Primary sourcePainting1840

The North Bend Farmer and His Visitors

Henry Dacre · 1840

An 1840 campaign lithograph playing on William Henry Harrison's image as a humble farmer retired at North Bend, Ohio.

A satirical campaign print using the 'log cabin' image to shape public perception of Harrison during the 1840 election.

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Black-and-white lithograph titled 'The North Bend Farmer and His Visitors.' Four well-dressed men in suits and top hats stand on the left, looking toward a farmer in a wide-brimmed hat and fringed buckskin-style clothing who stands by a plow and a horse. Speech bubbles above contain satirical text. A log cabin, a carriage, and chickens appear in the background. — Henry Dacre (artist), Henry R. Robinson (publisher), The North Bend Farmer and His Visitors, lithograph, 1840.

About this source

What it is

This is a lithograph made in 1840 by Henry Dacre and published by Henry R. Robinson, during Harrison's presidential campaign. It shows well-dressed visitors approaching a farmer in rough buckskin clothing, standing by a plow, with a log cabin in the background.

Why it matters

Harrison's campaign built a popular image of him as a simple farmer living in a log cabin, contrasting him with his wealthier opponent. This print, with its satirical speech bubbles, shows how image-making and humor were used to shape how voters saw Harrison, even though he actually came from a wealthy family.

Look closer

Why would Harrison's campaign want to portray him as a humble farmer?
What do the speech bubbles suggest about the tone of the image?
How might this image differ from the reality of Harrison's background?

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

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William Henry Harrison

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