Dropping_the_Pilot

<i>Dropping the Pilot</i>

Dropping the Pilot

Add article description

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 who is 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] because of political differences.

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

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 and school books, under the title The Pilot Leaves the Ship (German: Der Lotse geht von Bord).[1]

Adaptations

  • Prophecy? (Dropping the Pilot) by Will Dyson, 1914
  • The Haunted Ship by Bernard Partridge, 1915
  • Dropping the Pirate by William H. Walker, 1918
  • Dropping the pilot, referring to Kaiser Wilhelm's removal from the list of Royal Navy admirals in 1914, by David Low[5]
  • Dropping the pilot,[6] referring to Winston Churchill, by Daniel Bishop[7]
  • Cartoon[8] Dropping the Pilots showing Khrushchev looking down as the four "Pilots" leave the ship of state.
  • Cartoon[9] showing the pilot Abraham Lincoln being "Dropped" from the "Grand Old Party" By Captain Barry Goldwater
  • Cartoon[10] 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[11]
    • Iraqis celebrate the withdrawal of American combat troops[12]
    • David Cameron's response to Coulson's guilt[13]
    • Dropping the pornbot (Resignation of Damian Green)[14]
  • Martin Rowson of The Guardian has also adapted the cartoon repeatedly:
    • Steve Hilton's Exit[15]
    • Undropping the Pilot[16]
    • The resignation of Michael Flynn[17]
    • Dropping The Pilate on the resignation of Liz Truss after only 45 days in office[18]

References

  1. [1]
    "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. [2]
    The Times, London: Times Newspapers Ltd., 19 March 1890.
  3. [3]
    The New York Times, New York: The New York Times Company, 19 March 1890.
  4. [4]
    Engen, Rodney K. Sir John Tenniel: Alice's White Knight, Aldershot, Hants, England: Scolar Press, 1991, 140–142.
  5. [5]
    Low, David. "Dropping the Pilot". politicalcartoon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 May 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  6. [6]
    http://www.wepsite.de/Dropping_the_PilotChurchill4a450pix.jpg
  7. [7]
    Bishop, Daniel. "Dropping the Pilot". Library of Congress. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  8. [8]
    https://ssl.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I00000.qEXKvoTbs/s/900/720/John-Tenniel-Cartoons-Punch-Magazine-1957-07-10-31.jpg
  9. [9]
    https://i.pinimg.com/originals/d2/04/53/d204531bed50d13797f457f6a58d04ad.jpg
  10. [10]
    http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000LI_5k4pQSCw/s/900/720/Cartoons-Punch-Margaret-Thatcher-11.jpg
  11. [11]
    Bell, Steve (10 November 2006). "Vice-president faces isolation after key ally leaves Pentagon". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  12. [12]
    Bell, Steve (1 July 2009). "Iraqis celebrate the withdrawal of American combat troops". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  13. [13]
    Bell, Steve (25 June 2014). "David Cameron's response to Coulson's guilt". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  14. [14]
    Bell, Steve. "Steve Bell on Damian Green's resignation – cartoon". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  15. [15]
    Rowson, Martin (5 March 2012). "Martin Rowson on Steve Hilton's exit". Guardian Opinion cartoon. The Guardian. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  16. [16]
    Rowson, Martin (7 December 2014). "Martin Rowson on Alex Salmond standing in the 2015 general election". Guardian Opinion cartoon. The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  17. [17]
    Rowson, Martin (14 February 2017). "Martin Rowson on the resignation of Michael Flynn". Guardian Opinion cartoon. The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  18. [18]
    Rowson, Martin. "Martin Rowson on the sinking of Liz Truss – cartoon". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 November 2022 – via www.theguardian.com.

Media related to Dropping the Pilot at Wikimedia Commons
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Dropping_the_Pilot, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.