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Primary sourcePainting7 August 1907

The American Uriah Heep

Udo J. Keppler · 7 August 1907

A 1907 Puck cover cartoon by Udo Keppler likely caricatures Rockefeller as the falsely humble Dickens character Uriah Heep.

This cartoon likely satirizes Rockefeller as a hypocrite who used piety to mask harsh business tactics.

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Color magazine cover of Puck, August 7, 1907, showing an elderly man with white hair seated on a stool with crossed legs, hunched over a desk, reading a Sabbath Day Book. Books labeled Rebate Schedules and Competitors of Business lie on the floor, and a sign on the wall reads The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth. A rose sits in a vase by a barred window.
Udo J. Keppler, The American Uriah Heep, Puck, 7 August 1907.

About this source

What it is

This colored cartoon was published on the cover of Puck magazine on 7 August 1907, drawn by cartoonist Udo J. Keppler. It shows an elderly, hunched man reading a "Sabbath Day Book" at a desk, with books labeled "Rebate Schedules" and "Competitors of Business" on the floor, and a sign reading "The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth."

Why it matters

The title references Uriah Heep, a falsely humble and scheming character from Charles Dickens's novels, suggesting the cartoon criticizes Rockefeller for presenting himself as pious while pursuing ruthless business tactics like rebates that hurt competitors. This reflects widespread public distrust of Rockefeller's combination of religious devotion and aggressive business methods.

Look closer

  • Why might the cartoonist choose to compare this figure to a dishonest literary character?
  • What is suggested by placing books labeled "Rebate Schedules" and "Competitors of Business" on the floor near a religious book?
  • How does the barred window in the background add to the cartoon's meaning?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of John D. Rockefeller on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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