1941.07.05 “Calendar of Independence”
by Ralph Lee (1906-1947)
14.6 x 23.3 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection
Ralph Lee was an editorial cartoonist for the Portland Oregonian. He died suddenly, at 41, in January 1947. His cousin, Art Bimrose, was the editorial cartoonist for the Oregonian for more than three decades. In 1937, the Oregonian hired him part-time to work on printing plates. Following Lee’s death, Bimrose was hired as the Sunday editorial cartoonist.
What does independence mean now, entering our 166th year? How is independence maintained, day by day, going forward?
In 1941, independence requires armament. That is a pro-preparedness, anti-isolationist argument. We are not fighting, yet, but we are preparing, rationally and necessarily. Time for the reader to move past July 4 sentimentality. Now that we’ve celebrated independence, here’s how we keep it. Two days earlier, the map urged us to look at the world honestly – geography will not save us.
“Independence is renewed annually — and defended practically,” which is a very 1941 idea, watching Europe fall while America debated.
