-Tammany Bank- or -Little Fat Man- mechanical bank c. 1873

This -Tammany Bank- or -Little Fat Man- mechanical bank was made by John Hall. Observe the figure's gesture, hand raised to his chin, a motif reminiscent of the "pensieroso"—the pensive one. It evokes thoughtfulness but carries darker implications in this context. The figure represents a caricature of Boss Tweed, a symbol of political corruption in 19th-century America. Consider how such gestures echo across time, from depictions of melancholic philosophers to scheming villains. Here, it signifies not wisdom but greed and deceit. The act of feeding the bank coins becomes a symbolic act of feeding corruption. Our collective unease with unchecked power is palpable; the artist tapped into deep-seated fears. Note, how the symbolism in art is not a linear progression, but a complex, cyclical one, resurfacing and evolving across history.