Brown University

John Hay and his New Coat of Arms

Description

Abstract:
Davenport's cartoon plays upon the symbolism of the British Royal Arms to comment on a moment of diplomatic tension. The central figure seems to "revise" the heraldic shield while the lion and unicorn observe warily, underscoring British anxieties about American assertiveness in transatlantic negotiations. By altering the emblems of monarchy, Davenport humorously suggests that U.S. diplomacy was reshaping the traditional authority and posture of the British Empire. British royal symbolism is quite literally redrafted, as an American figure revises the heraldic shield under the wary gaze of the lion and unicorn.
Notes:
John Hay and his New Coat of Arms, John Hay Papers, Ms.Hay Box 22XXX, Folder 5, Brown University Library
Digital object made available by: Brown University Library, John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts, Box A, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, U.S.A., (http://library.brown.edu/)

Access Conditions

Rights
Not in Copyright
Restrictions on Use
Collection is open for research.

Citation

Davenport, Homer, "John Hay and his New Coat of Arms" John Hay's China Policy. Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library. https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:eefq6kks/

Relations

Has Parts:

  • John Hay and his New Coat of Arms
    • Type: Page-Image
    • Order: 1
    • View
  • John Hay and his New Coat of Arms
    • Type: Page-Image
    • Order: 2
    • View

Collection:

  • John Hay's China Policy

    John Hay (Class of 1858), one of Brown University’s most distinguished alumni, served as US Secretary of State from 1898 until his death in 1905. Hay’s career spanned many arenas of American public life, and his China policies—especially the Open …
    ...