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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 1952.374
Object Type Drawing
Artist (American cartoonist, 1914-1989)
Date1937
Mediumpaper (cardboard), paint
Dimensionsoverall H 14 1/8 in x W 9 3/4 in (35.9 cm x 24.8 cm )
Physical DescriptionAn original black and white drawn caricature of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The portrait, done with 61 white paint strokes on a black background, shows a right-facing profile of FDR's head. The artist's printed signature is in the lower left of the portrait: jack rosen.

Publication information regarding the caricature is hand written on the reverse of the caricature.

Historical NoteIn his many years working as a safety engineer at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, cartoonist Jack Rosen sketched caricatures of many of the famous guests at the hotel.

In 1937, Rosen created a black and white portrait of FDR. Rosen termed the caricature an "ageicature" in that it was created from 55 brush strokes to correspond with FDR's 55th birthday on January 30, 1937. A print of the caricature was sent to FDR in February of that year by the artist and was part of the FDR Library's Museum collection. In March 1975, Rosen requested the return of the print from the FDR Library, offering in exchange the original drawing which had been slightly altered by him with the addition of six brush strokes to commemorate FDR's 61st birthday in 1943.
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteDonated as a bequest of Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum 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 StatusUnrestrictedCopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)
Not on view