Picture This: Friendship in Pictures

Friendship in Pictures
By Melissa Lindberg

The Prints and Photographs Division's Popular Graphic Art (PGA) Collection is a rich resource for nineteenth-century portraits, views of cities and landscapes, and interpretations of historical events. It is also a great source of pictures that were designed to serve educational purposes and reflect particular values and tastes. I came across several PGA prints that emphasize the value of friendship.

Parents of small children might appreciate the focus on sharing in the image below, called "Partners"– even if it appears that candy is the commodity.

Partners, 1884. Engraved by G.J. Stodart and based on a painting by G.B. O'Neill. https://ift.tt/2vw6mNk

The ailing man in the picture below seems cheered by the kindness of his friend, who appears to be preparing tea and encouraging him with lively conversation, or perhaps through scripture.

Friend in adversity, between between 1843 and 1852. Engraved by H.S. Sadd N.Y. and based on a painting by E. Prentis. https://ift.tt/2LJn4Ut

Some organizations recognized the importance of camaraderie in their mottos. The Ancient Order of Hibernians of America, an Irish American benevolent association and political club, included the phrase "Friendship, unity and true Christian charity" on its membership certificates. The Knights of Pythias, the first fraternal organization given a charter by the U.S. Congress, also emphasized friendship, along with charity and benevolence.

Friendship, unity and true Christian charity–Ancient Order of Hibernians of America, Certificate of membership, 1894. Lithograph by Pilot Publishing Co. https://ift.tt/2vw6nRo

Knights of Pythias, to all whom it may concern. Know ye that the Supreme Lodge of the World hereby issues this memorial chart …, 1875. Lithograph by T. Hunter and based on work by James Fuller Queen.

In addition to defining ideal behavior in personal relationships, popular prints celebrated cooperation across national boundaries. This print acknowledges how Great Britain and the United States worked together to lay telegraph cable between Newfoundland and Valentia Bay. The ships that lay the cable, Niagara and Agamemnon, are visible in the background of the image.

The laying of the cable—John and Jonathan joining hands, 1858. Woodcut with letterpress by Baker & Godwin. https://ift.tt/2vcyPbJ

Late July and early August mark Friendship Day, a holiday at least nominally recognized by a variety of countries and by the United Nations. As in the case of a great number of holidays, the creation of Friendship Day can be traced in part to the efforts of the greeting card industry. Like greeting cards, many of the Popular Graphic Art Collection prints were commercially available and often widely distributed, carrying messages their creators felt worth sharing for a minimal cost.

Learn More:



Published August 02, 2018 at 09:31AM
Read more on https://loc.gov
Library of Congress

Manage this Applet


Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email Applets.

IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Evernote cuts staff as user growth stalls

Image
Note-taking app Evernote has fallen on hard times of late, culminating in its latest spate of job cuts impacting 15 percent of its workforce (54 employees). CEO Chris O' Neil -- an ex-Googler who took the reins in 2015 -- announced the firings at an all-hands meeting earlier today, reports TechCrunch . In a message on the Evernote blog , O' Neill admitted he'd set "incredibly aggressive goals" for the company in 2018. He continued: "Going forward, we are streamlining certain functions, like sales, so we can continue to speed up and scale others, like product development and engineering." The layoffs follow an exec exodus just weeks ago and the company's recent brand refresh (complete with a refined logo and wordmark). But critics are more concerned about its product, especially the free tier, which they claim lacks the perks to...
Read more

The best air conditioner

Image
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After six summers of researching, testing, and recommending window air conditioners, we've learned that quiet and affordable ACs make most people the happiest—and we think the LG LW8016ER will fit the bill in most rooms. This 8,000 Btu unit cools as efficiently and effectively as any model with an equal Btu rating, and runs at a lower volume and deeper pitch than others at this price. Little extra features like a fresh-air vent, two-axis fan blades, and a removable drain plug help set it apart, too. The LG LW8016ER is a top choice for an office or den, and some people will find it quiet enough for a bedroom, too. If our main pic...
Read more

We won't see a 'universal' vape oil cartridge anytime soon

Image
Pre-loaded cartridges of cannabis concentrate are currently among the most popular means of consumption, and for good reason. They're discreet to use and easy to handle, a far cry from the dark days of 2016 when we had to dribble hash oil or load wax into narrow-mouthed vape pens by hand. But, frustratingly, an ever increasing number of oil cartridge manufacturers employ one-off design standards so that their products won't work with those of their competitors, thereby locking customers into proprietary ecosystems. We've already seen this with nicotine vaporizers -- which has a seen a massive rise in "pod systems" in the last few years, each outfitted with a unique canister and battery built to be incompatible with those of their competition. Is it too late for the burgeoning cannabis industry to set a universal standard for their product designs? ...
Read more