Laura Gray Political Cartoons
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Laura Gray (also known as Laura Slobe), born in 1909 in Pittsburgh, was a sculptor, painter, and a staff artist for the Socialist Workers Party newspaperThe Militant, producing weekly political cartoons for the publication from 1944 until her death in 1958. Gray used a large format for her work and was particularly effective in effective in capturing political personalities and sharply analyzing both national and international issues, particularly those that affected workers. The Laura Gray Political Cartoons collection consists of over 500 original Laura Gray cartoons covering nearly the entire time Gray worked forThe Militant. The medium used was a waxy crayon on paper. The collection also contains nine binders with reference copies of a majority of the cartoons. Several themes run through the cartoons, including anti-communism, the economy, racism, Jim Crow legislation, the Korean War, labor, political parties, and depictions of US presidents Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower. The collection also includes a run of Gray's "Rich Bitch" series, which features caricatures of a stereotyped wealthy woman.
Biographical Note
Laura Gray was born Laura Slobe, in Pittsburgh in 1909, to a prosperous Jewish family, but she grew up in Chicago. At age 16, she enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago. By 19, she began exhibiting paintings, winning a number of prizes, and her paintings continued to appear in exhibits at the Institute and in several galleries. By the late 1930s, she began to produce and exhibit avant-garde sculpture as well, and eventually became known more for her sculpture than her painting. Her work continued to be shown in exhibits in the Chicago area until 1944.
From spring 1939 through September 1940, Gray worked for the Illinois division of the federal Works Progress Administration's Painting and Sculptures Section, creating works of art for the program , as well as serving as an art instructor for it in Illinois and in several other states, traveling as far afield as Oregon. Gray became friendly with a group of other Chicago avante-garde artists attracted by Troskyism. One of the group was George Perle (born George Perlstein, 1915-2009), a composer, whom she married in 1940. (In the 1960s Perle became a major theorist of serialism--a method of composition associated with Schoenberg's 12-tone technique—and was awarded a Pulitizer Prize and a MacArthur fellowship in 1986.)
In 1942 Gray and Perle joined the Trotskyist organization, the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), in Chicago. Not long after joining the SWP Laura Slobe took the name "Laura Gray," a "party name" (a pseudonym adopted by a member of a political party to hide his or her real identity to avoid political, legal or workplace persecution, surveillance and discrimination). Within a few weeks, she was assigned by the SWP to assist with organizing workers in the automobile industry, and she employed her artistic skills by drawing cartoons for a union shop paper. The SWP's branch organizer recognized her skill and encouraged her to submit a cartoon to the SWP's newspaper, The Militant. Gray's first cartoon inThe Militant appeared on March 4, 1944, and thereafter at least one of her cartoons appeared (under the name "Laura Gray") inThe Militant almost weekly for the rest of her life, and she became the paper's staff artist. Many of Gray's cartoons published inThe Militant were also reproduced in Trotskyist and Trotskyist-associated labor publications in as many as 20 countries. While many praised her work as a graphic artist—one scholar describing her cartoons as "naturalistic and powerful, in the tradition ofThe Masses' Boardman Robinson, and warrant[ing] comparison to artists such as Hugo Gellert and Robert Minor," Gray herself did not consider her cartoons to be serious art; she remained devoted to sculpture and painting.
Gray and Perle moved to New York City soon after World War II. They were legally divorced in 1952, but remained close friends. In the late 1940s and early 1950s she lived on and off with Duncan Ferguson (1901-74), a sculptor and fellow SWP member. Evidently her work forThe Militant was not enough to support Gray; she also worked simultaneously at a number of temporary jobs, including painting mannequins and creating window display art for department stores. As the years went by she devoted less and less of her time to her own art as a sculptor and painter, although she longed to return to it. Gray's health was fragile; she had suffered from tuberculosis in her early twenties, and had had a lung removed in 1947. She died in 1958, at the age of 49, when she contracted pneumonia that rapidly turned fatal. A prize in sculpture was established in her name at the Art Institute of Chicago, and a George Perle composed a quintet for strings titled "In Memory of Laura Slobe."
Gray used a large format for her cartoons. She was particularly effective in capturing political personalities (including U.S. Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower) and sharply analyzing both national and international issues, particularly those that affected workers. Her subjects (chosen by The Militant's editorial committee) include racism (especially the Emmett Till case, Jim Crow legislation, the poll tax, and the Ku Klux Klan), labor and unemployment, and mainstream U.S. political parties. During World War II, subjects of satire included the War Labor Board, the no-strike pledge, and the Little Steel Formula; postwar the Marshall Plan, the Korean War, the red scare of the 1950s, and the United States government's embrace of dictators such as Spain's Francisco Franco, were included among her targets.
Arrangement
The Laura Gray Political Cartoons are arranged in two series: I. Cartoons and II. Reference Binders. The cartoons are arranged alphabetically by subject and the reference binders are arranged chronologically.
Missing Title
- 1. Cartoons
- II. Reference Binders
Scope and Contents
The Laura Gray Political Cartoons consists of just under 600 original drawings that Gray produced for the Socialist Workers Party paperThe Militant.. The drawings cover nearly the whole of Gray's career atThe Militant, and span the years 1944-1957. The drawings are generally large format, waxy crayon on paper. They depict the major issues of the time, including the end of World War II, the rise of McCarthyism, and the Korean War, as well as current events and newsstories. Additionally, Gray's drawings portray political and labor figures of the day, including Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower and labor leaders including Sidney Hillman, George Meany, and Philip Murray. The collection also includes nine reference binders that contain photocopies of 512 of the drawings, and a run of Gray's "Rich Bitch" series, which features caricatures of a stereotyped wealthy woman.
Subjects
Organizations
Genres
People
Topics
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions. Researchers are requested to use the complete set of photocopies (arranged in chronological order in binders) for reference whenever possible, in order to preserve the original materials.
Conditions Governing Use
Materials in this collection are in the public domain. Permission to publish or reproduce is not required. The donor requests that Laura Gray and The Militant are given credit whenever the images are republished.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date; Laura Gray Political Cartoons; GRAPHICS 013; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Frank Lovell, 1988. The accession number associated with this gift is 1988.015.
The accession number NPA.2000.337 is also associated with this collection.
In July 2023, one cartoon depicting meatpacking bosses was donated by The Anchor Foundation; the accession number associated with this gift is 2023.081.
Custodial History
The cartoons were originally prepared for The Militant by Laura Gray as part of her staff duties. The cartoons were held by George Weissman until his death. The collection was donated to the Tamiment Library in 1988 by Frank Lovell.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Users are requested to use the complete set of photocopies (arranged in chronological order in binders) for reference whenever possible, to preserve the original materials.
Bibliography
Biographical information for this guide was mainly drawn from the following sources: Alan Wald, "Cannonite Bohemians After World War II." Against the Current, July/August 2012, pp. 25-35 (and PDF of extended edition on the Web: http://www.solidarity-us.org/pdfs/ATC%20159--Wald.pdf ) and Kent Worchester, "Sculptor, Painter, and Cartoonist: Laura Gray." New Politics, Summer 2013, pp. 159-163.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Original drawings were rehoused in acid-free folders and boxes. Physical arrangement and housing is based on the materials' size, and does not reflect intellectual arrangement.
Revisions to this Guide
Repository
Series I: Cartoons
Scope and Content Note
Contains over 600 original cartoons produced by Laura Gray while she worked for the Socialist Workers Party's paper, the Militant. The drawings are large format, waxy crayon on paper. Several themes run through the cartoons, surfacing throughout. These include anti-communism, depictions of US presidents Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower, the economy, Jim Crow, the Korean War, labor, political parties, as well as a run of Gray's "Rich Bitch" series.
Algeria, March 18, 1957, inclusive
Anti-Communism, Jan 1956, Jan 1976, inclusive
Anti-Communism: Civil Liberties, Apr-Jul, 1949, inclusive
Anti-Communism: Clark, Tom, Aug 8, 1949, inclusive
Anti-Communism: Dies Committee, Jan 13, 1945, inclusive
Anti-Communism: Kutcher, James, Sep 1948-Jul 1956, inclusive
Anti-Communism: Labor, Sep 13, 1954, inclusive
Anti-Communism: Loyalty Oaths, Jun 1949-Jul 1950, inclusive
Anti-Communism: March, Fredric, Jun 20, 1949, inclusive
Anti-Communism: McCarthyism, Sep 1952-Aug 1954, inclusive
Anti-Communism: Military, Aug 15, 1955, inclusive
Anti-Communism: Nixon, Sep 29, 1952, inclusive
Anti-Communism: NY Teachers, Mar 7, 1949, inclusive
Anti-Communism: Rosenbergs, Jun 1950-Jun 1953, inclusive
Anti-Communism: Witch-Hunts, May 28, 1951, inclusive
Arms Race, Oct-Dec 1957, inclusive
Asia, Oct 30, 1950, inclusive
Asia: MacArthur, 1Sep 11, 1950, inclusive
Atomic Energy, Apr 1946-Apr 1950, undated, inclusive
Atomic Energy: A-Bomb, Oct 17, 1949, inclusive
Atomic Energy: Eisenhower, undated
Atomic Energy: Eisenhower/Dulles, Aug 31, 1953, inclusive
Atomic Energy: H-Bomb, Feb 1950-Jul 1955, inclusive
Atomic Energy: Nuclear Testing, Jun-Aug 1957, inclusive
Belgium: Pierlot, Dec 9, 1944, inclusive
Bill of Rights, undated
Bolivia, Nov 10, 1952, inclusive
Book Burning, Jul 6, 1953, inclusive
Bulganin, Nikolai, Jul 25, 1955, inclusive
Cardinal Spellman, undated
China: Eisenhower/Dulles, Aug 10, 1953, inclusive
Cicero Indictments, Oct 1, 1951, inclusive
Civil Rights, Aug 19, 1957, inclusive
Civil Rights: Democrats/Republicans, Nov 7, 1955, inclusive
Civil Rights: Eisenhower, Feb 11, 1957, inclusive
Civil Rights: Voting, Dec 5, 1955, inclusive
Communist Party USA, May 1944-Jan 1949, inclusive
Congress, Apr 3, 1950, inclusive
Congress: Hatch-Burton-Ball Bill, undated
Congress: Little Steel Formula, undated
Congress: Prices, Jul 23, 1951, inclusive
Corruption: Labor, Oct 9, 1950, inclusive
Counter Revolution, undated
Dulles, John Foster, May 25, 1953, inclusive
Economy, Aug 24, 1953, inclusive
Economy: Baruch Plan, Mar 4, 1944, inclusive
Economy: Budget, Jan 1949-Jan 1955, inclusive
Economy: Capitalism, Dec 27, 1954, inclusive
Economy: Jobs, Feb 28, 1949, inclusive
Economy: Plant Runway, Nov 8, 1954, inclusive
Economy: Profits/Welfare State, Mar 27, 1950, inclusive
Economy: Recession, Jan 18, 1954, inclusive
Economy: Wages, Feb 1949-Mar 1955, inclusive
Economy: Wall Street, Jun-Jul 1946, inclusive
Egypt: Suez War, Aug 13, 1956, inclusive
Eisenhower, Dec 1952-Oct 1953, inclusive
Eisenhower: Cabinet, Dec 1, 1952, inclusive
Eisenhower: Campaign, Jan-Aug 1952, inclusive
Eisenhower: Chiang Kai-Shek, Feb 16, 1953, inclusive
Eisenhower: Civilian Defense, Jun 17, 1955, inclusive
Eisenhower: Drug Manufacturers/Polio Vaccine, May 30, 1955, inclusive
Eisenhower: Economy, Feb 8, 1954, inclusive
Eisenhower: International Relations, Jan 15, 1951, inclusive
Eisenhower: War, Jan 19, 1953, inclusive
Federal Bureau of Investigation: Hoover, J. Edgar, Jan 1950-Mar 1955, inclusive
Federal Bureau of Investigation: KKK, Jan 7, 1952, inclusive
France, Aug 25, 1945, inclusive
France: Govin, Felix, Feb 23, 1946, inclusive
France: Thorez, Maurice, Jan 4, 1947, inclusive
Franco, Jul 1951-Oct 1953, inclusive
Franco: Congress, Sep 4, 1950, inclusive
Germany: Post-WWII, undated
Germany: Rearmament, undated
Germany: Worker's Revolt, Jul 13, 1953, inclusive
Great Britain: Churchill, Jun 2, 1945, undated, inclusive
Great Britain: Labor, Aug 4, 1945, inclusive
Greece, Mar 22, 1947, inclusive
Greece:Churchill, Jan 20, 1945, inclusive
Guatemala: United Fruit Company, Jun-Jul 1954, inclusive
Hungary: General Strike, Nov 26, 1956, inclusive
Indochina, Oct-Nov 1945, undated, inclusive
Indochina: Marshall Plan, Jan 3, 1949, inclusive
Iran: Oil, undated
Italy, Jan-Jul 1945, inclusive
Italy: Roosevelt, President Franklin Delano, undated
Jackson, President Andrew, undated
Japan: Japanese Peace Act, Sep 17, 1951, inclusive
Japan: Labor, Aug 9, 1948, inclusive
Jim Crow, Jun 1950, May 1957, inclusive
Jim Crow: Bus Boycott, Feb 13, 1956, inclusive
Jim Crow: KKK, Feb 18, 1952, inclusive
Jim Crow: Stevenson, Adlai, Feb 27, 1956, inclusive
Jury Room, undated
Khrushchev, Nikita, Jun 6, 1955, inclusive
King Michael, undated
Korean War, Jul 1950-Jun 1953, inclusive
Korean War: Censorship, Jan-Oct 1951, inclusive
Korean War: Christmas, Dec 25, 1950, inclusive
Korean War: Eisenhower, Dec 1952-Apr 1953, inclusive
Korean War: Eisenhower/Dulles, Aug 17, 1953, inclusive
Korean War: Eisenhower/Stevenson, Oct 13, 1952, inclusive
Korean War: MacArthur, Apr 30, 1951, inclusive
Korean War: Socialist Workers Party, Oct 27, 1952, inclusive
Korean War: Truman, undated
Labor, Feb 1945-May 1952, undated, inclusive
Labor: AFL-CIO, Apr 21, 1945, inclusive
Labor: Anti-Labor Laws, Jan-Mar 1947, undated, inclusive
Labor: Automation, Dec 13, 1954, inclusive
Labor: Autoworkers, Dec 1945, Sep 1957, inclusive
Labor: Beck, Dave, Oct 1953, Apr 1957, inclusive
Labor: Big Business, Apr 8, 1944, inclusive
Labor: Case Bill, Jun 22, 1946, inclusive
Labor: Democratic Party, Nov 1952, inclusive
Labor: Fair Deal, Nov 1, 1949, inclusive
Labor: Fair Employment Practices Commission, Jul 1945-May1950, inclusive
Labor: Food, undated
Labor: Hillman, Sydney, Dec 30, 1944, undated, inclusive
Labor: International Solidarity, Apr 24, 1950, inclusive
Labor: KKK, undated
Labor: Labor Leaders, Apr 1945-Sep 1955, inclusive
Labor: Lay-offs, May 12, 1945, inclusive
Labor: Lewis, John L., undated
Labor: Little Steel Formula, May 13, 1944, inclusive
Labor: May Day, Apr 26, 1947, inclusive
Labor: Meany, George, undated
Labor: Meatpacking Bosses, circa 1909-1958, inclusive
Labor: Miners, May 1946-Mar 1950, inclusive
Labor: Murray, Phillip, Nov 1949-Dec 1950, inclusive
Labor: New York Dodgers, undated
Labor: No Strike Pledge, Jun 30, 1945, undated, inclusive
Labor: Profits, Dec 3, 1951, inclusive
Labor: Railroad Workers, Feb-Apr 1951, inclusive
Labor: Reuther, Walter, Mar 12, 1951, undated, inclusive
Labor: Soldiers (unity), Jan 12, 1946, inclusive
Labor: Steel, Sep-Oct 1949, inclusive
Labor: Strike Breakers, Mar 14, 1949, inclusive
Labor: Strikes, Strike Laws, Mar 1945-Aug 1953, undated, inclusive
Labor: Strikes, Strike Laws (GM), Dec 1945-Mar 1946, inclusive
Labor: Strikes, Strike Laws (Miners), Nov 1946-Apr 1947, inclusive
Labor: Strikes, Strike Laws (Steel), Jul 14, 1952, inclusive
Labor: Strikes, Strike Laws (Taft-Hartley), Dec 1948-Dec 1956, undated, inclusive
Labor: Strikes, Strike Laws (UAW), Oct 24, 1955, inclusive
Labor: Textiles, Mar 3, 1945, inclusive
Labor: Unemployment, Jun 1945-Dec 1957, undated, inclusive
Labor: Unity, Jun-Dec 1946, inclusive
Labor: Wage Freeze, Mar 1945-Jul 1951, inclusive
Labor: Wage Stabilization Board, Feb 1951-Feb 1952, inclusive
Labor: Wages, undated
Labor: Wages/Unemployment, Jan 16, 1950, inclusive
Labor: Workers of the World Unite, Apr 28, 1945, inclusive
Latin America, May 18, 1946, inclusive
Liberation Struggles, Dec 1956-Apr 1957, inclusive
Lynching, Aug 1946-Jan 1952, inclusive
Lynching: Eastland, Mar 1956-Jan 1957, inclusive
Lynching: Post-WWII, Sep 28, 1946, inclusive
Malenkov, Georgy, Mar 16, 1953, inclusive
Mao Tsetung, Apr 25, 1955, inclusive
McCarran-Kilgore Bill, Sep 25, 1950, inclusive
McCarthy, Joseph, May 18, 1953, undated, inclusive
Meat Trust, Mar 1945-May 1951, inclusive
The Militant (25th Anniversary), Nov 9, 1953, inclusive
Military, Sep 24, 1951, inclusive
Military: West Point, Aug 13, 1951, inclusive
Montgomery: Carpool, undated
Mundt Bill, May 1948, Mar 1950, inclusive
NAACP: Derrick, John, Mar 5, 1951, inclusive
Negatives, undated
Oil Scandal: Ickes, Feb 23, 1946, inclusive
Peace Time Conscription, Nov 1945-Mar 1946, inclusive
Peace Time Conscription: Wall Street, Jun 23, 1945, inclusive
Photostats, undated
Police, undated
Political Parties, Nov 1946-Sep 1948, inclusive
Political Parties: Big Business, Oct 21, 1944, inclusive
Political Parties: Bill of Rights, Aug-Oct 1950, inclusive
Political Parties: Campaign Promises, undated
Political Parties: Democrats, undated
Political Parties: Democrats/Republicans, Nov 1950-Oct 1951, undated, inclusive
Political Parties: Eisenhower/Stevenson, Oct 6, 1952, inclusive
Political Parties: Kefauver, Estes, 1952, inclusive
Political Parties: KKK, Aug 18, 1952, inclusive
Political Parties: Labor, Oct 1950, May 1952, undated, inclusive
Political Parties: Labor Party, Apr 1951-Apr 1952, undated, inclusive
Political Parties: Marshall, Oct 18, 1948, inclusive
Political Parties: Socialist Workers Party, Nov 1944-Oct 1956, undated, inclusive
Political Parties: Special Session, Jul-Aug 1948, inclusive
Political Parties: Wallace, Jun-Oct 1948, inclusive
Political Prisoners, Jun 10, 1944, inclusive
Political Prisoners: Trenton Two, Jun 25, 1951, inclusive
Poll Tax, May 6, 1944, inclusive
Post-WWII, Feb-Jul 1945, undated, inclusive
Post-WWII: Big Three Unity, May 25, 1946, inclusive
Post-WWII: Big Three Unity, May 25, 1946, inclusive
Post-WWII: Jewish Refugees, Aug 24, 1946, inclusive
Post-WWII: Unemployment, May 1945, inclusive
Post-WWII: United Nations, Jul 7, 1945, inclusive
Post-WWII: Wages, Oct 14, 1944, inclusive
Post-WWII: Yalta, Feb 17, 1945, inclusive
Puerto Rico, Nov 13, 1950, inclusive
Rearmament, Apr 7, 1952, inclusive
Rent, Nov 1946-Jun 1950, inclusive
Rich Bitch Series, Mar 1945-Apr 1947, undated, inclusive
Roosevelt, President Franklin Delano, Dec 1944-Mar 1945, inclusive
Roosevelt, President Franklin Delano: Montgomery Ward, undated
School Segregation, Oct 1954-Oct 1956, undated, inclusive
School Segregation: Little Rock, Sep 16, 1957, inclusive
Smith Act, Aug 2, 1948, inclusive
Socialist Education: Eastland, Jun 3, 1957, inclusive
Stalin, Joseph, Mar 1953-Jul 1956, inclusive
Stalinism, Apr 1950, Apr 1956, undated, inclusive
Stalinism: Political Prisoner, Jan 15, 1951, inclusive
Stevenson, Adlai: Campaign, Sep 1, 1952, inclusive
Stone, Lucy, undated
Syria, undated
Taft, undated
Taxes, Oct 1945-Aug 1954, inclusive
Tidelands Oil Steal, May-Sep 1953, inclusive
Till, Emmett, Sep-Oct 1955, inclusive
Truman, President Harry, Jan 1947-Dec 1948, undated, inclusive
Truman, President Harry: Campaign, Jun 2, 1953, inclusive
Truman, President Harry: Christmas, Dec 1949, Dec 1950, inclusive
Truman, President Harry: Colonial Revolts, Jan-Mar 1952, inclusive
Truman, President Harry: Excess Profits Tax, undated
Truman, President Harry: Housing, May 2, 1949, inclusive
Truman, President Harry: MacArthur, Dec 11, 1950, inclusive
Truman, President Harry: Opa Bill, Jul-Aug 1946, inclusive
Truman, President Harry: Truman Doctrine, Apr 5, 1947, inclusive
Truman, President Harry: Witch-Hunts, undated
Unidentified, Jun 1946, undated, inclusive
USSR: Peace Conference, Aug 24, 1946, inclusive
Wall Street, Jul 1945-Sep 1948, inclusive
Wall Street: Christmas, Dec 1948, inclusive
Wall Street: Elections, Nov 3, 1952, inclusive
Wall Street: Imperialism, undated
Wall Street: Labor, Feb 15, 1947, inclusive
Wall Street: War, Oct 4, 1948, inclusive
War: A-Bomb, Oct 3, 1949, inclusive
War: Fair Deal/War Pact, Jan 1949-Jan 1950, inclusive
War: Imperialism, Jul 18, 1949, inclusive
War Budget, Feb 1952, undated, inclusive
War Budget: Eisenhower, Jan 28, 1957, inclusive
War Contracts, Oct 25, 1954, inclusive
War Contracts: GM, Feb 2, 1953, inclusive
War Labor Board, Jul 1944-Feb 1945, undated, inclusive
War Labor Board: Little Steel Formula, undated
War Preparations: Housing, May 4, 1953, inclusive
War Profits, Aug 1945, Apr 1953, inclusive
War Profits: Cover of the Militant, Leon Trotsky Memorial Issue, Aug 18, 1945, inclusive
War Profits: Labor, Aug 1955, Dec 1957, inclusive
World War II, Oct 1945, Mar 1946, undated, inclusive
World War II: Army Jim Crow, Oct 28, 1944, inclusive
World War II: Atlantic Charter, Dec 30, 1944, inclusive
World War II: No Strike Pledge, Jun 10, 1944, inclusive
World War II: Socialism, May 11, 1946, inclusive
World War II: Wall Street, Apr-Oct 1946, inclusive
Yugoslavia, Jun 5, 1950, inclusive
Yugoslavia: Capitalism, undated
Yugoslavia: Tito, Marshall, May 29, 1950, inclusive
Series II: Reference Binders
Scope and Content Note
Contains 9 reference binders, which consist of photocopies of 512 of the original cartoons. The cartoons in this series are individually numbered. There are 2 binders which depict Gray's "Rich Bitch" series. Also contains clippings of Gray's cartoons as they appeared in The Militant from 1951-1953.