Dropping the Pilot

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

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, 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] as Bismarck's political views were too different from Wilhelm's.

After the cartoon's publication, Tenniel received a commission from Archibald Primrose, 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, under the title German: Der Lotse geht von Bord, (literally, The pilot leaves the ship).^[1]

Adaptations

• 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, referring to Winston Churchill, by Daniel Bishop^[6]
• Steve Bell of The Guardian has adapted the cartoon:
  • Vice-president faces isolation after key ally leaves Pentagon^[7]
  • Iraqis celebrate the withdrawal of American combat troops^[8]
  • David Cameron's response to Coulson's guilt^[9]
• Martin Rowson of The Guardian has also adapted the cartoon:
  • Steve Hilton's Exit^[10]
  • Undropping the Pilot^[11]

References

1. 1 2 3 4 "Wilhelmine Germany and the First World War (1890-1918)". German History in Documents and Images (GHDI). Retrieved 1 March 2014.  |chapter= ignored (help) "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. ↑ The Times, London: Times Newspapers Ltd., March 19, 1890.
3. ↑ The New York Times, New York: The New York Times Company, March 19, 1890.
4. ↑ Engen, Rodney K. Sir John Tenniel: Alice's White Knight, Aldershot, Hants, England: Scolar Press, 1991, 140-142.
5. ↑ Low, David. "Dropping the Pilot". politicalcartoon.co.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2010. 
6. ↑ Bishop, Daniel. "Dropping the Pilot". Library of Congress. Retrieved 8 July 2010. 
7. ↑ Bell, Steve (10 November 2006). "Vice-president faces isolation after key ally leaves Pentagon". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 July 2010. 
8. ↑ Bell, Steve (1 July 2009). "Iraqis celebrate the withdrawal of American combat troops". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 July 2010. 
9. ↑ Bell, Steve (25 June 2014). "David Cameron's response to Coulson's guilt". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 July 2014. 
10. ↑ Rowson, Martin (5 March 2012). "The Guardian Comment Cartoon". Steve Hilton's Exit. The Guardian. Retrieved March 5, 2012. 
11. ↑ Rowson, Martin (7 December 2014). "The Guardian Comment Cartoon". Alex Salmond standing in the 2015 general election. The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2014.