Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189 Public Domain. Release under the CC BY Attribution license--http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/--Credit both “University of Southern California. Libraries” and “California Historical Society” as the source. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library; From the California Historical Society Collection at the University of Southern California Send requests to address or e-mail given USC Libraries Special Collections specol@usc.edu
Description
Photograph of a cartoon advertisement entitled "Skyence over Skill" depicting superior mail delivery via balloon (Great Western airship) versus sea (boat towed by sea creatures), 1859. Published in 1859 at about the time during which the British were building the ship "The Great Eastern" for laying the Atlantic cable. A Yankee conceived the idea of the Great Western Airline in competition with the ship. The creative cartoonist attached an emergency escape ocean sailing vessel below the balloon. "Designed, drawn on stone and published by W.T. Crane entered according to act of Congress in the year 1859, by W.T. Crane in the Clerk's Office of the Distric Court of the Southern District of N.Y." -- printed at bottom. Transcriptions: Ship passengers: "Ahoy there! Re Jollys, un... an... wart is thart" "Hi declare, Usband, what's the matter 'ere?" "Wy! hit's nuthink but some blarsted Yankee umbug a beating us!" "Yaw! yaw!! dart ish goot, vare goot." "Pooh! we can soon fix that, theire huff with hun... Harmstrong Gun." "Viva la Republique." "Haw! Aw! wot is this... wish I preceve befaw me with handle towards me?" "Saay yeon Mr. Captin up there. I reckon I'll cum hum in that aire craft!" Ship captain: "My Hyes! but these Bloody Yankees have a beating me hat heverythink lately!" Ship: "GREAT EASTERN." Mermaid: "I wonder why my old friend Barnum... never thought of this!" 1st sea creature to 2nd: "I'm thinking, comrade, that we wont sell... after we arrive at the Zoological Gardens Look overhead!" 2nd sea creature to Neptune: "Look out Nep! of they'll harness you next." Neptune sitting on rock: "Confound these old Land Lubbers, they have driven me from my element with their wires & screws." Passing shale: "Thy gas! Oh man, has saved many of us: may it now save thee!" Airship: "U.S.M. GREAT WESTERN, New York" "New York & London Line throught in 48 hours." "posutively no humbug and no gunpowder or lime taken" United States mail and female line." "Lowes Air Line" "Room for one more" "Western New York" Terms cash only, 50,000 tons, fare $10 and nobody found (if lost)". Airship passengers: "Have a tow Johnny?" "Give us your specie and mail bag" Ocean: "Only one share left... enquire of C.W. Field."
Type
image
Format
3 photographs : glass photonegatives, photoprints, b&w 20 x 25 cm., 21 x 26 cm. drawings photographic prints photographs art glass plate negatives
Advertising Postal service Balloons Airships Aeronautics Great Western Transportation Transportation--Aviation Los Angeles--Ephemera Transportation--Air--Posters
Time Period
1859
Place
New York USA
Source
1-102-3; 1-121-13; 1-103-3 [Microfiche number] 2482 [Accession number] CHS-2482 [Call number] California Historical Society [Contributing entity]
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
