{"id":1013,"date":"2026-08-31T14:43:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T14:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/?p=1013"},"modified":"2026-08-31T14:57:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T14:57:48","slug":"cartoonist-and-conservationist-jay-n-ding-darling-celebrated-in-new-ui-main-library-gallery-exhibition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/2026\/08\/31\/cartoonist-and-conservationist-jay-n-ding-darling-celebrated-in-new-ui-main-library-gallery-exhibition\/","title":{"rendered":"Cartoonist and conservationist Jay N. \u201cDing\u201d Darling celebrated in new\u00a0UI\u00a0Main Library Gallery exhibition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Main Library Gallery<\/a> at the University of Iowa Libraries welcomes visitors to explore the rich legacy of American wildlife conservationist and popular political cartoonist Jay N. “Ding” Darling (1876\u20131962) in its new fall exhibition. Free and open to the public, It\u2019s Been Wonderful Knowing You: Wildlife Conservation and Advocacy Through the Lens of Jay N. \u201cDing\u201d Darling<\/em><\/a> opened on Aug. 24 and will be on display through Dec. 18, 2026. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ding
Ding Darling at The Des Moines Register<\/em>, undated. Jay N. “Ding” Darling Papers [MsC0170], Special Collections and Archives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Curated by Sackner Archive Project Archivist (previously Exhibit Support Librarian) Collin Vandewalle and Lead Public Services Librarian Lindsay Moen, both from Special Collections and Archives<\/a> at the UI Libraries, the exhibition focuses on Iowa cartoonist Jay N. “Ding” Darling’s work in wildlife and environmental conservation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darling,\u00a0who grew up in Sioux City and\u00a0lived\u00a0in Des Moines\u00a0for several decades, was one of the nation’s most influential figures in the American conservation movement.\u00a0As\u00a0Iowa’s natural landscape changed over the course of his lifetime, leading to the loss of many\u00a0native\u00a0prairies, wetlands, and wildlife species in the state,\u00a0Darling\u00a0became\u00a0a\u00a0devoted advocate\u00a0for wildlife and\u00a0the\u00a0environment.\u00a0The Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist for\u00a0The Des Moines Register<\/em>\u00a0used\u00a0his national renown\u00a0and platform\u00a0to spread the word about conservation to newspaper readers all over the country. He\u00a0often\u00a0gave\u00a0public\u00a0presentations\u00a0about conservation needs, worked on\u00a0local and national policy initiatives,\u00a0and donated funds to conservation activities\u00a0and organizations\u00a0across the United States.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Duck
First-ever Federal Duck Stamp featuring a brush and ink drawing by Jay N. \u201cDing\u201d Darling of a mallard pair, 1934\u20131935. Jay N. “Ding” Darling Papers [MsC0170], Special Collections and Archives. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Darling also served as the chief of the U.S. Biological Survey (now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service<\/a>), appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He spent a year in Washington, D.C., doing this work and, with his staff, initiated the establishment of several national wildlife refuges and crafted the Federal Duck Stamp<\/a> program\u2014which is still in use today\u2014to raise funds for habitat conservation.  <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Shirley
Shirley Briggs conducting a bird census at Glover Archbold Park in Washington, D.C., undated. Shirley A. Briggs Papers [IWA0197], Iowa Women’s Archives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The exhibition primarily features materials from the Jay N. “Ding” Darling Papers<\/a> in Special Collections and Archives such as personal correspondence, photographs, sketches and finished cartoons, first edition books, original duck stamps, watercolors, and more. Books and ephemera from the Shirley A. Briggs Papers<\/a> and the 100 Grannies Records<\/a> at the Iowa Women’s Archives tell stories of other individuals in conservation who have made an impact on both national and local levels with their efforts. Duck and egg specimens from the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History<\/a>, an original copper printing plate from the Brunnier Art Museum<\/a> at Iowa State University, artworks from IIHR\u2014Hydroscience and Engineering<\/a>, and found natural objects from Bur Oak Land Trust<\/a> are also on display.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I think it is important to tell the stories of prominent Iowans like Ding Darling and highlight the fantastic history this state has had when it comes to conservation causes,” says Vandewalle. “It is so meaningful to connect modern day Iowans to our scientific roots and reflect on how we can continue this kind of work in our state.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This exhibit not only tells the story of Ding Darling and his advocacy work, but it also introduces the visitor to some incredible women, local community groups, and campus collaborations,\u201d says Moen. \u201cWe feature Rachel Carson, Shirley Briggs, and their work in environmental education and advocacy. We highlight a local community group, 100Grannies, to show that anyone can continue to make a difference where they are. We also showcase UI student and faculty-led projects like BlueGAP and the Meandering River Project.\u201d  
 
Learn more about the exhibition, related events, and visiting hours at lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery<\/a>.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Main Library Gallery at the University of Iowa Libraries welcomes visitors to explore the rich legacy of American wildlife conservationist and popular political cartoonist Jay N. “Ding” Darling (1876\u20131962) in its new fall exhibition. Free and open to the public, It\u2019s Been Wonderful Knowing You: Wildlife Conservation and Advocacy Through the Lens of Jay N. \u201cDing\u201d Darling opened on Aug. 24 and will be on display through Dec. 18, 2026. Continue reading “Cartoonist and conservationist Jay N. \u201cDing\u201d Darling celebrated in new\u00a0UI\u00a0Main Library Gallery exhibition”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":272,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[22,3,2],"syndication":[4,5],"class_list":["post-1013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-exhibit","tag-library-news","tag-main-library-gallery","syndication-libraries-home-page","syndication-special-collections-home-page","has-blocks","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/272"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1013"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1013\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1021,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1013\/revisions\/1021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1013"},{"taxonomy":"syndication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lib.uiowa.edu\/gallery\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/syndication?post=1013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}