The whole truth, or, John Bull with his eyes opened

Caricature with Queen Caroline (left) as Lady Macbeth in the mad scene, standing in the street before two shops; she holds a candlestick raised in her right hand as she holds out her dress with her left hand, looking down horror at her skirt which is decorated with three panels with images of men and labeled “Man B”, “Austi”, “Sapio”, “Mat …”, and “Bat”. The initials “C.B” are embroidered on the trim of her knickers. Standing to her right is an astonished John Bull who holds his hat in front of his face, arm extended in horror. The shop on the left is identified by a sign below second story windows with broken glass: Wholesale Dealer in Brass Forges, Ranges, &c N.B. Odd jobs in general. The street level is shuttered, its doors covered in graffiti: Gone away, Gone abroad, Empty, M.T. The one door has a knocker in the shape of a ram’s head. John Bull stands before the second door which stands open as if he has just emerged. The windows are curtained and the building well maintained. The large sign above reads “Time & Common-Sense Occulists. N.B. Films expeditiously removed &c. Below this sign (left) is a pair of large spectacles with the two eyeballs turned towards the shop on the left and a smaller sign (right) that reads “No connexion with the next shop.”

  • PrintmakerLane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • TitleThe whole truth, or, John Bull with his eyes opened [graphic].
  • Publication[London] : Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., Feb. 1st, 1821.

Catalog Record

821.02.01.04

Acquired March 2017

The man of the woods & the cat-o’-mountain

A kitchen scene [with a satire based on the fable of the “catspaw”]. A monkey with Wood’s head squats beside a plump cat with the head in profile of Queen Caroline. She sits gazing at the fire with an eagerly expectant smile. He puts his left hand on her shoulder and takes her right paw which is supported on his knee, looking fixedly at her with greedy expectation. Between the bars of the grate are four chestnuts like large potatoes. These are inscribed respectively: ‘Privileges’, ‘Rights’, ‘Liturgy’, ‘St Catherines’. Beside the grate and attached to a chain is a ‘Kettle of Fish’. Behind the cat is a big trap with steel teeth inscribed ’50 000 per Annum’. Behind it is a dresser, neatly arranged above a cupboard inscribed ‘Lately from St Omers’ [see British Museum Satires no. 13730]. On the dresser are a teapot and butterdish, each with a bust portrait of Bergami, and two cups, inscribed ‘BB’. There are also pans inscribed ‘Hash’ and ‘Stew’, a ‘Tinder’ box and bottle of ‘Brim-Stone’. On the chimneypiece, with other utensils, is a box of ‘Matches’.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • PrintmakerLane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • TitleThe man of the woods & the cat-o’-mountain [graphic].
  • PublicationLondon : Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., March 27, 1821.

Catalog Record

821.03.27.01

Acquired March 2017

Moments of pleasure

“Companion plate to British Museum Satires no. 13988. Seated on a sofa, the Queen, wearing a large feathered hat, receives the news of the dropping of the Bill; beside her is a paper: ‘Bill of Pains Thrown out’. Alderman Wood, in a furred gown more elegant than civic, capers before her, holding up his arms, snapping his fingers, and grinning with delight. The Queen looks up at him, with a gesture of surprised satisfaction; she is caricatured, but better characterized than in other prints, resembling the description given by Creevey of her appearance at the trial on 17 Aug. She sits facing a long scroll on which names of places presenting Addresses are inscribed (see British Museum Satires no. 13934, &c.): ‘London’ (in large letters), ‘Westminster’, ‘So[uthwark]’. On the wall behind her is a (flattering) bust portrait of Bergami, wearing his decorations (see British Museum Satires no. 13810). In the doorway (left) are the leading members of a body of proletarian addressers; the foremost, with the curved shin-bones known as ‘cheesecutters’ which resulted from rickets, holds a paper: ‘Address to the Queen’; they are received by a thin, sour-looking lady, evidently Lady Anne Hamilton. They have two banners: ‘Queer Fellows’ and ‘St Gi[les]’, but among them is the profile of Hobhouse, the radical M.P. for Westminster. Over the wide doorway is a picture or relief of two little puppets on a string: the King and Queen performing antics while the string is pulled by a fiddler and another man, watched by two bystanders. The room (in Brandenburgh House) is ornately furnished; a heavy curtain is draped round a pillar.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • PrintmakerLane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • TitleMoments of pleasure [graphic].
  • Publication[London] : Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., 1820 [ca. November]

Catalog Record 

820.11.00.02

Acquired March 2017

Bat, Cat & Mat, or, How happy could I be with either

Caricature with Queen Caroline on the arms of Bergami (left) and Alderman Wood (right), jubilant on the sidewalk before the door of “Mother Wood”. The Queen wears a watch at her waist and two miniature portraits hanging from cords from her bosom.

  • PrintmakerLane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • TitleBat, Cat & Mat, or, How happy could I be with either [graphic].
  • PublicationLondon : Pub. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., Jan. 19, 1821.

Catalog Record

821.01.19.02

Acquired March 2017

A wooden substitute, or, Any port in a storm

“A companion plate to British Museum Satires no. 14103. Alderman Wood takes the Queen’s left arm, staring down at her and grinning. He wears a top-hat on the back of his head, black tail-coat with trousers; his left hand is thrust under the buttons of his double-breasted coat. He wears an order and a star on which the Queen’s head is depicted (see British Museum Satires no. 13810). From her neck hang twin miniatures: Bergami and Wood. Her dress is a modified version of that in British Museum Satires no. 14103: between open over-dress and Turkish trousers is a frilled petticoat reaching well below the knee; her feathered hat resembles that worn at her ‘trial’. They stand in a wooded landscape with goats and rabbits in the middle distance. In the background, on the edge of a lake, is the tiny figure of Bergami, both arms raised.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • PrintmakerLane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • TitleA wooden substitute, or, Any port in a storm [graphic].
  • PublicationLondon : Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., Jany. 19, 1821.

Catalog Record

821.01.19.01

Acquired March 2017

The Q-n’s ass in a band-box

“The Queen, grossly caricatured, sits on a zebra which stands in a round band-box with a hinged and upturned lid inscribed ‘a Present from Baro Bergami’. The zebra has the (profile) head of Wood, looking with greedy and imbecile satisfaction towards a sieve of food inscribed ‘[Wa]rden of St Catherine’. This is held out by two hands projecting from the left margin. The Queen, with a grin both calculating and insane, sits full-face, negligently holding reins attached to Wood’s mouth, her left hand on her hip. She sits in a smaller (bottomless) band-box which surrounds her from hips to knees, the left leg, in frilled drawers, being thrust forward from beneath it. She wears a décolletée dress; on her head is an erection of feathers and flowers rising from a circlet inscribed ‘Wood’. An owl (cf. British Museum Satires no. 14199) flies by her head. In the background is Brandenburgh House, in front of which is a braying ass.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • PrintmakerLane, Theodore, 1800-1828, printmaker.
  • TitleThe Q-n’s ass in a band-box [graphic].
  • PublicationLondon : Pubd. by G. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s St., Jany. 22, 1821.

Catalog Record

821.01.22.01

Acquired March 2017