"Tropic Knight" (1 Viewer)

[PolarBear]

I have chosen “Tropic Knight” as the title for this photograph of a US infantryman in Cuba during the Spanish American War of 1898 because it reflects the martial culture that developed in America during the Gilded Age, especially in its last two decades. One of the components of that martial spirit was an interest in the Medieval era and the world of knights in shining armor. This is a case where popular culture met a specific historic need.

 

[PolarBear]

In the last decades of the 19th Century, as the veterans of the Civil War aged and died off, there was a fear among many American that in the industrialized, corporate, and commercial culture of the Gilded Age, the nation had become too soft. There was concern that manhood and masculinity were in danger of atrophying. All kinds of solutions were offered to assure that this would not happen. Vigorous physical exercise, competitive sports such as football, camping, hunting, and fishing in the wilderness were among the many antidotes suggested to bring about a national regeneration worthy of those who had fought in the American Civil War.

 

[PolarBear]

Popular literature supported these goals of regeneration through the publication of stories of adventure and history. In the first half of the 19th Century the historical novels of Sir Walter Scott such as Ivanhoe(1819) and Rob Roy(1817) had served that purpose and were especially popular in the American South where they supported the ideal of a chivalric culture that formed part of the background of Confederate soldiers such as Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

 

[PolarBear]

In the post Civil War 1880s and 90s a number of books and stories were published in the United States that were set in the Middle Ages and recounted the heroic and manly adventures of kings and knights. Among the most famous of these was When Knighthood Was In Flower (1898) by Edwin Caskoden which became an instant bestseller. Contemporary with these books were the illustrations of artists such as Howard Pyle, the founder of the Brandywine School of Illustrators in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Many of Pyle’s illustrations were for books of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages. He created many of these for the stories of King Arthur and the Knight’s of the Roundtable as seen below:

 

[PolarBear]

Among the most popular of Pyle’s publications was The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood published in 1883:

 

[PolarBear]

The Gilded Age’s interest in the Middle Ages extended to its architecture, especially in the design for state armories which housed state militias or the national guard. This is why so many of these structures look like medieval castles or fortresses. One factor behind the construction of these armories was fear during the Gilded Age of urban riots or unrest. These years saw a large influx of new immigrants into the cities and a number of examples of bloody labor conflict such as the Haymarket Square Riot (1886)and Pullman Strike (1894).

 

[PolarBear]

The image of the medieval knight fit well with the martial philosophy of Teddy Roosevelt who would become one of the heroes of the Spanish-American War in Cuba. A proponent of the philosophy of “the strenuous life” TR had transformed himself from a skinny nearsighted weakling into a cowboy, big game hunter and soldier, becoming an outstanding example the regeneration of masculinity and manhood in the later years of the 19th Century. Many of the men he recruited for his Rough Riders had been former cowboys. In the popular media, the cowboy was often referred to as the “knight of the plains.” It is significant that When Knighthood Was in Flower was published in the same year as the Spanish-American War.

 

[PolarBear]

Not all Americans were comfortable with the new militarism of the Gilded Age and its expression through the culture of the Middle Ages. Two of these individuals wrote novels critical of these ideas. In 1889, Mark Twain, who was an anti-imperialist during the Spanish-American War published A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court which satirized the romanticized idea of chivalry and battle. Twain’s awareness of the global scramble for empire during the late 19th Century (including Gordon at Khartoum) is evident in this quotation from the novel:

"Every year expeditions went out holy grailing, and next year relief expeditions went out to hunt for them. There was worlds of reputation in it, but no money."
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

 

[PolarBear]

In 1895 Stephen Crane published the Red Badge of Courage which although about the American Civil War was also a critique of war and militarism during the Gilded Age. The main character, Henry Fleming, initially sees war in the romantic context of knights and the colorful battles of the Middle Ages. Although writing about Civil War soldiers and battles Crane often uses medieval descriptions to make his point:


“[The tall soldier] came flying back from a brook waving his garment bannerlike….He adopted the important air of a herald in red and gold.”

Note that the cover of the 1st edition has a medieval style banner beneath the T of the title.

 

[Leadmen]

Very good summary on the late 19th century thinking, books and history of the period. Thanks for the references and pictures. John

 

[REVWARBUFF]

Thanks Professor Randy for the great history lesson. I love your presentation as it is very informative. And your dio is too bad either

Mark

 

[Lewey Gun Vick]

Bravo!

Vick

 

[UKReb]

Sterling stuff Randy-your style sure does remind me of my old history professor Dr H Hale who we called Monte Hale (old cowboy star of yesteryear that nobody remembers today).
But his enthusiastic presentation of US history linked with the pioneering spirit and subsequent military actions home and abroad definitely hooked a young student nicknamed Reb.

I believe you could add George Armstrong Custer to your thesis who without doubt dubiously styled himself as some kind of Knight of the Plains-endorsed later by the writings of his wife Libbie.

Impressive posts Randy-very impressive.

Bob

 

[cantinetozzo]

It's a beautiful figure and make me want to start collecting Bluecoats too..very good detail..and nice composition too!

 

[Whistlinghen]

You have captured an unsung undercurrent of an age. Our myths are an important clue to how we see ourselves as a people and behave as a nation, and are too often ignored and forgotten. I grew up with our family's old books, and especially loved those that had been illustrated by Howard Pyle (They went to a nephew who actually had room for them). Thank you for bringing this up. -Emily

 

[PolarBear]

Thank you all. It's fun being able to share one's interests with such a nice group of people.

Randy

 

[Scott]

The American troops in Cuba quickly learned that it wasn't chivalry dying in your tent of disease on the hill side.

The little war of Private Post
By Charles Johnson Post

(A Good read and profusely illustrated by the author)

http://books.google.com/books?id=TG...XGhakL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3

 

[PolarBear]

The American troops in Cuba quickly learned that it wasn't chivalry dying in your tent of disease on the hill side.

The little war of Private Post
By Charles Johnson Post

(A Good read and profusely illustrated by the author)

http://books.google.com/books?id=TG...XGhakL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3

Scott

Thank you for this great primary source. As Henry learns in The Red Badge of Courage there is a significant gap between reality and romance,

Randy

 

[PolarBear]

An Addendum:

In 1902, Owen Wister, published The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains which is considered to be the first American Western and cowboy novel. Previously in 1895 (contemporary with the Western art of Frederic Remington) Wister published an article In Harper's Monthy called "The Evolution of the Cow-Puncher" that contains a number of references to medieval knights and the world of Camelot. Here is a link:

http://gaslight.mtroyal.ca/gaslight/evolcowp.htm

Illustrations:

1. Owen Wister. The Virginian (1902)
2. Frederic Remington. The Fall of the Cowboy (1895)

 

[Scott]

Polar Bear, can you turn that soldier around in another photo?

Please keep up the series.