1. Money Talks in Context
Money Talks is created by Udo J. Keppler on September 12, 1906 of photomechanical print, offset and color (Keppler). The illustration, published by J. Ottmann Lith. Co., shows legendary newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst sitting and "cuddling" two money bags resting on his lap with arms and legs and showing coins as heads. Next to Hearst is a box labeled "WRH Ventriloquist". This vivid illustration underscores, if anything, Hearst's reputation for wealth, influence and flash life as is explained in further detail in next sections.
2. Money Talks: Encoded, Visual Messages
As shown below, Keppler's illustration includes clear signs and symbols used to highlight Hearst's extreme wealth. The big money bags, showcasing big coins as heads, well guarded by Hearst as he embraces both by his arms as if being his own children, signify, if anything, Hearst's propensity for collecting wealth and having more, as he was reputedly known ("About the Program").
The silhouette in background further emphasizes Hearst's influence, if not dominance. Indeed, given Hearst's positioning in shown illustration, with no other object shown save for a box, laid down under his own feet, a probably another sign of his control and dominance, contributes to artist's intended meaning of Hearst's omnipresence at time of publication, i.e. in 1906.
The image has, moreover, a fairly simple color composition dominated, primarily, by yellow, in forefront, and orange, in background. Notably, a man (whose face is unidentified because he is shown laying on his back with his legs and arms up, as if overpowered, by Hearst. For Hearst, he is shown, as noted, in a decidedly dominant position. Centered, Hearst is illustrated seated in a manner fairly typical of high classes in which arms are stretched in a circle (in a sign of power, if not greed), face and skin well groomed and, notably, legs bent inwards in what can be interpreted as a sign of a typical secrecy of high society. Interestingly enough, Hearst's look is shown to be commanding as both eyes are illustrated looking slightly upward with eyebrows down, as if slighting a figure (not shown) who is standing in front of Hearst.
Titled Money Talks and showing two visible dollar signs, Keppler's illustration is not all about money as might be initially interpreted. Instead, signs on money can be interpreted as signifying more signs of power and influence, both exercised by one of America's most influential figures at his time. As shown in next section, in a deeper socio-cultural analysis of illustration in question, Hearst was not only an inflectional figure in U.S. history but also his lifestyle continues to inspire generations after generations in different areas.
3. Money Talks: Interpretation
The early 2000s battle over Hearst's legacy, his wealth in particular, only highlights Hearst's flamboyant lifestyle at his time, a lifestyle which his sons and grandsons appear to want to capture a part of, after being excluded from running Hearst's numerous companies now run by professional executives (Lacter). As noted above, Keppler's illustration is awash with signs of wealth and power. These signs only reflect part of how Hearst used to exercise influence not only in his mainstay industry, media, but also in a growing range of areas as his media empire continued to expand.
The "fallen" man into the box next to Hearst can be said to, in current context, be a metaphorical example of Hearst's sidelined adversaries. Indeed, as Hearst continued to expand his wealth, power and influence beyond media and into politics and Hollywood, his adversaries grew in proportion and size. If anything, his California castle, San Simeon, became a social epicenter for Hollywood stars at the time, particularly after his marriage to Marion Davies, an upstart showgirl ("About the Program"). This metaphorical image, as shown in Keppler's illustration published in 1906 during Hearst's zenith of power, became a more or less an actuality as Hearst began to lose control not only over his media empire but also over his business sense and his own personal behavior.
More broadly, in an age marked by an extension of industrialization and manufacturing of earlier 19th century pioneering industrialization activities, Hearst's Hearst's age appears to care less for impact of an ever expanding business on people, let alone on environment. Indeed, Hearst's very lifestyle and flashy appearances only underscores how one of America's legendary businessmen had least in mind broader impact of business on people and environment. If understood against Hearst's upbringing and early childhood – in which he was born to an extremely wealthy mining mogul – one can better understand Hearst's late lavish behavior which is captured vividly in Keppler's illustration. This is evident, visually as shown in illustration above, in Hearst's seating, fallen adversaries and, of course, visible signs of wealth as shown in dollar signs and a fixated look which exudes power and influence.
Further, in his ever expanding quest for more – by acquiring art objects, mansions, and women – Hearst appears to be after happiness in his very own way. That is, in expanding his media empire, foraying into politics and getting married to a woman far beneath him in almost about everything, Hearst seems to be buying specific experiences which, according to him, only money and money only can buy. Ironically enough, Hearst's unsmiling face, as shown in above illustration, might uncover a paradox about happiness: more money might offer convenience and happiness but cannot guarantee absolute happiness. This is evident, if anything, in Hearst's life path as his wealth and power witnessed cycles of ebbs and flows.
Throughout his life, Hearst continued to lavish in luxuries. In an early phase, as he grew in wealth and power, his lavishness was largely acceptable, particularly given his age and experience as an up and coming force in American public life. Predictably, age, competition and, not least, increasingly reckless behavior (caused by an overblown sense of influence) had a critical toll on Hearst. True, Hearst's later phase of life is not captured in shown illustration. However, signs of insatiable greed, typical of all magnates and extremely influential figures, can be read in shown illustration.
Notably, Hearst's careless attention not only to his fallen adversaries but also, if one is to examine his posture more closely, to his apparently well grabbed money bags highlights one significant aspect of his personality. If anything, Hearst's fingers rest carelessly on shown money bags, upon closer examination. This illustration underscores how Hearst's life was marked by extremes as he expanded his interests, extremes ranging from acute business acumen to purely reckless behavior as in his personal and social life during his marriage to Davies.
Appendix
Selecting Money Talk
1. Go to:
https://www.loc.gov/
2. Select "Photos, Prints, Drawings" from Library of Congress home page search box:
3. Type "Money" into above shown search box.
4. Results page yields:
5. Select first result, "Money talks," at:
https://www.loc.gov/item/2011645937/
Works Cited
"About the Program." PBS, n.d., http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/kane2/.
Keppler, Udo J. Money Talks. 1906 September 12. Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2011645937/. Accessed 14 January 2017.
Lacter, Mark. "The Case of Ungrateful Heirs." Forbes, 25 Dec. 2000, http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2000/1225/6616137a.html. Accessed 14 January 2017.
