A cartoon war: the cartoons of the New Zealand free lance and New Zealand observer as historical sources, August 1914-November 1918

Abstract

Cartoons are a significant and valuable historical source. National and international literature emphasises the usefulness of cartoons as historical sources, drawing attention to the ways in which cartoons highlight everyday attitudes, common symbols and the focus of social discourse. Despite this, New Zealand cartoons have seldom been examined as historical sources in their own right. The value of cartoons as historical sources is demonstrated through examining the ways in which cartoonists of two pictorial weeklies portrayed New Zealand's national war effort during World War One. Between August 1914 and November 1918 the cartoonists of the New Zealand Free Lance and New Zealand Observer actively encouraged the citizens of New Zealand to unite behind the Empire's war effort. From the outbreak of war in August 1914 the cartoons of the New Zealand Free Lance and New Zealand Observer can be subsumed within three major categories - politics and the Empire, recruitment and conscription, and the image of the enemy. Within these categories, cartoonists repeatedly demonstrated support of New Zealand's involvement in the Empire's war and promoted the ideal of participation in two main ways. Firstly, cartoonists praised the actions of New Zealanders who participated in the war, congratulating these citizens for their wholehearted commitment to the Empire and their contribution to unity and social cohesion. Citizens of New Zealand were encouraged to fulfil their duty by supporting the Government, promoting enlistment and categorising Germany as an inhuman and culpable enemy. Secondly, cartoonists denigrated, ridiculed or omitted New Zealanders who did not fully participate in the united war effort, belittling citizens who expressed dissenting discourse and criticising factions who were reticent about participating. Cartoonists disparaged political acrimony or inaction, lambasted men and countries unwilling to fight and condemned sedition and strikes. The historical investigation of cartoons demonstrates a complex yet invigorating method of exploring societal concerns and values. Throughout World War One cartoonists unequivocally promoted activities which positively contributed to the war effort and explicitly condemned or excluded actions seen as contributing to disunity.