Click through the slide show to read more about Thomas Nast's life and accomplishments. 

Thomas Nast immigrated to America from Landau, Germany when he was five years old. With limited education and little artistic training, he joined the art staff of Frank Leslie's Illustrated as a teenager. In 1860 Nast traveled to Italy as a war correspondent for 

The Illustrated London News and New York Illustrated News

. Embedding himself with Giuseppe Garibaldi's campaign to liberate and unify Sicily and the southern Italian states, Nast depicted what he saw in pencil, crayon, ink, and paint in a sketchbook now in MHHM's collection.

Self caricature of Nast at easel with brushes and palette.
Signed "compliments of the season, Th: Nast"
"Self-portrait for Christmas card"

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Macculloch Hall Historical Museum

Compliments of the Season

Upon his return to the United States in February 1861, Nast began to cover the American Civil War that April for 

 as its war correspondent. Just 22 years old at the time, Nast created illustrations based on reports of what was happening on the battlefield. He worked for the weekly until 1877, and again from 1895-1896.

"A Gallant Color-Bearer" is one of Thomas Nast’s first images for 

 during the Civil War. Many of the artist’s drawings during the war were patriotic images intended to stir emotions to support the Union cause. The below is an article from the same issue of Harper’s Weekly about the inspiration for Nast’s cover image.

“H. Alexander, color-bearer of the 10th New York Regiment deserves to be placed high upon the roll of our heroes. He received 3 terrible wounds in a recent engagement but clung to his colors with tenacious grasp. While being taken into hospital he became inservicable, and an attempt was made to take the flag away, but his unconcious hand held it more powerfully; even then his ruling passion was strong. Such men in life and death are glorious examples. Our picture is a just homage to distinguished gallantry.”

Harper's Weekly September 20, 1862- cover page
"A Gallant Color-Bearer"

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A Gallant Color-Bearer

During his tenure, Nast created hundreds of cartoons including the Democratic Donkey, Republican Elephant, Uncle Sam, Columbia, Tammany Tiger, and Santa Claus. Nast also created cartoons commenting on issues of the day using derogatory ethnic and racial stereotypes. Nast illustrated stereotypes of Black Americans, as well as Irish and Chinese immigrants. The artist also published Anti-Catholic cartoons attacking the Church hierarchy. At times, Nast drew derogatory caricatures in support of a person or group. In other instances, Nast used stereotypes to make a visual case against a person or group.

Harper's weekly engraving. Uncle Sam rides a very large snail labeled 45 Congress. Published in Harper's Weekly November 24, 1877

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The Lightning Speed of Honesty

In 1871 Nast moved his family out of New York City to Morristown, NJ, believing it to be a safe distance from his political enemy, William "Boss" Tweed of New York. Although Nast's work for Harper's Weekly took him to New York regularly for overnight stays, Nast was an active resident of Morristown. He was an honorary member of the fire department and supported the efforts of the local lyceum and other charities. Many of Nast's drawings depict his family home since 1872, Villa Fontana, located just across the street from Macculloch Hall.

Photo of side entrance of Nast house in Morristown.

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Thomas Nast's Morristown Home

Thomas Nast created a series of 33 monumental murals titled The Grand Caricaturama, which was an illustrated history of the United States as told by Nast, in part, in response to the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Nast created The Grand Caricaturama as political theatre. From 1867-1868, he showed monumental paintings, each measuring approximately 7 x 11 feet, on stage in New York City and Boston accompanied by commentary and live music.

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum is home to two of these monumental paintings, now on permanent display in our Schoolroom Gallery.

The murals in MHHM’s collection are two of eight from the series known to have survived. One surviving mural, “Swinging ‘Round the Circle’,” is on public display two blocks from MHHM at the Morristown & Morris Township Public Library. The remaining 5 murals have been in storage at the Library of Congress since their last public display at The Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC, in 1973.

"Catalogue of Thomas Nast's Grand Caricaturama. A Series of Thirty-Three Grand Historical Caricature Paintings (9x12) with a Descriptive Lecture at Dodworth Hall, 806 Broadway" One sheet of paper folded in half to create a 4 page catalog. The inside 2 pages list the 33 paintings that Nast created for the Grand Caricaturama. There is a self portrait of Nast on the cover. The back cover has a stamp of Andrew Johnson next to a red stamp and the words printed in black read "To whom it may concern"

Resource Kits

Object Library

Museums

Standards for Thomas Nast and the Grand Caricaturama

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework

National Core Arts Standards