Thomas Nast Timeline
1840
Born in Landau, Germany, on September 26. His father, Joseph Thomas,
held liberal political veiws and worked as a trombonist in a military
band.
1846
Immigrated to the United States with his mother, Appolonia Abriss, and
his sister, Catherine. The family lived in New York City where his father
joined them in 1849.
1854
Studied art with Theodore Kaufmann, a German painter who specialized
in historical scenes.
1855
Worked at the Thomas Jefferson Bryant Gallery of “Christian art”
where
he also copied the historical paintings in the collection as a part of
his
artistic training.
1856
Hired as a reportorial artist for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated News.
1859
Joined the staff of New York Illustrated News.
1860
Sailed to England to cover a prizefight for the New York Illustrated
News; then traveled to Italy to report for the New York Illustrated
News on Giuseppe Garabaldi’s military campaign in Sicily during
the
Italian Revolution.
1861
Returned to the United States and married Sarah (Sallie) Edwards
on September 26.
1862
Began working for Harper’s Weekly as a freelance artist.
1863
Created his first Santa Claus drawing, “Santa Claus in Camp,”
for
publication in Harper’s Weekly on January 3.
1864
Published “Compromise with the South,” a cartoon influential
in
President Lincoln’s reelection campaign, in Harper’s Weekly
on
September 3.
1867
Premiered the Grand Caricaturama theatrical presentation,
thirty-three eight-by-twelve foot murals depicting American history,
in New York and Boston.
1868
Began his cartoon campaign against William Magear Tweed, boss
of New York City’s Tammany Hall, and his associates with “A
Respectable Screen Covers a Multitude of Thieves” in the October
10th issue of Harper’s Weekly.
1870
Adopted the donkey as a symbol for the Democratic Party in “A
Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion” published January 15th in
Harper’s Weekly.
1871
Moved his family to Morristown, New Jersey, from New York
City, after receiving threats from the Tweed Ring.
1872
Created five color caricatures of American politicians for Vanity
Fair as the first American artist invited to contribute to the
prestigious London magazine.
1873
Made a seven-month-long illustrated lecture tour billed as “The
Prince of Caricaturists” and the “Destroyer of Tammany Hall.”
1874
Produced the first cartoon to use the elephant as a symbol for
the Republican Party in “The Third Term Panic” published in
Harper’s Weekly on November 7, 1874.
1879
Received Silver Army Canteen as the gift of 3,500 members of
the Army and Navy in gratitude for “the patriotic use he has
made of his rare abilities as the artist of the people.”
1884
Refused to back Republican presidential candidate James Blaine,
and was abandoned by many of his long-time Republican friends.
1886
Left Harper’s Weekly after choosing not to sign his renewal
contract due to conflicts with the magazine’s management.
1892
Purchased New York Gazette, an unprofitable weekly
newspaper, and renamed it Nast’sWeekly.
1893
Suffered major financial problems due to the financial failure of
Nast’s Weekly in March.
1894
Received several commissions for paintings based on historical
subjects, a return to his original artistic ambition of painting.
1902
Appointed Consul General by President Theodore Roosevelt
to the commercial Ecuadorian port of Guayaquil. He died there
of yellow fever on December 7, and was buried in Ecuador.
1906
Reburied in Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.