Original 1938 Inflation Cartoon

Philadelphia: The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 13, 1938. Original editorial cartoon from the Philadelphia Inquirer. Depicts ​“The Inflationist” catching a ride at the ​“Bonus Highway No. 1”. Grease pencil on thick stock. Signed Hugh Hutton. On bottom: ​“At the same old stand. Monday January 13th”. On reverse, a faint stamp: ​“Art Dept.…1938. The Philadelphia Inquirer.” Cartoon dimensions: 400 by 300mm (15¾ by 12 inches) Image very good, but light to medium soiling especially at the edges. Hugh Hutton (1897–1976) was an editorial cartoonist at the Philadelphia Inquirer for over 35 years. His papers are now at Syracuse. In this cartoon he comments on the return of inflation if federal highways are built. The unofficial start to the interstate highway system was in 1938 after an initial proposal by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the question of whether and to what extent the federal government should participate in the process was a topic of discussion. Will today’s infrastructure bill cause inflation? We’re told it won’t, but a similar editorial cartoon could run today.