Reckless Defiance: France and Russia Against Britain
Puck centrefold: a diminutive French officer, fist raised and sword at his side, stands beside a huge Russian bear in uniform whose sword is marked "RUSSIA", daring a British soldier in a pith helmet across a battlefield marked "TRANSVAAL". The tell: France is drawn as a swaggering small figure sheltering behind a bigger ally, and the caption puts the taunt in his mouth (name-calling).
- Date
- June 6, 1900
- Period
- Pre-1914
- Made by
- Puck, drawing by J. S. Pughe
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Cartoon
- Issuer type
- Media
- Regime
- Mckinley Administration
- Leader
- William Mckinley
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Theme
- War and the military
- Techniques
- Name-calling
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- Library of Congress, retrieved October 2, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain in the US (pre-1931); LOC: "No known restrictions on publication"
Puck, vol. 47, no. 1213, 6 June 1900 (centrefold by J.S. Pughe). Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ppmsca-25428; hosted at 1024 px.
Text on the object
PUCK RECKLESS DEFIANCE. FRANCE.-You may be able to whip the Boers, but I dare you to tackle the Russian Bear! [labels:] RUSSIA (on the sword); TRANSVAAL (in the smoke) Copyright, 1900, by Keppler & Schwarzmann. J. OTTMANN LITHO. CO. PUCK BLDG. N.Y. [signature:] J.S. Pughe
Read from the 1024 px LOC image.
