Peace Prize” for a peaceful gathering with the Soviet Union and China; “Oh Yes! The Smithsonian Collection Was Much Enriched By His Efforts in Africa,” Roosevelt ships his many African trophy animals to the museum for display; and “He Vanquishes a Bear,” Roosevelt fends off a bear with his latest book. In overall very good to fine condition, with light soiling and staining, and tiny tack holes in the borders.
Wallace Goldsmith produced cartoons for the Boston Globe from 1909 to 1919, and his creations were primarily related to the world of sports and athletics, covering all levels from local schools to the professional ranks. Aside from his work with sports, Goldsmith made editorial cartoons of Boston city politics as well as national issues such as the women’s suffrage movement or President Wilson’s foreign policies.
