Caricature of the British Prime Minister presenting crowns to King George IV in the Brighton Pavilion, surrounded by Chinese objects and figures. The King is seen from behind, brandishing a scepter and sovereign’s orb
820.03.30.07+
Acquired July 2024
Portrait heads of fifty-five men, mostly in profile, identified elsewhere as portraits of various print sellers, collectors, artists, etc., sketched by Paul Sandby while attending print sales in London
798.02.01.03
Acquired June 2024
A large woman, her dress thrown up revealing her legs and part of her bottom, crashes to the floor, having broken her commode The contents of the commode spills out much to the anger of a lap dog and the terror of a cat who flees by climbing a curtain. To the left, another older woman, probably the maid, with a look of alarm, rushes towards the falling woman
802.09.06.01
Acquired July 2024
“Admission ticket … admitting one Lady to the gallery; decorated with standards, an eagle, olive and palm branches in clouds at top; below St George’s Cross on shield flanked by two dragons, standing over sword and sceptre, with ships in background.”–British Museum online catalogue
File 66 814 C792+
Acquired August 2024
View of the Temple of Concord at night, the classicizing structure with a large central edifice and a terrace, heavily decorated with ornate classical imagery, fireworks in the sky above; crowds in the foreground observing the scene through the extensive smoke
814.09.09.01+
Acquired August 2024
“On the pavement outside a pawnshop are a man selling pamphlets and a woman with household goods tied up in two handkerchiefs. The man is a ragged shambling scarecrow, tall and thin, with a battered top-hat, shock of hair, and huge whiskers (signs of dandyism). On his tall pole is a placard ‘NO POPERY’, the latter word bisected by the pole. He squints downwards, saying, ‘a full account of the Interest taken by the whole House’. The woman, stout and proletarian, wearing a red cloak and an apron, looks up at the placard, saying, ‘No Pop–ery eh? I suppose since Old Grindall’s Sons got into the Parliament, they are asham’d of their Trade–well there is plenty of other pop-ery’s about–& as to Interest they always took enough of that you ugly Scarecrow.’ On the closed shop-door (left) are the three balls sign and Pawnbrokers ‘[M]oney Lent’. In the window hang watches, &c. The cobbled roadway leads (right) towards the arched entrance of a narrow alley: ‘Poppings Court’.”–British Museum online catalogue
829.03.10.01+
Acquired October 2024
Folio 75 H438 829
Acquired October 2024
In a fashionable restaurant decorated with plants and a chandelier, three men, one in a military frock coat, sitting at a table with a punch bowl and glasses, express surprise as the waiter hands them the bill for their lunch which included beefsteak, various liquors, ice cream and bread. A pretty hostess stands behind the counter on the left writing out another bill. Below the image is the caption” Goddam! Quinze cent francs pour un déjeuner!!!! C’est beaucoup fort cher— yes, yes yes …… .
815.00.00.20+
Acquired November 2024
“The Green Bag, see British Museum Satires No. 13735, &c., is transformed into a hillock covered with grass and foliage, but keeping the contour of a sack; it is inscribed in large letters: ‘Commons Green Bag‘. On the left it is watched by a group of Ministers, on the right by the Queen and her supporters. The foremost of the latter is Brougham, in wig and gown, who points a rod inscribed ‘Queens Attorney General’ towards the bag; a mouse crouches in a little hollow at its base. Under his arm is a large document inscribed ‘Resolution ….. [Ma]jesty’. The Queen, her hands extended towards him, turns to a second barrister who stands in back-view, saying, “I should make a brave Queen to be frightened at a Mouse.” The barrister, Denman, the Queen’s Solicitor-General, answers: “A good Conscience is a Wall of Brass, your Majesty will not shrink at a Royal Tiger.” On the extreme right, Wood, in an alderman’s gown, is speaking to a lady, evidently Lady Ann Hamilton. On the extreme left is a curtain from behind which the King, his head and most of his person being hidden, speaks to Lord Eldon (who like his colleagues is gaping at the bag-mountain): “Why Bags! what’s all this!” Eldon, in wig and gown, holding a large document and the Purse of the Great Seal, answers: “The Cat’s out of the Bag Sire thats all.” Canning exclaims: “Pro-di-gi-ous! as my Friend Domine Sampson [in Scott’s ‘Guy Mannering’, 1815] says!” Castlereagh, very scared, says to Sidmouth: “Doctor could you not prevented [sic] this untimely Birth!” Sidmouth stoops forward, squirting a clyster-pipe at the mouse; in his right hand, like a doctor’s gold-headed cane, is a constable’s staff. He exclaims: “A Delivery without Nurse or Doctor by Heaven.” From his pocket hangs a paper: ‘Foreign Circular’ [cf. British Museum Satires No. 13282]. After the title: ‘When mountains cry out, people may well be excused the apprehension of some prodigious Birth, this was the case the Public were all at their wits end, to consider what would be the Issue, and instead of the dreadfull Monster that they expected, out comes at last a contemptible Mouse–The Moral. Much ado about Nothing.– Reflection. What are all the extravagant attempts and enterprises of weak Men, but morals more or less of this Fable what are mighty pretences without consideration or effect, but the vapours of a distemper, that like sickly Dreams have neither issue nor conection. and the dissapointment is not all neither, for men make themselves ridiculous instead of Terrible, when this Tympany shall come to end in a Blast, and a Mountain to bring forth a Mouse, vide L’Estrange’s Esop.–‘.”–British Museum online catalogue.
820.06.28.01+
Acquired June 2024
“An imitation of British Museum Satires No. 15733. The Duke of Cumberland, dressed as a guard with broad-brimmed hat, gold-laced greatcoat, pouch or satchel, with breeches and top-boots, holds a cocked blunderbuss by the barrel in his right hand, a coach-horn in his left. He says: ‘Hullo Governer [Eldon] if you dont take care, you’ll be floord by the leaders of the Sovereign’ [see British Museum Satires No. 15720]; cf. British Museum Satires No. 15752.”–British Museum online catalogue
829.04.00.20
Acquired June 2024