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Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Caricature Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

Caricature Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt

Artifact IDMO 1942.299.1
Object Type Portrait
Artist
Dateca. 1940
Mediummetal (copper) wire, fabric (felt), paper (matboard), wood
Dimensionsframe H 20 1/2 in x W 16 1/2 in x D 5/8 in (52.1 cm x 41.9 cm x 1.6 cm )
Physical DescriptionA caricature of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the form of a partial silhouette of his face made from copper wire on a brown (faded from black) felt background. The artist's wire signature is in the lower right corner: VAN.

The caricature is matted, glazed, and framed in a ¾" black-painted wood frame with gilt inner trim.
Historical NoteAdolph van Hollander of Philadelphia sent the President this caricature as a birthday gift in January 1940. “I wanted to give you something on your birthday which would reflect the sense of humor which has carried you through eight difficult years in the White House,” he wrote FDR. “I fashioned this gift, knowing that in no other country today could it be offered and accepted by the leader of a nation in the spirit in which it was created. To me it symbolizes the saving grace of tolerance and good humor which keeps our country from crumbling into the chaos that surrounds us.”
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteDeposited at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum by Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 14, 1942. It was donated as a bequest of FDR to the Library in 1947.
Credit LineEstate of Franklin D. Roosevelt
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesPortraits (National Archives Identifier 778816)
Use Restriction StatusRestricted - PossiblyCopyrightCopyright or other proprietary rights may be held by individuals or entities other than the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum does not warrant that the use of materials will not infringe on the rights of third parties holding the rights to these works, or make any representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement, treaty, or protections that may apply. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy any copyright or other use restrictions. Pertinent regulations can be found at 36 C.F.R 1254.62.
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