Packing up!!!

description below

“In a room filled with bales, chests, and plunder the Conyngham family prepare to depart. Lord Conyngham (left), in shirt-sleeves but elegant, tugs at the cord of an enormous bundle. Lady Conyngham struggles with the lock of a treasure-chest, saying, ‘There is no such thing as getting those Devilish Locks of Bramahs open’. Her daughter carries on her shoulder the skeleton of the giraffe (see British Museum Satires No. 16108). A cupboard topped with the Royal Arms displays bare shelves; plate is heaped on the floor.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Heath, William, 1795-1840, printmaker.
  • Title: Packing up!!! [graphic] / W. Heath.
  • Publication: [London] : Pub. July 1st, 1830, by T. McLean, 26 Haymarket, [1 July 1830]

Catalog Record

830.07.01.01+

Acquired January 2020

Man playing a horn

description below

Half-length portrait of a man, in profile to the right, playing a horn. On the back, a pencil sketch of the backs of two figures.

 

  • Artist: Nixon, John, -1818, artist.
  • Title: [Man playing a horn] [art original].
  • Production: [England], [not after 1818]

Catalog Record

Drawings N736 no. 9 Box D141

Acquired January 2020

[Ticket for Dalby Theatre]

description below

An image of a mad Medea [?], hair flowing and left breast bare, holding a dagger in her right hand and held above her head, posed read to strike. In her left hand she holds a chalice. There is a column to her left in the background. Used as a ticket for a production at Dalby Theatre, the private playhouse of Edward Hartopp (1758-1808) at his seat Little Dalby Hall in Leicestershire.

 

  • Title: [Ticket for Dalby Theatre] [graphic].
  • Production: [Melton Mowbray?] : [publisher not identified], [1803]

Catalog Record

File 767 P69b D213 803.1 7/21 Copy 3

Acquired January 2020

Acting magistrates committing themselves being their first appearance

see description below

“The stage of Covent Garden Theatre is seen from the right with a small part of the pit in the left foreground; the boxes and galleries adjoining the stage form the background on the left. The pittites are standing and blow trumpets, spring rattles, ring bells, and shout. Those in the crowded boxes behave in the same way; with one exception all are men. Two men occupy each of the two boxes over the stage-door; they watch passively. The musicians’ seats are empty, but candles burn beside their open music-books, and one of the orchestra stands facing the audience, threatening them with fist and baton. On the stage three men stand together addressing the audience. The man in the centre holds out a paper: ‘Riot Act’; he says: “We shall Read the riot act”. Behind them stands Kemble wearing a tail-coat and white trousers, appealing to the audience with his hands meekly together as if in prayer. Large notices and placards hang from the galleries and boxes: ‘Old Prices’ [five times]; ‘Harris will but Kemble won,t’; ‘No Kembles No more insults’; ‘Kemble remember the Dublin Tin Man’; ‘No Foreign Sofas’; ‘Iohn Bull against Iohn Kemble’; ‘No Catalani’; ‘Old Prices’ [three times]; ‘No Italian Private Boxes’; ‘£6000 for Caterwauling’; ‘Catalani’, below a print of a cat dressed as a woman, and singing ‘Me Yo’ from a music-book; ‘No Catalani!! Mountain– Billington, and Dickons for ever’; ‘Ol Price for ever No caterwauling’; ‘Old Prices No Catalani’; a gigantic placard: ‘Statement– £ Subscribed — £80-000 Fire Office — 50-000 Old Materials — 25-000 155-000 New Theatre —- 150-000 Managers of it —- 5-000′ Held up by a ‘John Bull’ in the pit who blows a trumpet: ‘No Catalani No Pigeon Holes Old Prices No Private Boxes’. A man shouts from a box: “Off Off Off Off”; he springs a rattle.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Cruikshank, Isaac, 1756?-1811?, printmaker.
  • Title: Acting magistrates committing themselves being their first appearance on this stage, as performed at the National Theatre Covent Garden, Sepr. 18, 1809 [graphic]
  • Publication: [London] : [publisher not identified], [ca. September 1809]

Catalog Record

809.09.00.06++

Acquired January 2020

[Ticket for Dalby Theatre]

An image of a semi-naked woman, paritally covered in drapery, flying amongst the clouds. In her left hand she holds a banner. Used as a ticket for a production at Dalby Theatre, the private playhouse of Edward Hartopp (1758-1808) at his seat Little Dalby Hall in Leicestershire.

 

  • Title: [Ticket for Dalby Theatre] [graphic].
  • Production: [Melton Mowbray?] : [publisher not identified], [1803]

Catalog Record

File 767 P69b D213 803.2

Acquired January 2020

The introduction of the Pope to the Convocation at Oxford

description below

“A satire on the approaching election for the Chancellorship of Oxford University. Grenville, dressed as a cardinal, heads a small procession towards the Devil, who wears a robe on which is a large cross, and holds the bland mask with which he has been hiding his face. Grenville, bowing low, and deferentially holding his large hat, holds out a paper: Catholic Petition for the vacant Chancellorship with a Plan for Erecting a New Popish Sanhedrim on the ruins of old Alma-Mater, The Devil says: Well done my Children! This is all the Convocation I would have; in his left hand is a pitchfork. The Marquis of Buckingham, dressed as a Jesuit, stands behind him, one hand on his shoulder, the other holding his barbed tail. Beside him is Canning (unrecognizable) wearing a Jesuit’s biretta. Beside the Devil is a greyhound with the head of Grey, its collar inscribed Popish Gray Hound. Immediately behind Grenville walks the Pope, wearing his tiara, and holding his cross; he holds up Grenville’s robe on which is a large cross. Napoleon crouches behind the Pope, holding on to his robes and hiding under his mantle. He wears a crown, with uniform and spurred boots; his hand is on the hilt of his sword. Behind walk together Temple, enormously fat and dressed as a monk, and his brother, Lord George Grenville, similarly dressed. The former carries the Host, the latter a lighted candle. In the background rows of bishops and clergymen face the procession. Bishops in the front row, humbly sweeping the ground with their mitres, bow low, each clasping a Mass Book, while those behind cheer with raised mortar-board, hand, or Mass Book. On five of the books are the names of bishoprics: York [Vernon], St Asaph [Cleaver], London [Randolph], Oxford [Moss], Norwich [Bathurst]. Above the design (and the bishops): Golgotha, i.e: the place of Skulls.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Gillray, James, 1756-1815, printmaker.
  • Title: The introduction of the Pope to the Convocation at Oxford by the Cardinal Broad-bottom [graphic] / Js. Gillray fect.
  • Publication: [London] : Publishd. by H. Humphrey, 27 St. James Street, London, Decr. 1st, 1809.

Catalog Record 

809.12.01.04+

Acquired January 2020

A city taylor’s wife dressing for the Pantheon

description below

A fashionably dressed woman sitting behind a table is taking a necklace out of a box. She looks with disdain at her enraged husband in old-fashioned clothes and a nightcap, sitting next to her, his fists clenched and despair on his face. In his lap lies a pair of breeches he is sewing; above on the wall of their meagre abode hangs a small stag’s head with antlers.

  • Printmaker: Wilson, James, approximately 1735-approximately 1786, printmaker.
  • Title: A city taylor’s wife dressing for the Pantheon [graphic] / Martin pinxt. ; Wilson sculp.
  • Publication: [London] : Publish’d 5th Feby. 1772 by Heny. Parker at No. 82 in Cornhill, London, [5 February 1772]

Catalog Record

772.02.05.02.1+

January 2020

A specimen of Mr. K**n’s acting

description below

“The actor Kean in part as Richard III appalled as his bastard son is presented to him by its mother as a beadle holds a court order for its maintenance at 7/6d a week.”–British Museum online catalogue.

 

  • Printmaker: Marks, John Lewis, printmaker.
  • Title: A specimen of Mr. K**n’s acting, or, A little man of great parts! [graphic].
  • Publication: London : Pubd. by J.L. Marks, 37 Princes St., Soho – and 28 Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, [ca. 1820]

Catalog Record

820.00.00.114+

Acquired January 2020

The valley of the shadow of death

description below

“Napoleon, advancing down a gently sloping causeway of rock which traverses water and flames, is halted by ‘Leo Britannicus’ who bounds savagely towards him. He drops a short chain attached to the nose of the ‘Russian Bear’, a huge white creature at his heels. He is beset on all sides by monsters, who emerge from a background of flame, smoke, and cloud, or from the water. Beside the British Lion is a little ‘Sicilian Terrier’, barking ferociously. Death, a skeleton-like corpse, rides a mule which dashes through the air towards Napoleon, snorting flame. He wears a Spanish hat and cloak, and holds up a flaming spear and an hour-glass whose sands have almost run out. The mule’s trappings are inscribed ‘True-Royal-Spanish-Breed’. Outstripping the mule, a savage ‘Portuguese Wolf’, with the end of a broken chain attached to his collar, leaps towards Napoleon. The heads and hulders of two melancholy French officers with their necks chained together emerge from clouds to address Napoleon; they say: “Remember Junot and Remember Dupont.” Above these is the Pope’s tiara, the apex of flames, emitting thunderbolts towards Napoleon, and inscribed ‘Dreadful Descent of ye Roman Meteor’ [cf. BMSat 10970]. Immediately above Napoleon is a crescent moon inscribed ‘British-influence’ enclosing the old (dark) moon, which is ‘French Influence’. This forms the centre of a turban, and is surrounded with fiery clouds flanking the features of the Sultan, looking fiercely down at Napoleon. Blood drips from it. This is ‘The Turkish New-Moon, Rising in Blood’. Beside it (right) the head and arms of a man raising an enormous sword above Napoleon emerge from swirling flames: The ‘Spirit of Charles ye XII’ [of Sweden 1682-1718]. On the r. a double-headed Habsburg eagle swoops towards Napoleon from clouds: “- The Imperial Eagle emerging from a Cloud.” Its collar is inscribed ‘German Eagle’. From the water beyond Napoleon’s causeway, the ‘Ditch of Styx’, project the crown and hands of the drowning ‘Rex Joseph’; he is immediately under the Spanish mule ridden by Death. The water on the nearer side of the causeway, in the foreground, is the ‘Lethean Ditch’. From this (left) rats crawl towards Napoleon: “The Rhenish Confederation of Starved Rats, crawling out of the Mud [cf. British Museum Satires No. 10433].” Three frogs raise their heads from the ditch to spit: “Dutch-Frogs spitting out their spite.” A rattle-snake spits venom, and shakes its tail: “- American Rattle-Snake shaking his Tail.-” On the right, standing on a rock, is a dilapidated eagle with clipped wings, and scanty feathers: “Prussian Scare-Crow attempting to Fly -.””–British Museum online catalogue.

 

  • Printmaker: Gillray, James, 1756-1815, printmaker.
  • Title: The valley of the shadow of death [graphic] / Js. Gillray invt. & ft.
  • Publication: [London] : Publish’d Septr. 24th, 1808, by H. Humphrey, 27 St. James’s Street, London, [24 September 1808]

Catalog Record

808.09.24.01+

Acquired January 2020

Committee of Taste, or, The punishment of a modern Midas

description below

“A satire on the rebuilding of Drury Lane Theatre. Whitbread, Chairman of the Committee, bestrides a barrel, the head inscribed ‘The Butt M, T’ [empty]. He has long ass’s ears and points to a table beside him on the extreme right where there is a model of a theatre with a pillared portico and pediment. This rests on a paper inscribed ‘Whitbread Copeland Holland Rolls &ca clear gains 450000!!!!!’ Next Whitbread a man sits behind a similar table littered with plans all inscribed ‘Plan of Drury Lane’. He also has ass’s ears, to which a second pair has been added in water-colour. He looks through an eye-glass, resting his right elbow on an anchor, while he holds at arm’s length the model of a theatre whose portico is flanked by two large sphinxes. A carved sun, like the emblem of the Sun Fire-Office, decorates his chair; on the right is a broad post or terminal pillar supporting a man’s head, also with ass’s ears. This rests on a volume inscribed ‘Commons’, and on its face in large letters are the words ‘Ex Nihilo Nihil Fil’; from its upper edge a signpost arm projects to the right inscribed ‘To Coventry’, showing that he is Peter Moore. Behind Whitbread (left) and partly screened by a heavy curtain is a table supporting a third model of a theatre, also with a portico. Whitbread, frowning slightly, says: “These Resolutions once carried good bye Friend Sherry Old Claimants and new Subscribers (aside) Hem! I think I have bullied the Committe [sic] properly.” His neighbour (? Lord Holland) who smiles, has a round good-humoured face; he says: “La! Mr Chairman I think my Sphynxes look Monstrous Pretty.””–British Museum online catalogue.

 

  • Printmaker: Williams, Charles, active 1797-1830, printmaker.
  • Title: Committee of Taste, or, The punishment of a modern Midas [graphic] : dedicated (without permission) to the subscribers to the New Theatre Drury Lane.
  • Publication: [London] : [publisher not identified], [1812?]

Catalog Record

812.00.00.125+

Acquired January 2020