“Satire: an Englishman falls while reaching out for a side of meat; in the background a wall with mock advertisements.”–British Museum online catalogue.
816.02.17.01
Acquired April 2024
“Two very tall and lank Englishmen walk arm-in-arm in profile to the left; one grasps a big (red) umbrella, and looks down at a dog. Before them walks a dwarfish man holding a tall cane, perhaps a servant, but dressed in the fashion of the day apart from striped trousers. Behind walks a second couple, shorter, broader, and more cheerful. All have flower-pot hats, and all double-breasted long-tailed coats, except one of the second pair, who wears top-boots. The others wear either long tight trousers or tight gaiters reaching above the knee. Two have large bows suspended from their fobs, to which seal and watch-key are attached. Three wear neckcloths with projecting ends.”–British Museum online catalogue.
814.00.00.44
Acquired April 2024
“A giant mushroom reaches the upper margin of the design; in its summit a cask is embedded. The butler stands on a ladder (left) holding out the spigot, and saying to Banks who stands below (right): “here’s a pretty “Tale of a tub, all the Wine’s gone!!” Sir Joseph stands in back view, capering delightedly; he holds up both arms, a stick in the left hand, and says with head thrown back: “It is a most Glorious discovery cut it down & send it to the Museum had the Wine been Bottled, it wod not have been half so Interesting.” Against the wall of the cellar are wine-bins, stacked with bottles, four inscribed respectively ‘Curious Tinta’; ‘Cypress’; ‘Very Curious’; ‘Wine drank by the Grt Mogul’. Flasks on the top of the bins are ‘Nile Water’ and ‘Water from Tombuctoo’. On the ground (left) is a two-handled covered vase: ‘A small portion of the Sabine left by Horace at his death contained in this Vase preserved for dinners of the R S.’.”–British Museum online catalogue.
“Below the title: ‘–Dedicated to the worthy President–Sir Joseph Banks having a Cask of Wine rather too sweet for use, he directed that it shod be placed in a Cellar that the Saccharine matter it contain’d might be more perfectly decomposed by age–At the end of three years he directed his Butler to ascertain the state of the Wine, when on attempting to open the Cellar door he was prevented by some powerful obstacle–the Door was therefore cut down & the Cellar was found to be completely fill’d with a firm fungus vegetable production–the Cask was Empty & carried up to the deling where it was supported by the surface of the Fungus.–(vide Monthly Magazine).'”–British Museum online catalogue.
819.03.00.03
Acquired May 2024
A man hunched over a fire in an empty room as eight tradespeople — a chandler, a baker, a butcher, a dairy woman, a tailor, and a dustman — fight to present their unpaid bills, long scrolls of paper that they show to the bankrupt man. He responds: ‘God bless me Wot a Posse of ye – I’m very Sorry to inform ye my good Folks that I’ve just been turn’d a Bankrupt’.
832.01.00.02
Acquired March 2024
Four employees of a hatter force their employer into a bath of black dye. One of the journeymen holds a beaver by its tail as it cries “He robbed me of my coat, and blam’d others for it.” A young apprentice entering from the right holds out a fish to the beaver. In the foreground a black demon whose speech balloon reads, “Push him through my lads. I’ll adopt him as one of my children.”
806.04.14.01+
Acquired April 2024
“View of the procession in St. George’s Chapel. The body is carried on the shoulders of some yeomen of the guard, under a canopy of black velvet, which is borne by eight gentlemen ushers, the pall is supported by baronesses who are preceded by the Lord Chamberlain and Vice Chamberlain of His Majesty’s household, Garter, Principal, King-of-Arms, bearing his sceptre, the coronet is borne by Colonel Akenbroke, and followed by the chief mourner, Prince Leopold whose train is carried by Baron de Hardenbroke and Sir Robert Gardiner; on one side is the Duke of York, on the other the Duke of Clarence, who are followed by other princes of the royal blood.”–Reid, G.W. Descriptive catalogue of the works of George Cruikshank.
817.11.19.01
Acquired July 2023
49 3390
Acquired December 2023
Satire: parson, with two men, exorcising ghost in field.”–British Museum online catalogue.
792.10.01.03
Acquired September 2023
View of a house supposedly near Putney Common, satirically called ‘Bear’s Den Hall’, a rickety house with cracked plaster walls and a chimney-stack with broken brick, and with weeds growing from the cracks and on the roof. A key at the top references many of the features of the scene, including a bear is chained by the front door (B) at the left, birds in flight (K). The property is separated from the road in the foreground by a wicket fence, with a satircial armorial crest along the lower edge with portraits of Charles Christian and Skelton.
Satire on social pretensions: a view of a dilapidated cottage set into a garden behind a wooden fence, with a mock coat-of-arms at the bottom.–From variant state in the British Museum online catalogue.
720.00.00.106
Acquired November 2023
Twenty-four letterpress and engraved lottery puffs uncut on one sheet. Each puff includes engravings of Twelfth night character by George Cruikshank and an 8-line poem.
Drawer 819.12.00.02
Acquired March 2024