The Emperor Norton Trust

“Tompson in a Quandary,” 1861 or 1862 (possibly between September 1861 and September 1862), by R.M. Evans. Benjamin Franklin Butler (1819–1865), lithographer (not to be confused with the Civil War general and politician of the same name and overlapping dates (1818–1893)). The Tompson of the title is James Tompson, a well-known bill poster of the day. Collection of the Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley. Source: Berkeley Library Digital Collections [Added 3.21.2024]

Free-lunch scene featuring Emperor Norton with the dogs Bummer and Lazarus, February 1863, by Edward Jump (1832–1883). Collection of the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley. Source: Berkeley Library Digital Collections [Added 6.25.2016]

Montgomery Street scene featuring Emperor Norton; Bummer and Lazarus; and George Washington II (later titled “Stock Brokers; And Still They Are Marching On”), 1863 (possibly between February and October 1863), by Edward Jump (1832–1883). Collection of the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley. Source: Online Archive of California [Added 6.25.2016]

"Funeral of Lazarus," October or November 1863, by Edward Jump (1832–1883). Collection of the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley. Source: Wikipedia [Added 6.25.2016]

Poor Old Bummer!! (1865), by George Holcomb Baker (1827–1906), nom d’art “Snooks Jr.” As published in Albert Dressler’s book Emperor Norton: Life and Experiences of a Notable Character in San Francisco, 1849–1880 (1927). Source: Internet Archive [Added 8.12.2021]

"San Francisco Swimming Bath," February 1866, by Edward Jump (1832–1883). Emperor Norton is seen conferring with Freddie Coombs a.k.a. George Washington II at the bottom center left of the comic. Collection of the California Historical Society. Source: TwainQuotes.com [Added 8.14.2017]

"Steamer Day in San Francisco," April 1866, by Edward Jump (1832–1883). Steamer Day — which occurred twice a month, once toward the middle of the month and once toward the end — was the day when bills were to be paid. Hence, the humor that Jump found in depicting Emperor Norton showing empty pockets to an onlooking official. Collection of the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley. Source: Calisphere [Added 6.25.2016]

"Steamer Day in San Francisco," April 1866, by Edward Jump (1832–1883). Color tinting, 1926. Source: The Old Print Shop (New York City) [Added 6.25.2016]

Cartoon illustration of Emperor Norton (right) and the Great Unknown, from the debut issue of the San Francisco Humorist, 17 June 1871, p. 5. Possibly by Rudolf Eitner (c.1844–1917). From a photostat copy in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society. Digital copy courtesy of the AAS. To learn more, see our 15 May 2019 research article here. [Added 5.13.2019]

“The Gubernatorial Polling Places,” comic illustrating front-page feature in the San Francisco Chronicle, 23 July 1871. For full front page, click here. Source: Newspapers.com [Added 2.16.2019]

Comic, 1871, by John Steinberg. The comic appeared in a late 1871 issue of Frederick Marriott's California Mail Bag magazine, as part of a group of Steinberg's "Humorous Sketches of the War in Amador." Click image for the illustration with original captions. Photo: Taryn Edwards (from original document in the California State Library). Digital source: Internet Archive [Added 7.7.2016]

Detail of comic, 1876, by George Frederick Keller (1846–c.1927). The comic appeared on the cover of the 9 December 1876 issue of The Wasp magazine. Click on image for the full cover, comic and captions. Source: Internet Archive [Added 9.1.2016]

Emperor Norton, cartoon, 1877, artist unknown. This appeared in Thistleton’s Illustrated Jolly Giant, vol. 8, no. 1, 6 January 1877, p. 11. The work appeared in at least two other issues of the weekly — the 3rd and the 24th of February 1877 — suggesting that it was an ad or that it was being used as filler. Collection of the California State Library. Source: Internet Archive [Added 12.30.2023]

There Was a Reaper, and His Name Was Death, comic by George Frederick Keller (1846–1927). Cover illustration for the San Francisco Illustrated Wasp, V2 N81, 16 February 1878. Collection of the California State Library. Source: Internet Archive (click here for full cover and to enlarge with greatest clarity) [Added 1.9.2017]

“Chronic Cronies — Harmlessly Armed,” cartoon by George Frederick Keller (1846–1927). The San Francisco Illustrated Wasp, vol. 4, no. 175, 6 December 1879, back cover, p.320. Source: Internet Archive [Added 8.17.2019]

Detail from cover of San Francisco Illustrated Wasp, V4 N178, 25 December 1879, by George Frederick Keller (1846–c.1927). Collection of Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley. Full cover. Source: Calisphere [Added 12.14.2023]

Illustration, 1934, by John Hix (1907–1944). Part of a Strange As It Seems comic published on 22 April 1934 — shown here as it appeared on that date in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Comic created and drawn by John Hix. This image © 2016 Newspapers.com [Added 6.26.2016]

Cartoon of Emperor Norton by William Augustin Kolliker (1905–1995). Pen and ink, 1940. Illustration for article, “Thought He Was King of America,” on page 2 of The American Weekly, the Sunday magazine insert of the San Francisco Examiner, 25 February 1940. Full article, here, notes plans to place in a prominent San Francisco location a statue of Emperor Norton by Peter Macchiarini (1909–2001). © 1940 by American Weekly, Inc. [Added 10.19.2019]

Illustration, 1945, by Robert Ripley (1890-1949). Part of a Believe It Or Not comic published on 5 November 1945. Comic created and drawn by Robert Ripley. © 1945 King Features Syndicate, Inc. Image: eBay [Added 8.10.2016]

Emperor Norton in one-page feature “Sure as Shootin,’” Desperado No. 4, October 1948 (Lev Gleason Publications), p. 2. By Claude Moore. Source: Digital Comics Museum [Added 10.22.2024]

Illustration of Emperor Norton, 1949, by James W. Masterson (1894–1970). For “It Happened in California” feature, Redwood City Tribune, 9 September 1949. p. 2. Source: Newspapers.com [Added 5.30.2023]

Detail from panel in final page of story, “Emperor of the United States, Dead-Eye Western comics, V1 N6, Oct–Nov 1949, p. 23. Full page here. Source: Digital Comic Museum [Added 10.21.2024]

Panel from “Highlights of History” story “Emperor of the United States” in World Over, 27 December 1957. Art by Frank Bolle (1924–2020). World Over was a biweekly “magazine for Jewish Boys and Girls.” Full Norton story here. Magnes Collection of Jewish Art & Life, UC Berkeley. Source: Magnes (Flickr) [Added 10.26.2024]

Detail from the comic book, "Three Septembers and a January" (Sandman v2 n31, October 1991), written by Neil Gaiman (b. 1960) and drawn by Shawn McManus (b. 1958). © 1991 DC Comics. Source: Comic Vine [Added 6.26.2016]

Detail from the comic book, "Three Septembers and a January" (Sandman v2 n31, October 1991), written by Neil Gaiman (b. 1960) and drawn by Shawn McManus (b. 1958). © 1991 DC Comics. Source: The Avocado [Added 7.22.2021]

Scene from the comic book "Three Septembers and a January" (Sandman v2 n31, October 1991), written by Neil Gaiman (b. 1960) and drawn by Shawn McManus (b. 1958). © 1991 DC Comics. Source: Rachel Anne Calabia [Added 6.26.2016]

Detail from Farley comic by Phil Frank (1943–2007), published on 13 September 2004 by the San Francisco Chronicle. © 2004 Phil Frank. For Frank's full 2004-5 series of Farley comics about Emperor Norton and the Bay Bridge, click here. [Added 6.26.2016]

"Emperor Norton," #184 in the Thinkin' Lincoln Webcomic series by Miles Grover. Other episodes featuring Emperor Norton are here. © 2006 Miles Grover. Source: Thinkin' Lincoln [Added 6.26.2016]

Comic, 2007, by Kate Beaton (b. 1983). © 2007 Kate Beaton. Source: Hark! A Vagrant [Added 6.26.2016]

Webcomic, 6 February 2016, for The New Adventures of Queen Victoria strip by Pab Sungenis (b. 1969). Emperor Norton is an occasionally recurring character in the comic, which is published here. © 2016 Creative Features Source: Go Comics. [Added 6.26.2016]

Poster for 2014 Alternative Press Expo (2014), by Karl Christian Krumpholz. © 2014 Karl Christian Krumpholz. Source: Karl Christian Krumpholz [Added 6.28.2016]

"Birth of a Bridge" (2014), by Francesca Testen (b. 2000). Commissioned by The Emperor's Bridge Campaign in connection with Testen's piece for the Campaign's Perspectives series. Testen's earlier "Emperor Norton" series for her webcomic The History Twins is here. © 2014 Francesca Testen. Source: The Emperor's Bridge Campaign [Added 6.26.2016]