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Library of Congress,
Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-23784
A playful caricature of a Millerite, an
adherent of the Adventist preacher William Miller
who predicted that the world would end on April 23, 1844. The man sits in
a large safe labeled "Patent Fire Proof Chest," stocked with a ham, a fan
(hanging on the door of the safe), cheese, brandy, cigars, ice, a hat, and
a small book marked "Miller." As he thumbs his nose, he
says "Now let it come! I'm ready." The "salamander safe," probably a trade
name of the period, is named after the animal mythically reputed to have
the ability to endure fire (and, presumably, the holocaust) without harm.
Printed by Thomas Sinclair 1843,
Philadelphia. Published in: American political prints, 1766-1876 / Bernard
F. Reilly. Boston : G.K. Hall, 1991, entry 1843-5.
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