THE NATION'S BULWARK. A WELL DISCIPLINED MILITIA.
Philadelphia: Pub. for the Proprietors by R.H. Hobson. Chesnut St. 1829. Hand-colored broadside, oblong "Sketches of Character. No. 1." 9-1/4" x 13-1/2." Some light wear and wrinkling. Blank verso with extraction remnants. Good plus.
"Originally from Philadelphia and later New York City, Edward Clay remains an enigmatic figure. He created highly provocative racial, social, and political satire until late in his life. His 1829 engraving The Nation's Bulwark, a Well-Disciplined Militia (LC) shows a lineup of bored, undisciplined soldiers smoking pipes, chatting, barely awake, confronted by a plump officer with a bottle bulging from his pocket. The slogans on the tent banners in the background, 'Hurrah for Old Hickory' and 'Jackson Forever' indicate the unit's loyalty to Jacksonian principles of democracy" [Recent Acquisition: Fantastical Militias at the Clements Library web site 27 October 2014].
Excellent description from the Fleischer's Auction House [April 2026, lot 37]: "A satirical depiction of a Philadelphia militia company by the American cartoonist Edward Williams Clay (1799 – 1857). The scene portrays a motley assemblage of militiamen gathered under the command of an officer dressed in a frock coat with epaulettes and a plumed hat. In contrast to their commander's martial bearing, most of the men appear in civilian clothing and stand at varying (and often comically imperfect) degrees of attention. Their mismatched attire and relaxed posture lend the group a distinctly humorous quality, suggesting a volunteer militia whose enthusiasm exceeds its discipline.
"This print was intended as the first number in Clay's proposed series Sketches of Character, in which he caricatured recognizable types and personalities from contemporary Philadelphia society. Although conceived as a continuing series, this appears to have been the only number issued. The figures represented are believed to be caricatures of well-known Philadelphians of the period, rendered with Clay's characteristic wit and observational sharpness.
"Clay was among the earliest American artists to produce sustained series of political and social caricatures in lithographic form, helping to establish a distinctly American tradition of satirical printmaking in the decades before the Civil War. Prints such as the present example not only lampooned local personalities and civic institutions, but also reflected the vibrant political culture of the early republic, when militia companies, public gatherings, and partisan politics formed a visible part of urban life.
"As both a humorous social commentary and an early example of American political caricature, the print offers a vivid glimpse into the intersection of militia culture, local identity, and Jacksonian politics in nineteenth-century Philadelphia."
Weitenkamp 215. Reilly 1829-1. OCLC 299947406 [2- LCP, DLC] as of June 2026. The Clements Library and Brown University also own copies. AAS and Penn do not own it [according to their web sites]. Item #42139
Price: $2,500.00