Skip to main content
Collections Menu
Image courtesy of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.
That's the Ugliest Thing I Ever Saw
Image courtesy of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.

That's the Ugliest Thing I Ever Saw

Artifact ID1973.1.1646
Object Type Cartoon Drawing
Medium Ink and grease pencil on drawing paper
DimensionsOverall H 10 in x W 7 in (25.4 cm x 17.8 cm )
Physical Description
Physical DescriptionOriginal cartoon drawing. LBJ speaks angrily to a scruffy man ("New Lefties"), who has portrayed LBJ as the devil in his artwork ("Anti-war impressions drawn from incomplete Vietnam data"). Caption: “That's the Ugliest Thing I Ever Saw”. Artist signature lower right: "F. Morse”.
Historical NoteThe Antiwar Movement (1964-1973) emerged in response to the Vietnam War and included many activist groups such as the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Yippies and used tactics such as mass demonstrations, sit-ins, teach-ins, and guerilla theater. The New Left refers to many leftwing social and political movements in the 1960s and 1970s such as the civil rights, women’s liberation, gay liberation, and antiwar movements. It is contrasted with the Old Left, which emphasizes labor movements. When Lyndon Johnson saw his official White House portrait by Peter Hurd, he said it was the “ugliest thing I ever saw.”
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteThe item was a gift from the general public to President Johnson during his term in office. It was received by President Johnson, until the President donated it to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum in 1973.
Credit LineGift of Lyndon Baines Johnson
National Archives Catalog CollectionLyndon B. Johnson Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 192413)
National Archives Catalog SeriesGifts from the General Public (National Archives Identifier 189698395)
Use Restriction StatusRestricted - Fully
Use Restriction NoteCopyright or other proprietary rights are held by individuals or entities other than the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum. The LBJ Presidential Library and Museum does not warrant that the use of materials will not infringe on the rights of third parties holding the rights to these works, or make any representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement, treaty, or protections that may apply. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy any copyright or other use restrictions. Pertinent regulations can be found at 36 C.F.R 1254.62.
Person Referenced Lyndon Baines Johnson (American, 1908 - 1973)
In Collection(s)
Not on view
Related Links