National Archives Opens New Political Cartoon Exhibition
Press Release · Friday, February 8, 2008

Washington, DC

Running for Office:  Candidates, Campaigns, and the Cartoons of Clifford Berryman

Washington, DC…Just in time for the Presidential campaign swing, on Friday, February 8, 2008, the exhibition "Running for Office: Candidates, Campaigns, and the Cartoons of Clifford Berryman" will open in the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. The exhibition will be on display until August 17, 2008, and is free and open to the public.

Clifford K. Berryman, staff political cartoonist for The Washington Post and the Washington Evening Star during the first half of the 20th century, drew thousands of cartoons commenting on Presidential and congressional candidates, campaign issues, and elections of his era. Berryman was a Washington institution and his fifty-three years of front page drawings were internationally renowned. Throughout his extraordinary career he drew every Presidential administration from Grover Cleveland to Harry Truman. He satirized both Democratic and Republican political figures, but was able to critique without rancor which won him great respect from many politicians.

The "Running for Office" exhibition includes 44 exceptional pen-and-ink drawings that highlight timeless aspects of the American campaign and election process. Although faces and personalities change, Berryman’s cartoons illustrate how the political process in our democracy has remained remarkably consistent. The cartoons provide relevant commentary and fascinating insight into the campaigns and elections of today. The original cartoons on display are part of the official Records of the U.S. Senate housed in the National Archives Center for Legislative Archives.

The exhibition explores the following themes: "Throwing your hat in the ring!", "Narrowing the Field," "Running for Congress," "The Campaign," "The Voter," "The Homestretch," "The results are in!" and a case-study on the perpetual candidacy of William Jennings Bryan.

The exhibition will be on display until August 17, 2008, and is free and open to the public. The National Archives is located on the National Mall on Constitution Avenue at 9th Street, NW. Fall/Winter hours are 10 A.M. – 5:30 P.M. daily, except Thanksgiving and December 25.

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For Press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

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