Les gens du "Bloc" - A booklet of caricatures mocking Theodor Herzl, Alfred Dreyfus, and Jews in general. France, 1904.

Les gens du "Bloc" - A booklet of caricatures mocking Theodor Herzl, Alfred Dreyfus, and Jews in general. France, 1904.

Chéquards, Pochards, Mouchards – Les gens du "Bloc" (2e Série).  "The people of the Bloc." Published by Librairie Antijuive, Paris, 1904. With a preface by the antisemitic writer Henri Rochefort (1831-1913).

An antisemitic booklet featuring full-page large caricatures by Bruno. The caricatures mock Alfred Dreyfus, Theodor Herzl, and broadly vilify "the Jewish financiers." The Jewish figures are depicted in grotesque manner, with long noses, some resembling monkey-like faces. Each caricature is accompanied by a slanderous caption describing the scene. The title of the book is composed of derogatory terms: Chéquards - referring to wealthy Jews, those who receive or distribute checks, hinting at Jews involved in corrupt financial transactions. Pochards - "drunkards, " people who frequently consume alcohol. Mouchards - spies, traitors, those who provide information to the authorities and incriminate innocent people. And collectively, Les gens du "Bloc" - "The people of the Bloc."

After Alfred Dreyfus’s final exoneration in a case that shook all of Europe, Dreyfus’s supporters and the Jews of France experienced a significant moral boost, especially following the public ceremony where his military ranks were restored, which was widely covered in the press. Between 1902 and 1905, France was governed by a left-wing party known as "Le Bloc Républicain" (The Republican Bloc). This was a period of stability during which France moved towards reforms and renewed alliances with Russia and Britain. During this time, French ministers insisted on reopening the Dreyfus Affair, which ultimately led to his complete exoneration. In response, the antisemitic right in France accused Jews, Freemasons, and other groups of taking over France. This booklet attempts to portray the collapse of French democracy into the hands of Jewish interests and the immense power of Jewish capitalists. Dreyfus himself is depicted as a manipulative genius who knows how to exploit the system's weaknesses for his personal gain.

[14] pages (including cover), approximately 37.5x27.5 cm. Stains and minor losses on the lower part of the cover and the first two pages, and on the last page. Otherwise, in good condition.