For nearly 20 years, LSA Professor of Economics and Economics Department Chair Joel Slemrod and Mary Ceccanese, coordinator at the Office of Tax Policy Research at the Ross School of Business, have collected various documents and pieces of art related to taxes. The mix of prints, forms, and cartoons come from the United States, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Taiwan.   

Take a peek at some of the images in their collection in the slideshow below.

This March 13, 1937 cover of The New Yorker by Constantin Alajalov portrays an American torn between personal interests and loyalty to his country. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln look on while individual desires, such as a vacation and a car, appear in opposition.

Slemrod purchased this poster print while visiting Amsterdam. Created by Leo J. Jordaan in 1913, the illustration says "Wacht u voor den hond!" or "Beware of the dog." Essentially it serves as a warning, portraying the lunging dog as a proposed tax chained to the Dutch parliament.

A copy of the first U.S. income tax form, the modern 1040, which was released in 1913. "People might be pleased to know that it's only four pages long," Slemrod says.

This cover of the March 15, 1941 issue of The New Yorker, illustrated by Alajalov, grimly portrays the tax hikes that Americans faced as a result of increased defense spending.

An original British tax income form from 1800. Great Britain introduced the first income tax to raise money to fight Napoleon.

When the United States sharply lowered the tax exemption level during World War II, the Treasury Department had to raise awareness to the 50 million people that were newly required to file. This original poster is from the publicity campaign that resulted.

A copy of the 16th amendment, which was passed by Congress in 1913 to allow collection of income tax. Due to generous exemptions and deductions, less than 1 percent of the population paid income taxes at a basic rate of only 1 percent of net income that year.

A collection of various state revenue stamps, which were placed on items such as liquor or beer to indicate payment of tax due.

Slemrod grabbed this poster in Camden, London, where a poll tax proposal was met with much opposition in 1990.

With quill pen in hand, Uncle Sam reminds Americans that the World War II budget requires both taxes and war bonds.

This cartoon from 1798 mocks the wealthy class's reaction to a proposed income tax in Great Britain. "Damn their 10 per cents," says one figure. "I'll warrant I'll jockey 'em as I did with the servants tax."

When a tax collector appears in this British political cartoon from 1806, a homeowner wonders, "How am I to get money to pay them all? I shall soon have neither House nor Hole to put my head in." His neighbor replies, "Can't you just move to the garret or the cellar?"

Slemrod first saw this map at the National Museum of Taiwan. Regional officials in China used such maps to communicate to the Emperor where extra security should be assigned to catch anyone smuggling salt, a commodity strictly taxed.

Photos: Scott Soderberg, U-M Photo Services