Collection inventory

Special Collections home page
printer friendly version

John P. Lanigan Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Lanigan, John P.
Title: John P. Lanigan Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1965-1971
Quantity: 5.25 linear ft
Abstract: 193 original editorial cartoons and printed material
Language: English
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

John P. “Jack” Lanigan (1922-2000) was an American editorial cartoonist for the New Bedford, Massachusetts Standard Times.

John P. Lanigan was born in Chicago on October 8, 1922 and served in the South Pacific during World War II and participated in the Guadalcanal campaign. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students' League but was recalled into military service during the Korean War and worked with the atomic bomb testing unit. Upon his discharge, he pursued freelance work and became the editorial cartoonist for the Standard Times in 1964.

Lanigan held membership in the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists and his cartoons were selected for the Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year series. His cartoons were exhibited as part of the 1970 International Cartoon Exhibition in Athens, Greece, and were included in the Man and His World International Fine Arts Exhibition at Expo 67 in Montreal.

John P. Lanigan retired in 1987 to the Lake Luzerne, New York area and died of cancer on March 25, 2000.

Return to top

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The John P. Lanigan Papers are organized into 2 series. The first series, Cartoons contains 193 original editorial cartoons. The majority of the cartoons have been approximately dated based on when they were donated. The cartoons were produced with ink, pencil and dot screening on a variety of weights of illustration board. Dimensions vary and notations are included in pencil. Of interest is a cartoon in Box 4 Folder 2 that Lanigan burned the edges of to create a charred effect.

Lanigan often filled the entire frame with imagery and juxtaposed various elements in a collage like fashion. Many cartoons actually contained several cartoons about completely different subjects. In his portrayals of political figures, Lanigan often drew very realistic looking heads on very cartoon-looking bodies while other figures were portrayed as inanimate objects such as knives (Robert F. Kennedy) and spots on x-rays (Lyndon B. Johnson).

The Printed Material series contains 1 folder of clippings of Lanigan's published cartoons.

Return to top

Arrangement of the Collection

The Cartoons are arranged in chronological order where there is a specific date with undated cartoons appearing in folders for their approximate year.

Return to top

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Return to top

Related Material

Special Collections Research Center has collections of over one hundred cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.

Return to top

Subject Headings

Persons

Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973 -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Lanigan, John P.
Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994 -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Spock, Benjamin, 1903-1998 -- Caricatures and cartoons.

Corporate Bodies

United States. Congress -- Caricatures and cartoons.

Associated Titles

New Bedford standard-times.

Subjects

American wit and humor, Pictorial.
Caricatures and cartoons -- United States.
Cartoonists -- Massachusetts.
Cartoonists -- United States.
Editorial cartoons -- Massachusetts.
Editorial cartoons -- United States.
Political cartoons.
Pollution -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Taxation -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Caricatures and cartoons.
World politics -- 1945-1989 -- Caricatures and cartoons.

Genres and Forms

Cartoons (humorous images)
Clippings (information artifacts)
Editorial cartoons.

Occupations

Cartoonists.

Return to top

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

John P. Lanigan Papers
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of John P. Lanigan, 1966-1971.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: [Summit record]
Date: 2001-01-01
Revision history: 1 Jun 2007 - converted to EAD (MRC); 8 Oct 2009 - added detailed bio, inventory and index (SK)

Return to top

Inventory

Cartoons
Click here for a list of specific dates.
See below for an index to the cartoons.
Oversize 1, Folder 1 1966 Jan, Mar - Apr, Jun (7 items)
Oversize 1, Folder 2 1966 Jul, Oct - Dec (7 items)
Oversize 1, Folder 3 circa 1966 (4 items)
Oversize 1, Folder 4 1967 Jan (4 items)
Oversize 1, Folder 5 1967 Mar - Aug (9 items)
Oversize 1, Folder 6 1967 Sep - Dec (10 items)
Oversize 1, Folder 7 circa 1967 (9 items)
Oversize 2, Folder 1 1968 Jan - Mar (8 items)
Oversize 2, Folder 2 1968 Apr - Jun (12 items)
Oversize 2, Folder 3 1968 Jul - Aug - series of cartoons, "The Players" in which the 1968 presidential candidates are portrayed as characters in famous plays (4 items)
Oversize 3, Folder 1 circa 1968 (7 items)
Oversize 3, Folder 2 circa 1968 (8 items)
Oversize 3, Folder 3 1969 Apr (1 items)
Oversize 3, Folder 4 circa 1969 (7 items)
Oversize 3, Folder 5 circa 1969 (6 items)
Oversize 4, Folder 1 circa 1970 (11 items)
Oversize 4, Folder 2 circa 1970 (11 items)
Oversize 4, Folder 3 circa 1970 (11 items)
Oversize 5, Folder 1 circa 1970 (9 items)
Oversize 5, Folder 2 circa 1970 (10 items)
Oversize 5, Folder 3 circa 1970 (5 items)
Oversize 6, Folder 1 circa 1971 (10 items)
Oversize 6, Folder 2 circa 1971 (10 items)
Oversize 6, Folder 3 circa 1971 (13 items)
Printed Material
Box 1 Clippings and printed cartoons 1965; 1967-1968; undated
The clippings are photocopies of the originals as they appeared on scrapbook pages.

Return to top

Index to cartoons

The following is a list of predominant people, places and subjects appearing in the editorial cartoons in this collection. The list is not exhaustive. Some subjects may require you to browse with alternative terms.

B= Box, F= Folder. For example: B1F1= Box 1 Folder 1.

Return to top