Scope and Content Note
The papers of Clifford Kennedy Berryman (1869-1949) span the years 1814-1965, with the bulk of the material dating from 1890 to 1949. The papers relate primarily to his career as a political cartoonist for the Washington Post and the Washington Star that spanned more than fifty years.
A large portion of the papers consists of letters Berryman received from presidents, vice presidents, cabinet members, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, and other prominent Americans. Many correspondents commented on specific cartoons and thanked Berryman for his gift of the originals. Also included are letters from fellow illustrators, including Charles Bittinger and John T. McCutcheon. Among a small section of letters sent by Berryman are illustrated letters he wrote to his mother during the time he was working in the United States Patent Office.
Other items include drafts of a lecture, “The Origin, Development and Influence of the Cartoon,” that Berryman delivered to the Literary Society of Washington in 1921. The drafts contain sketches in the margins and are accompanied by pencil sketches that later were enlarged to be visible from the lecture platform. Two autograph albums contain pen portraits of approximately 120 prominent Americans dating from 1898 to 1949. Each portrait is autographed by the subject. Among those represented in the albums are presidents Grover Cleveland, Calvin Coolidge, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Warren G. Harding, Herbert Hoover, William McKinley, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt (next to a sketch of the Teddy Bear), William H. Taft, Harry S. Truman, and Woodrow Wilson. Printed matter includes items relating to the Gridiron Club.
One item unrelated to Clifford Berryman’s career is an 1814 bill of sale for a woman and child. The transaction was conducted between Berryman family members.