1958 George White Political Cartoon of Florida and Uncle Sam

This is a 1958 George White political cartoon of Uncle Sam distractedly and perhaps admiringly staring at Florida as the successful launch of Explorer 1 and the opening of the Florida State Fair grab his attention.

A Closer Look

A gigantic Uncle Sam holding a telescope looms over the United States and stares distractedly at Florida. Two brightly-lit sites draw his attention: the successful launching of the 53rd Annual Florida State Fair and the successful launching of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1. Presumably using the telescope to survey the world outside the country, these two events which took place on either side of Florida were enough to hold Uncle Sam's attention (according to the Tampa Tribune at least). Explorer 1 was launched from Cape Canaveral on January 31, 1958, and the State Fair opened on February 4. A rocket that closely resembles the one that sent Explorer 1 into orbit flies past Uncle Sam, and even looks like it flies in one ear and out the other!

Publication History and Census

This cartoon was drawn by George White and is stamped January 5, 1958. It was printed on the front page of the Wednesday, February 5, 1958, issue of the Tampa Tribune. As this is an original piece of artwork, this is a unique, one-of-a-kind piece.