William Gropper Drawings
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of approximately 800 signed, undated political drawings by William Gropper created approximately in the 1920s through the 1940s. The majority of the drawings were created for publication in the New York City newspaper Morgen Freiheit (English title Morning Freedom), which was affiliated with the Communist Party, USA. Gropper's drawings include pencil notations on sizing, layout, and publication deadlines. Subjects present in the drawings in this collection include May Day demonstrations, labor strikes and lockouts, working conditions, the American Labor Party (ALP), New York City electoral politics, opposition to fascism in Europe, and anti-communist activities, such as the Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate the Educational System of the State of New York (also known as the Rapp-Coudert Committee).
Dates
- Creation: 1920s-1940s
Language of Materials
Materials arein English and Yiddish.
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use materials in the collection in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Biographical Note
William Gropper (1897-1977) was a cartoonist, painter, and muralist known for his contributions to Social Realism painting and his political cartoons in left wing publications in the early and middle of the 20th century. Gropper was born in New York City to Jewish immigrants from Romania and Ukraine who worked in the garment industry. He worked as an illustrator for the New York Tribune, and later contributed to left wing publications including The Masses, The Liberator, and The Revolutionary Age. Gropper was also the staff cartoonist for Morgen Freiheit, a Yiddish publication affiliated with the Communist Party, USA. Gropper's drawings for these publications frequently portrayed workers with compassion and critiqued powerful politicians or business owners. He also created multiple murals as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Although he prolifically contributed to communist publications, Gropper was not formally a member of the organization and declined specifying affiliations to political parties.
Extent
12.75 linear feet (in 2 small flat boxes, 6 oversize flat boxes, and 4 oversize folders in shared housing)
Abstract
William Gropper was a cartoonist, painter, and muralist known for his contributions to Social Realism painting and his political cartoons in left wing publications in the early and middle of the 20th century. He worked as an illustrator for the New York Tribune, and later contributed to left wing publications including The Masses, The Liberator, The Revolutionary Age, and Morgen Freiheit. This collection consists of approximately 100 signed, undated political drawings by Gropper created approximately in the 1920s through the 1940s, the majority of which were for Morgen Freiheit. Subjects present in the drawings in this collection include May Day demonstrations, labor strikes and lockouts, working conditions, the American Labor Party (ALP), New York City electoral politics, opposition to fascism in Europe, and anti-communist activities, such as the Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate the Educational System of the State of New York (also known as the Rapp-Coudert Committee).
Arrangement
This collection has not been arranged by an archivist. The materials are arranged in the order in which they were received from the donor.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Craig Gropper in October 2018, December 2019, December 2020, May 2021, and June 2022; the accession numbers associated with this donation are 2019.041, 2019.148, 2020.048, 2021.027, and 2022.058.
Processing Information
At the time of accessioning in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, materials were rehoused in archival boxes and folders based on the drawing size. Materials were described on the collection-level with a box- and folder-list; no other arrangement, description, or physical interventions have taken place.
- Title
- Guide to the William Gropper Drawings TAM.788
- Author
- Collection processed by Rachel Searcy
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
Revision Statements
- December 2019: Updated by Amy C. Vo to reflect 2019 accretion.
- December 2020: Updated by Rachel Searcy to reflect 2020 accretion
- May 2021: Updated by Rachel Searcy to reflect 2021 accretion
- June 2022: Updated by Rachel Searcy to reflect 2022 accretion
Repository Details
Part of the Chicago Repository