“Let There Be Light” - 19th-Century Political Cartoon on Liberty and Property #1893142 (License: Personal Use)

This black-and-white political cartoon, signed by C. M. W. (likely Charles M. Weymann), depicts a man holding a flaming torch labeled “LIBERTY” while standing below a deteriorating Statue of Liberty; the statue clutches a banner reading “FOR PROPERTY.” The phrase “LET THERE BE LIGHT” at the base underscores the irony-light is cast not on freedom, but on entrenched economic privilege. The image reflects Gilded Age tensions between democratic ideals and corporate power.

Used in historical analyses of late-19th-century U.S. politics, labor movements, and critiques of capitalism; appears in digital archives, museum exhibits, and educational resources addressing inequality and civil liberties.