R. A. Lewis (American, 1902-1977) You Can Put It

R. A. Lewis (American, 1902-1977) You Can Put It Down, We'll Help Fire the Last One, Milwaukee Journal newspaper cartoon, November 1941 India ink, lithographic crayon, and gouache on heavyweight paper 10-1/2 x 9 inches (26.7 x 22.9 cm) (image) Signed lower right: R. A. Lewis Ross A. Lewis was the strongly anti-Nazi lead editorial cartoonist of the Milwaukee Journal newspaper, and he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1935 for a cartoon depicting the use of violence by both industry and strikers in labor disputes. His mastery of lithographic crayon is evident in this original. His work spanning his 38-year career, 1929-1967, was collected in book form in The Cartoons of R. A. Lewis published in 1968. His cartoons were syndicated to newspapers throughout the country. Shortly before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought America into World War II the country's dedication to the "fight against Nazism" was clear. This handsome original was published in the Milwaukee Journal and other papers in the first days of November, 1941. Posed beneath a quotation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Uncle Sam, laden with weapons for freedom, stands before the keeper of records (Saint Peter?) to affirm the nation's commitment. HID03101062020 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

Condition
Scattered pin points of surface dirt through lower region. Light smudges through margins. Stabilized diagonal creases with subsequent cracks in upper corners. Wear and markings to margins of page in keeping with illustration and publishing process. Not framed.
Sheet overall: 13.25 x 11 inches
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