Matthew Somerville Morgan (27 April 1837 – 2 June 1890) was an English‐American artist known mainly for his political

cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently Animation, animated, in an realism (arts), unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or s ...

s in various publications. He also did theater posters for major American acts in both the United States and Great Britain.

Biography

Early life

Morgan was born in London. His father was an actor and music teacher; his mother, Mary Somerville, an actress and singer. Matt studied scene painting and followed his profession at London's Princess's Theatre, but became artist and correspondent for the ''

Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'', founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. The magazine was published weekly for most of its existence, switched to a less freq ...

''. In 1859, Morgan worked in northern Italy covering the bloody Franco-Austrian War. He also studied in Paris, Italy, and Spain, and was one of the first artists to penetrate into the interior of Africa, which he did in 1858 by way of French

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

. In 1859, he reported the

Second Italian War of Independence The Second Italian War of Independence, also called the Sardinian War, the Austro-Sardinian War, the Franco-Austrian War, or the Italian War of 1859 (Italian: ''Seconda guerra d'indipendenza italiana''; German: ''Sardinischer Krieg''; French: ...

for the ''News''.

Career in the United Kingdom

He became joint editor and proprietor of the ''

Tomahawk A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Native Americans in the United States, Indian peoples and nations of North America, traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. Etymology The name comes from Powhatan langu ...

'', a comic illustrated London paper, and its artist. By 21 September 1861, the London publication ''

Fun Fun is defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "light-hearted pleasure, enjoyment, or amusement; boisterous joviality or merrymaking; entertainment". Etymology and usage The word ''fun'' is associated with sports, entertaining medi ...

'' began its run, with Morgan on board as an artist. The most notable of his cartoons were attacks on the royal family, the first that were ever made. He was associated with F. C. Burnand,

W. S. Gilbert Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (18 November 1836 – 29 May 1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan, which produced fourteen comic operas. The most fam ...

, and others, in the establishment of the London humor magazine ''

''; his first "big cut" came out on 28 December 1861. He continued to draw the main cartoon for ''

'' until October 1864. A volume of his cartoons in this paper has been published under the title ''American War Cartoons'' (London, 1874). He was principal scene painter to the

Royal Italian Opera The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

United States

He came to the United States in 1870 under an engagement with

Frank Leslie Frank Leslie (March 29, 1821 – January 10, 1880) was an English-born American engraving, engraver, illustrator, and publisher of family periodicals. Biography Early life and career Leslie was born on March 29, 1821, in Ipswich, England as H ...

, and, after working as

caricaturist A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures. List of caricaturists * Abed Abdi (born 1942) * Abril Lamarque (1904–1999) * Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003) * Alex Gard (1900–1948) * Alexander Saroukhan (1898–1977) * Alfre ...

on Leslie's publications, acted as manager of several New York theatres. His greatest fame came during the 1872 presidential campaign, when Morgan drew cartoons on behalf of the Liberal Republicans against President Ulysses S. Grant. Hired as a rival to the Republican cartoonist

Thomas Nast Thomas Nast (; ; September 26, 1840December 7, 1902) was a German-born American caricaturist and editorial cartoonist often considered to be the "Father of the American Cartoon". He was a sharp critic of William M. Tweed, "Boss" Tweed and the T ...

at ''

Harper's Weekly ''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper (publisher), Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many su ...

'', Morgan showed much the same caustic satire, but lacked the humor and wit that Nast employed. His caricatures of politicians he approved of were more like portraiture. By 1874, 'Leslie's Illustrated Weekly' was using Morgan's cartoons only sporadically, and relying more on those of Joseph Keppler, but Morgan continued to do illustrations of events and American scenes. He went in 1880 to

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, Ohio, where he was manager of the Strobridge Lithographing Company until 1885, and did much to improve the character of theatrical

lithography Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the miscibility, immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by ...

. He also founded the Matt Morgan Art Pottery Company there in 1883, and the Cincinnati Art Students' League. Reportedly he also helped design sets for Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. He returned to New York City in 1887. Morgan contributed to the exhibitions of the

American Watercolor Society The American Watercolor Society, founded in 1866, is a nonprofit membership organization devoted to the advancement of watercolor painting in the United States. Qualifications AWS judges the work of a painter before granting admission to the soc ...

, and painted a series of large panoramic pictures, representing battles of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, which were exhibited in Cincinnati in 1886 and elsewhere. Morgan died of

pericarditis Pericarditis () is inflammation of the pericardium, the fibrous sac surrounding the heart. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp chest pain, which may also be felt in the shoulders, neck, or back. The pain is typically less severe whe ...

and

pleurisy Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs and line the chest cavity (Pulmonary pleurae, pleurae). This can result in a sharp chest pain while breathing. Occasionally the pain may be a constant d ...

in New York City on 2 June 1890.

Gallery

File:Frederick Temple (when Bishop of Exeter); Edward Bouverie Pusey; Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury) by Matt Somerville Morgan.jpg, 1869 File:Grant's Civil Service Exam.png, 1872 File:Leslie five points 1873 3c22335v.jpg, 1873 File:Poster for Lingard's comic opera I Ladroni, artwork by Matt Morgan.jpg, 1873. Poster for Lingard's comic opera I Ladroni. File:The red flag in New York - riotous Communist workingmen driven from Tompkins Square by the mounted police, Tuesday, January 13th - Matt Morgen(?). LCCN94507526.jpg, 1874. Tompkins square riot, published in Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper File:Poster, J. H. Haverly's Genuine Negro Minstrel & Jubilee Company, Recruits for Gilmore, playing at Her Majesty's Theater, c. 1878.jpg, 1878. Theater poster,

J. H. Haverly Christopher Haverly (June 30,1837– September 27,1901), better known as J. H. Haverly or John H. "Jack" Haverly, was an American theatre manager and promoter (entertainment), promoter of blackface minstrel shows. During the 1870s and 1880s, he c ...

's Genuine Negro Minstrel & Jubilee Company, Recruits for Gilmore, playing at Her Majesty's Theater, c. 1878 File:J. H. Haverly's United Mastodon Minstrels, theater poster, art by Matt Morgan.jpg, 1878. J. H. Haverly's United Mastodon Minstrels, theater poster File:Poster for J. H. Haverly's Genuine Colored Minstrels, Levee Life on the Mississippi, performing at Her Majesty's Theater.jpg, 1878. Theater poster for J. H. Haverly's Genuine Colored Minstrels, Levee Life on the Mississippi, performing at Her Majesty's Theater File:Haverly's United Mastodon Minstrels.jpg, c. 1879. Theater poster for

Haverly's United Mastodon Minstrels Haverly's United Mastodon Minstrels was a blackface minstrel troupe created in 1877, when J. H. Haverly merged four of the companies he owned and managed. Promotion Borrowing techniques from showmen like P. T. Barnum, Haverly advertised the M ...

. File:Abbey's Humpty Dumpty Combination.tif, 1879. Theater poster with Matt Morgan’s artwork for Abbey and Hickey's ''Humpty Dumpty'', showing the show's

harlequinade ''Harlequinade'' is an English comic theatrical genre, defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "that part of a pantomime in which the harlequin and clown play the principal parts". It developed in England between the 17th and mid-19th ce ...

characters and other acts (1879). File:Theater poster, Haverly's Theater, production Elinor Deering stars in W. C. Mitchell's Our Goblins, or Fun on the Rhine.jpg, c. 1880. Theater poster, Haverly's Theater, production Elinor Deering stars in W. C. Mitchell's Our Goblins, or Fun on the Rhine. File:Theater poster for All the Rage by W. D. Eaton, art by Matt Morgan.jpg, 1881. Theater poster for All the Rage by W. D. Eaton

Notes

* Scully, Richard. ''Eminent Victorian Cartoonists, Volume II: The Rivals of Mr Punch''. London: Political Cartoon Society, 2018 *

References

* This reference gives his birthdate as 27 April 1839. {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Matt 1837 births 1890 deaths English cartoonists 19th-century English painters English male painters English caricaturists English emigrants to the United States 19th-century English male artists