Dropping the Pilot

"Dropping the Pilot". Caricature by Sir John Tenniel (1820–1914), first published in the British magazine Punch, 29 March 1890.[1]

Dropping the Pilot is a political cartoon by Sir John Tenniel, first published in the British magazine Punch on 29 March 1890.[1] It depicts Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, as a maritime pilot, stepping off a ship (perhaps a reference to Plato's ship of state),[1] idly and unconcernedly watched by a young Wilhelm II, German Emperor. Bismarck had resigned as Chancellor at Wilhelm's demand just ten days earlier on 19 March,[2][3] as Bismarck's political views were too different from Wilhelm's.

After the cartoon's publication, Tenniel received a commission from The 5th Earl of Rosebery to create a copy to be sent to Bismarck himself. The former Chancellor reportedly replied, "It is indeed a fine one."[4]

The cartoon is well known in Germany and often used in history textbooks, under the title The Pilot Leaves the Ship (German: Der Lotse geht von Bord).[1]


Adaptations

  • Dropping the pilot, referring to Kaiser Wilhelm's removal from the list of Royal Navy admirals in 1914, by David Low[5]
  • [[https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=iVzLxDct&id=618C2A4F1ADE417DF21194C8A47E7D6F2090DF11&thid=OIP.iVzLxDct55sOPFLAcp22jAHaHl&mediaurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wepsite.de%2FDropping_the_PilotChurchill4a450pix.jpg&exph=461&expw=450&q=Political+Cartoon+Punch+Dropping+the+Pilot&simid=608022811608353182&selectedindex=10&ajaxhist=0 Dropping the pilot]], referring to Winston Churchill, by Daniel Bishop[6]
  • Cartoon "Dropping the Pilots" showing Khruschev looking down as the four "Pilots" leave the ship of state.
  • 1964 Cartoon showing the pilot Abraham Lincoln being "Dropped" from the "Grand Old Party" By Captain Barry Goldwater
  • Cartoon showing Margaret Thatcher being "Dropped as the Pilot"
  • Steve Bell of The Guardian has adapted the cartoon:
    • Vice-president faces isolation after key ally leaves Pentagon[7]
    • Iraqis celebrate the withdrawal of American combat troops[8]
    • David Cameron's response to Coulson's guilt[9]
    • Dropping the pornbot (Resignation of Damian Green)[10]
  • Martin Rowson of The Guardian has also adapted the cartoon repeatedly:
    • Steve Hilton's Exit[11]
    • Undropping the Pilot[12]
    • The resignation of Michael Flynn[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Dropping the Pilot (1890)". Wilhelmine Germany and the First World War (1890-1918). German History in Documents and Images (GHDI). Retrieved 1 March 2014. "Here, we see a weary Bismarck descending the ladder of the “ship” Germany, which he had steered for almost 20 years as chancellor. A young Wilhelm II looks on from the deck."
  2. ↑ The Times, London: Times Newspapers Ltd., March 19, 1890.
  3. ↑ The New York Times, New York: The New York Times Company, March 19, 1890.
  4. ↑ Engen, Rodney K. Sir John Tenniel: Alice's White Knight, Aldershot, Hants, England: Scolar Press, 1991, 140-142.
  5. ↑ Low, David. "Dropping the Pilot". politicalcartoon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  6. ↑ Bishop, Daniel. "Dropping the Pilot". Library of Congress. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  7. ↑ Bell, Steve (10 November 2006). "Vice-president faces isolation after key ally leaves Pentagon". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  8. ↑ Bell, Steve (1 July 2009). "Iraqis celebrate the withdrawal of American combat troops". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  9. ↑ Bell, Steve (25 June 2014). "David Cameron's response to Coulson's guilt". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  10. ↑ Bell, Steve. "Steve Bell on Damian Green's resignation – cartoon". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  11. ↑ Rowson, Martin (5 March 2012). "The Guardian Comment Cartoon". Steve Hilton's Exit. The Guardian. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  12. ↑ Rowson, Martin (7 December 2014). "The Guardian Comment Cartoon". Alex Salmond standing in the 2015 general election. The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  13. ↑ Rowson, Martin (14 February 2017). "The Guardian Comment Cartoon". The resignation of Michael Flynn. The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2017.

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