Scope and Content Note

The Laura Gray Political Cartoons consists of just under 600 original drawings that Gray produced for the Socialist Workers Party paperThe Militant.. The drawings cover nearly the whole of Gray's career at  The Militant, and span the years 1944-1957. The drawings are generally large format, waxy crayon on paper. They depict the major issues of the time, including the end of World War II, the rise of McCarthyism, and the Korean War, as well as current events and newsstories. Additionally, Gray's drawings portray political and labor figures of the day, including Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower and labor leaders including Sidney Hillman, George Meany, and Philip Murray. The collection also includes nine reference binders that contain photocopies of 512 of the drawings, and a run of Gray's "Rich Bitch" series, which features caricatures of a stereotyped wealthy woman.