[Ads-l] Republican Elaphant

[Peter Reitan]

Barry Popik posted here about the Republican Elephant in 2005.
http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2005-May/049967.html

It's generally acknowledged that it was popularized by an 1874 Nast 
cartoon.
However, there was a ten-year tradition of using an elephant as a symbol 
of Republicans in southeastern Pennsylvania, Reading, Lancaster and 
Philadelphia from as early as 1864.

My blog:  
https://esnpc.blogspot.com/2020/10/an-elephant-in-boots-well-shod-history.html

Sadly, hours after posting, I ran across a new piece of information that 
will require additions and revisions -  at least a single example of a 
Republican elephant, with boots like other early elephants, used to 
promote a Lincoln rally in 1860.

Hmmm.  
https://grandoldpartisan.typepad.com/blog/2020/08/republican-elephant.html

Anyways, I think my post has some good history, and may be relevant to 
how the symbol survived until adopted more widely in 1874.

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