Clifford K. Berryman

Clifford K. Berryman

Clifford Berryman's 1902 political cartoon in The Washington Post spawned the Teddy bear.

Clifford K. Berryman (April 2, 1869 – December 11, 1949)^[1] was a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist with the Washington Star newspaper from 1907-1949. He was also a cartoonist for The Washington Post from 1891-1907.

Berryman was born on April 2, 1869 in Clifton, Kentucky to James Thomas Berryman and Sallie Church Berryman.^[1] He married Kate Geddes Durfee in July, 1893, and they had three children: Mary Belle (died as an infant), Florence Seville (an art critic) and James Thomas (a Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist). Berryman was an active member of the Washington Heights Presbyterian Church. He was the first cartoonist member of the Gridiron Club and served as the president in 1926.^[2]

Berryman died December 11, 1949 from a heart ailment and is buried in Glenwood Cemetery.

Editorial cartoons

Berryman's father, James, often entertained friends and neighbors with drawings of "hillbillies" from their hometown. Clifford inherited his father's knack for drawing and was appointed draftsman to the United States Patent Office in Washington, D.C. from 1886-1891. During his tenure, Berryman submitted sketches to The Washington Post, and in 1891, he became an understudy of the Post's political cartoonist, George Y. Coffin. After Coffin died in 1896, Berryman took the Post cartoonist position until 1907, at which time he was hired by the Washington Star. He continued to draw political cartoons for the Star until this death in 1949.^[2]

During his career, Berryman drew thousands of cartoons commenting on American Presidents and politics. Presidential figures included former Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. The cartoons satirized both Democrats and Republics and covered topics such as drought, farm relief and food prices; representation of the District of Columbia in Congress; labor strikes and legislation; campaigning and elections; political patronage; European coronations; the America's Cup; and the atomic bomb.

Berryman was a prominent figure in Washington, D.C., and President Harry S. Truman once told him, "You are ageless and timeless. Presidents, senators and even Supreme Court justices come and go, but the Monument and Berryman stand."^[3] Berryman's cartoons can be found at the Library of Congress, National Archives and George Washington University, as well as archives that house presidential collections.^[4]

The teddy bear

In his November 6, 1902 Washington Post cartoon, "Drawing the Line in Mississippi," Berryman depicted President Theodore Roosevelt showing compassion for a small bear cub. The cartoon inspired New York store owner Morris Michtom to create a new toy and call it the teddy bear.^[5]

Awards

In 1944, Berryman was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning for his drawing "Where is the Boat Going."^[6] The cartoon depicted President Franklin D. Roosevelt and other government officials trying the steer the USS Mississippi in several different directions.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Clifford K. Berryman
2. ^ ^{a b} Guide to the Clifford K. Berryman cartoon collection, 1899-1949 Collection number MS2024, Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, The George Washington University, accessed April 2011
3. ^ The Washington Post
4. ^ George Washington University
5. ^ Theodore Roosevelt Association: Teddy Bear
6. ^ Pulitzer

Gallery

• 

  A signed 1904 photo Theodore Roosevelt to CK Berryman

• 

  William Jennings Bryan reading news from war fronts (1914)

• 

  A comedic representation of the debate about the income tax in the United States

• 

  The "lame ducks" are defeated Democrats heading to the White House hoping to secure political appointments from President Woodrow Wilson.

External links

• Smithsonian Archives of American Art: Berryman Family Papers
• Clifford K. Berryman Digital Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, George Washington University
• Berryman Teddy Bear Cartoons, Almanac of Theodore Roosevelt

Persondata
Name	Berryman, Clifford K.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	April 2, 1869
Place of birth
Date of death	December 11, 1949
Place of death