Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History
Benson Lossing, Ed.

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Nast, Thomas 1840-

Artist; born in Landau, Bavaria, Sept. 27, 1840; came with his parents to the United States at an early age; and was educated in public schools. He began his artist career in the office of Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper, where he became a sketch artist and illustrator on wood. In 1860-61 he was an art correspondent with Garibaldi for American and British newspapers. Subsequently he became widely noted as a political cartoonist on Harper's weekly. [325] His cartoons on the Tweed Ring in New York City had a large influence in the destruction of that corrupt organization, and it was one of his caricatures of Tweed that caused the identification and arrest in Spain of the Tammany leader, after he had escaped from Ludlow Street jail in New York City. Mr. Nast also acquired wide popularity as a lecturer from his habit of illustrating his discourses with caricatures drawn before his audience.