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Dan Dowling Cartoons

An inventory of his cartoons at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Dowling, Dan, 1906-1993.
Title: Dan Dowling Cartoons
Inclusive Dates: 1956-1966
Quantity: 4.1 linear ft.
Abstract: 236 original editorial cartoons.
Language: English
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Dan Dowling (1906-1993) was an American editorial cartoonist who worked for the Omaha World Herald, the New York Herald Tribune and the Kansas City Star.

Born in O'Neill, Nebraska on November 16, 1906, Dan Dowling spent his childhood in Iowa. Dowling was influenced by the cartoons of Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling that appeared in the Des Moines Register and Leader and Carey Orr. Dowling attended the University of California-Berkeley from 1924 until 1928. Wanting to travel, Dowling joined a dance band and as the drummer got to travel the world. In 1931 he moved to Chicago where he briefly studied at the Academy of Fine Art before working as a police reporter.

In 1933 Dowling joined the Associated Press in New York as a retouch artist. Learning of an opening with the Omaha World Herald, Dowling moved back to the Midwest in 1937 to become the paper's cartoonist not having had any on the job cartooning experience. Dowling stayed in Omaha until World War II when he joined the infantry and served four years as a captain.

During the war, he submitted cartoons to the Omaha World Herald and the New York Herald Tribune. Dowling landed a job with the latter after the war and his editorial cartoons became syndicated in 1949. Dowling stayed at the New York Herald Tribune until the paper went out of business upon which he became the editorial cartoonist for the Kansas City Star where he stayed until his retirement.

Dowling won two Freedom Foundation Awards (1956 and 1960), a Christopher Award in 1960, a Sigma Chi Delta award (1960) and served as founding president of the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists from 1956 to 1958.

Dan Dowling retired to Carmel by the Sea, California and died of congestive heart failure on July 27, 1993.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Dan Dowling Cartoons consist of 235 original political cartoons from the years 1960-1966 that appeared in the New York Herald Tribune and were also syndicated. The cartoons are only marked with years. A few are completely undated. The majority of the cartoons are from 1966.

Dowling's portrayal of figures was typically less realistic and instead very caricaturesque. This can be seen in his treatment of President Lyndon Johnson as a cowboy hat wearing leader who regularly encounters cacti, clearly eliciting Johnson's Texas roots. Like other editorial cartoonists, Dowling visually represented the gamut of domestic and international political issues. For example one of the most heavily represented themes in this particular collection of Dowling cartoons is the economic effect of the Vietnam War. Few cartoons in the collection address issues local to New York.

The cartoons bear the copyright of the Publishers Newspaper Syndicate and the New York Herald Tribune. The cartoons were created on Glarco illustration board with India ink, brush, graphite and crayon as well as Benday screening.

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Arrangement of the Collection

The cartoons are arranged in chronological order by year. Within each year the cartoons are arranged alphabetically by caption. A folder of completely undated cartoons is located at the end of the collection.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Special Collections Research Center has collections of over one hundred cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Dowling, Dan, 1906-1993.

Corporate Bodies

New York herald tribune.
Publishers newspaper syndicate.

Subjects

American wit and humor, Pictorial.
Caricatures and cartoons -- United States.
Cartoonists -- United States.
Editorial cartoons -- New York.
Editorial cartoons -- United States.
Inflation (Finance) -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973 -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Political cartoons.
Taxation -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Caricatures and cartoons.
World politics -- 1945-1989 -- Caricatures and cartoons.

Genres and Forms

Cartoons (humorous images)
Editorial cartoons.

Occupations

Cartoonists.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Dan Dowling Cartoons,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Dan Dowling, 1966.

One cartoon, 1956, gift of Randy Rosen, 2012.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: WHL/CAD
Date: Oct 1982
Revision history: 29 Oct 2008 - converted to EAD (MD); 24 Sep 2009 - added detailed inventory, index; expanded bio (SK); 25 Sep 2012 - addition, 1956 item (MRC)

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Inventory

Cartoons (236 items) 20" x 14½ "
1956
Oversize 1, Folder 0 We have an agreement
1960
Oversize 1, Folder 1 And still they come
Oversize 1, Folder 1 That's a grim procession
1961
Oversize 1, Folder 2 The big welcome
Oversize 1, Folder 2 Doc, will you look at the next pasture?
Oversize 1, Folder 2 The seed catalogue and the garden
Oversize 1, Folder 2 What a mess to clean up
1962
Oversize 1, Folder 3 Is that a promise?
1963
Oversize 1, Folder 4 The bowlegged gate keeper
Oversize 1, Folder 4 The bull calf is first to respond
Oversize 1, Folder 4 The changing picture of Russia
Oversize 1, Folder 4 Come home with us now!
Oversize 1, Folder 4 The days of real sport
Oversize 1, Folder 4 Fireworks display
Oversize 1, Folder 4 In loving memory of the summer of '62
Oversize 1, Folder 4 It says to start turning on the heat
Oversize 1, Folder 4 Let's have friendly relations for awhile!
Oversize 1, Folder 4 Low tide
Oversize 1, Folder 5 Maybe we had better send for our winter underwear
Oversize 1, Folder 5 Old boy friend reappears
Oversize 1, Folder 5 Propaganda picture.
Oversize 1, Folder 5 Red Riding Hood and the wolf
Oversize 1, Folder 5 The tail that wags the dog
Oversize 1, Folder 5 We've got to have more assurances!
Oversize 1, Folder 5 Wrong pasture
Oversize 1, Folder 5 You fellows mind if I slip in ahead?
Oversize 1, Folder 5 You sure you're in the right pasture?
1964
Oversize 1, Folder 6 Anybody thirsty?
Oversize 1, Folder 6 Back into the cockpit
Oversize 1, Folder 6 Bo Peep has lost a lot of sheep
Oversize 1, Folder 6 Boss, it's bound to be a campaign issue!
Oversize 1, Folder 6 Busy days of Gov. Scranton
Oversize 1, Folder 6 Delegate without credentials
Oversize 1, Folder 6 Everybody get set, here's the big one!
Oversize 1, Folder 6 Fight the war!
Oversize 1, Folder 6 Hail the 100th anniversary of communism!
Oversize 1, Folder 6 Hello LBJ, it's Hubert. I've finished here, I'm on my way to —
Oversize 1, Folder 6 His years in Congress
Oversize 1, Folder 7 In the name of civil rights
Oversize 1, Folder 7 Is this a substitute for the traditional press conference?
Oversize 1, Folder 7 It's really beginning to smell!
Oversize 1, Folder 7 On the trail of the lonesome pine
Oversize 1, Folder 7 One Memorial Day calls for another
Oversize 1, Folder 7 Our theory is, comfortable Communists are less dangerous!
Oversize 1, Folder 7 Out where the trade winds blow
Oversize 1, Folder 7 Remember, blood's thicker than water!
Oversize 1, Folder 7 Romance on the Nile
Oversize 1, Folder 7 A short horse is soon curried
Oversize 1, Folder 7 Sorry, we can't get that fellow to vacate the room!
Oversize 1, Folder 8 There's a lot more fish in the sea
Oversize 1, Folder 8 This is your captain speaking!
Oversize 1, Folder 8 The touring pro
Oversize 1, Folder 8 Warden, you're sure he's locked up tight?
Oversize 1, Folder 8 The wolf at the door
Oversize 1, Folder 8 untitled
1965
Oversize 2, Folder 1 Cheering section
Oversize 2, Folder 1 Do we start in where we left off?
Oversize 2, Folder 1 The dogs bark and the caravans pass on.
Oversize 2, Folder 1 Don't hesitate, take ahold!
Oversize 2, Folder 1 Don't shoot, men, we might hit one of our allies!
Oversize 2, Folder 1 Front row seat
Oversize 2, Folder 1 His pyramid
Oversize 2, Folder 1 I might come in if you all apologize!
Oversize 2, Folder 1 I missed!
Oversize 2, Folder 1 I sort of expected my own folks to meet me!
Oversize 2, Folder 2 Obstetrical ward
Oversize 2, Folder 2 Pause in the long weekend
Oversize 2, Folder 2 Soon as he has a breather he'll be with you!
Oversize 2, Folder 2 Still a lot of empty saddles in the old corral
Oversize 2, Folder 2 Things are really cookin'
Oversize 2, Folder 2 Turn back the clock
Oversize 2, Folder 2 We've just completed the first 100 days!
1966
Oversize 2, Folder 3 The accompanist
Oversize 2, Folder 3 All I know is our harbor's being mined!
Oversize 2, Folder 3 All we can do is be patient and wait!
Oversize 2, Folder 3 Another complaint to the head of the shop
Oversize 2, Folder 3 Another teamster's convention
Oversize 2, Folder 3 Anything else visible on the landscape?
Oversize 2, Folder 3 As we see it, America is a long term paper tiger.
Oversize 2, Folder 3 Attention all who follow Soviet affairs
Oversize 2, Folder 3 The big drift
Oversize 2, Folder 3 The big scalping
Oversize 2, Folder 3 Boss, we've had some punctures!
Oversize 2, Folder 3 The bridge builder
Oversize 2, Folder 3 But let's make sure they don't!
Oversize 2, Folder 4 Can Spring be far behind?
Oversize 2, Folder 4 Canadian beachhead
Oversize 2, Folder 4 Can't we shift into high gear?
Oversize 2, Folder 4 Careful, the old boy hasn't gone yet!
Oversize 2, Folder 4 Charting the course
Oversize 2, Folder 4 The cliff dwellers
Oversize 2, Folder 4 Collision course again
Oversize 2, Folder 4 Coming in on the slow freight
Oversize 2, Folder 4 Congratulations, keep moving, next ...
Oversize 2, Folder 4 Could be a step in the right direction
Oversize 2, Folder 5 Did you ever see so much soup from one oyster?
Oversize 2, Folder 5 Did you have your antenna up around the voters?
Oversize 2, Folder 5 Dilemma
Oversize 2, Folder 5 Dull pruning shears
Oversize 2, Folder 5 Economic outlook
Oversize 2, Folder 5 Education in China
Oversize 2, Folder 5 Everybody out for "G" day
Oversize 2, Folder 5 Everybody relax
Oversize 2, Folder 5 Everything in firearms
Oversize 2, Folder 6 Floating crap game
Oversize 2, Folder 6 Fly in the ointment
Oversize 2, Folder 6 Fondest hopes of little Ho
Oversize 2, Folder 6 For the record I put in the routine threat on Viet Nam
Oversize 2, Folder 6 The free ride
Oversize 2, Folder 6 Front man in Indonesia
Oversize 2, Folder 6 The great leap backward
Oversize 2, Folder 6 Great society play ground
Oversize 2, Folder 6 Grim struggle
Oversize 2, Folder 7 Hands across the sea
Oversize 2, Folder 7 Has the world changed much?
Oversize 2, Folder 7 He doesn't want to take on anymore political problems.
Oversize 2, Folder 7 He's beginning to drop some hints
Oversize 2, Folder 7 The helping hand
Oversize 2, Folder 7 Here we are again!
Oversize 2, Folder 7 Here's a present for you!
Oversize 2, Folder 7 Hope you counted the votes right
Oversize 2, Folder 7 How to watch pro football
Oversize 2, Folder 7 How we going to work him into the commercial?
Oversize 2, Folder 8 I hope the rest of you just sit there and watch
Oversize 2, Folder 8 I may start taking you boys seriously!
Oversize 2, Folder 8 I understand it won't be 'til after elections
Oversize 2, Folder 8 I understand we may run a slower second quarter
Oversize 2, Folder 8 I want to file a complaint
Oversize 2, Folder 8 I'll play all night.
Oversize 2, Folder 8 I'll read you our program for '66.
Oversize 2, Folder 8 Ice has started to form on the river
Oversize 2, Folder 8 The idea is not to reward him!
Oversize 2, Folder 8 The irresistable temptation
Oversize 2, Folder 8 It's been hard on the furniture
Oversize 2, Folder 8 It's a long high fly, the Administration is under it!
Oversize 2, Folder 8 It's much trickier this year
Oversize 2, Folder 8 It's time to make out a new list
Oversize 2, Folder 8 I've been working my way toward the head of the line.
Oversize 2, Folder 9 Jack and the Bean Stalk
Oversize 2, Folder 9 Last few holes he's been picking up a gallery!
Oversize 2, Folder 9 Let him have a whif, then hit him again!
Oversize 2, Folder 9 Let's face it, we may lose some seats!
Oversize 2, Folder 9 Let's review the whole thing
Oversize 2, Folder 9 Let's start unscrambling
Oversize 2, Folder 9 Little left for those eating at the second table
Oversize 2, Folder 9 Maybe I should come out of retirement.
Oversize 2, Folder 9 Meet your roomates for the coming year
Oversize 2, Folder 9 The more the merrier
Oversize 3, Folder 1 Nation with the greatest productivity gains in history
Oversize 3, Folder 1 News gets around
Oversize 3, Folder 1 Nice idea, maybe we should do it again next year.
Oversize 3, Folder 1 None of us are very happy with it.
Oversize 3, Folder 1 Not a bad idea to stop off in the far west
Oversize 3, Folder 1 Now comes the big test
Oversize 3, Folder 1 One side everybody!
Oversize 3, Folder 1 Peace initiative
Oversize 3, Folder 1 Peculiar behavior of a chicken that loses its head
Oversize 3, Folder 1 [Pre-election announcement]
Oversize 3, Folder 2 Race with the stork
Oversize 3, Folder 2 Reading between the lines
Oversize 3, Folder 2 Reap the whirlwind
Oversize 3, Folder 2 Ring down the asbestos curtain
Oversize 3, Folder 2 See here, you keep your foot off the accelerator!
Oversize 3, Folder 2 Shall we move in for the kill?
Oversize 3, Folder 2 Shall we take a look now?
Oversize 3, Folder 2 She barely got out of the door
Oversize 3, Folder 2 SHHH, we must have absolute quiet.
Oversize 3, Folder 2 Ship Ahoy
Oversize 3, Folder 2 Skip the trick shooting!
Oversize 3, Folder 2 Slippery when wet
Oversize 3, Folder 3 Some cancellations on the old milk route
Oversize 3, Folder 3 Somebody has to make the tackle
Oversize 3, Folder 3 Someone is missing from the picture
Oversize 3, Folder 3 Something happened to my sparkplugs
Oversize 3, Folder 3 Spectator sport
Oversize 3, Folder 3 Standard operating procedure
Oversize 3, Folder 3 Start of a new era?
Oversize 3, Folder 4 That's our united powerful ally
Oversize 3, Folder 4 Then the rains came
Oversize 3, Folder 4 There are two choices
Oversize 3, Folder 4 There goes an odd couple
Oversize 3, Folder 4 There was an old lady who lived in a shoe
Oversize 3, Folder 4 There's a ray of sunshine
Oversize 3, Folder 4 This happened after I left the farm
Oversize 3, Folder 4 Triumph of national interests over ideology
Oversize 3, Folder 4 Twenty third Communist Party Congress
Oversize 3, Folder 5 Unsolved problem of the 20th Century
Oversize 3, Folder 5 Vice-President Humphrey arrives with the gasoline
Oversize 3, Folder 5 Wake up, I just had another brilliant idea!
Oversize 3, Folder 5 We don't find that the public is inconvenienced
Oversize 3, Folder 5 We don't know much about him, but he's been put in command
Oversize 3, Folder 5 We haven't had many good work days!
Oversize 3, Folder 5 We heard it many times before but let's hear it again
Oversize 3, Folder 5 We just ignore that!
Oversize 3, Folder 5 We might sit a little closer"
Oversize 3, Folder 5 We promise the service will be better!
Oversize 3, Folder 5 We sure have our lines in a mess
Oversize 3, Folder 5 We thought it over and we are of one mind
Oversize 3, Folder 5 We want to get our cause back
Oversize 3, Folder 6 We're bringing something into focus!
Oversize 3, Folder 6 We're going to have to eat one of 'em
Oversize 3, Folder 6 We're going to have to hold things up there
Oversize 3, Folder 6 We're just skimming off some of the cream
Oversize 3, Folder 6 We've gotten the message!
Oversize 3, Folder 6 What are they trying to do?
Oversize 3, Folder 6 What are the wild waves saying?
Oversize 3, Folder 6 What a chance to be a hero
Oversize 3, Folder 6 What happened?
Oversize 3, Folder 6 What ideas you got on how peace can be attained?
Oversize 3, Folder 6 When does the fun start?
Oversize 3, Folder 6 While we're at it
Oversize 3, Folder 6 White house pool
Oversize 3, Folder 6 Whoopee
Oversize 3, Folder 6 Who's burying who?
Oversize 3, Folder 7 Wide gap
Oversize 3, Folder 7 Wish we could fight just one war at a time!
Oversize 3, Folder 7 Wonder what the post-DeGaulle era will be like?
Oversize 3, Folder 7 Wreck of the Hesperus
Oversize 3, Folder 7 You can count on a very attentive audience
Oversize 3, Folder 7 You can take your little precious home now
Oversize 3, Folder 7 You do get the feeling they're living beyond their means
Oversize 3, Folder 7 You want to go into consultation?
Oversize 3, Folder 7 You're just fiction
Undated cartoons - contains some unfinished sketches
Oversize 3, Folder 8 Expand the great society!
Oversize 3, Folder 8 The hate theme
Oversize 3, Folder 8 Itching feet again
Oversize 3, Folder 8 It's getting pretty low!
Oversize 3, Folder 8 Pressure's been building up
Oversize 3, Folder 8 Sanctuary
Oversize 3, Folder 8 Somebody's going to have to do something
Oversize 3, Folder 8 Sound the general alarm!
Oversize 3, Folder 8 The stand-in
Oversize 3, Folder 8 Visitors from the suburbs
Oversize 3, Folder 8 What's the Viet Nam forecast today?
Oversize 3, Folder 8 Who's my next appointment with?"
Oversize 3, Folder 8 You all set for another landslide?

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Index to cartoons

The following is a list of predominant people, places and subjects appearing in the editorial cartoons in this collection. The list is not exhaustive. Some subjects may require you to browse with alternative terms.

B= Box, F= Folder. For example: B1F1= Box 1 Folder 1. The links direct to the cartoon(s) about that topic.

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