1895 Gallagher Irish-American Broadside

An 1895 chromolithograph persuasive broadside by Chris A. Gallagher, condemning the treatment of the Irish in Great Britain by contrasting such with the opportunities enjoyed by Irish immigrants to the United States. Although printed in the United States the broadside was likely intended for distribution in Europe to encourage Irish emigration to the United States.

A Closer Look

This brightly-colored chromolithograph contrasts the mistreatment of the Irish in their homeland under British rule with promised liberty in the New World. At left, the 'English Argument on Irish Soil' is a chronicle of injustices suffered by the Irish population, from land clearances at top, beatings at the hands of the police and judgment by a magistrate, followed by shipment off to the penal colony of Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania), and finally, most notoriously of all, the Great Famine. At bottom-left, a paid informer looks on calmly at the outrages inflicted on his people, a reference to the efforts of the British to plant or recruit spies within Irish Republican organizations.

At right, by contrast, the 'Irish Argument on American Soil' provides hope for the Republican cause and the Irish nation more broadly. Ireland, represented by Erin, has her chains broken and is handed a sword by Columbia, who says 'Try This! In It I Found My Deliverance'. On a similar note, behind Columbia, Continental Army soldiers stand in the background, with the names of famous Irish-American military leaders of the American Revolution radiating out in a semicircle. At top-right, a group of sword-wielding patriots holds a banner stating: 'Ireland a Nation'.

Irish Republican Heroes

The names 'Allen, Larkin, O'Brien' on the green banner at center are a reference to the 'Manchester Martyrs,' three Fenian (Irish Republican) activists who were executed in 1867 after accidentally killing a police officer while trying to free their captured comrades. Above, at center-top, the American and Irish Republican flags are tied together below a banner of the Union and a group of clovers.

Around the border, the names of Irish Republican heroes Robert Emmet and Thomas Francis Meagher, leaders of revolts in 1803 and 1848 respectively, appear. Meagher's dramatic life was strongly connected with the United States. Following the failed revolt of 1848, he was sent to Van Dieman's Land, but escaped and made his way to the U.S., where he continued to advocate for the Irish Republican cause. Later, he joined the Union Army early in the U.S. Civil War, eventually rose to the rank of Brigadier General, and led the storied 'Irish Brigade,' composed mostly of Irish immigrants. After the Civil War, Meagher was appointed Governor of the Montana Territory and died there in 1867 under mysterious circumstances.

Historical Context

English rule on Ireland began with the Norman invasions of the late 12th century, but the authority of the Crown was partial and had virtually disappeared by the early 16th century. Afterwards, a series of monarchs beginning with Henry VIII sought to reassert English control of Ireland, leading to bloody wars and uprisings, including spillover from the English Civil War, which led to an especially bloody campaign by Oliver Cromwell to subdue the island. Through the 17th century, discrimination against Catholics, famines, and mistreatment by landlords continued to roil tensions, while a portion of the elite came to identify with Ireland more than England. By the end of the century, support for Irish Republicanism grew substantially, inspired by the American and French revolutions.

Following a failed uprising in 1798, Ireland became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. Though Britain flourished during this period, Ireland suffered a series of famines, the worst one being the Great Irish Famine, which lasted from 1845 - 1849 and killed about a million people. Anti-British and Republican agitation resulted in repeated uprisings, whose surviving participants were shipped off to Van Diemen's Land and other penal colonies, along with debtors and non-political convicts. As a result, Ireland experienced a widespread exodus, both involuntary and voluntary migration, the latter mostly to the United States. By the end of the 19th century, almost 50 percent of immigrants into the United States were from Ireland.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired product. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography produced made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History and Census

This work was copyrighted to Chris A. Gallagher in 1895 and published by the Emerald Publishing Company in Minneapolis. The only information we have been able to obtain about Gallagher or the publisher can be found in the May 4, 1895, issue of The Irish Standard, a local newspaper in Minneapolis, which refers to Chris A. Gallagher as a 'counsellor at law.' This broadside is cataloged in the OCLC, but with no holding institution listed (a description is provided with British English spelling, suggesting that an institution in Ireland, the U.K., or perhaps Canada may hold an example). Otherwise, there are no known examples of this work in institutional holdings nor known history on the market.