Broadside poem, with engraving above letterpress text.
Engraved at top left of image: June mid-day. Engaved at top right of image: Tide, low water at London Bridge.
832.00.00.51++
Acquired November 2020
Letterpress text with wood-engravings on either side of the title at head of sheet: on the left “Temperance and Happy Family” and on the right “Intemperance and Miserable Family”. Below the heading and on the upper half of the sheet, an explanation of a wood-engraving in the center entitled “The Drunkard’s Coat of Arms”. On the lower half of the sheet, a poem in four columns, surrounding another large central image of a drunken crowd, including a woman feeding her infant from a wine glass; the rowdy, celebrating in a room with a row of large barrels labeled “Holland, Brand[y], Rum, Old Tom, Cream of the Valley.”
833.00.00.16+
Acquired November 2020
A playbill
File 767 P69B C838 1810 5/26
Acquired November 2020
“Mr. and Mrs. Bull are in their breakfast parlour; she sits beside a table on which is a tray with coffee-pot, &c, he stands booted and spurred, impatient to set off. Through an open doorway (right) a groom is seen holding a saddle-horse. Behind are the houses of a London street. Mrs. Bull reads with dismay the ‘[M]orning Post’; she cries: “Here Mr Bull here’s the Speech of that fellow on the Corn Bill – You must stop and hear this – The Price of Corn is yet Far Below the Price which is universally allowed to be Necessary!!!! why we shall all be starved Mr Bull.” He shouts, with outstretched arms: “D——n the Corn Bill! I have not time to think of any thing till the Election is over. – why Liberty and Independence is at stak [sic] – What is Starving to that Mrs Bull!” Both are very fat, and evidently prosperous.”–British Museum online catalogue.
804.08.20.03+
Acquired November 2020
“Fox stoops to support on his back Horne Tooke, who is about to climb into the window of ‘St Stephe[n’s] Chap[el]’, the name on a slab over the door, partly cut off by the right margin. The door is being closed by Lord Temple, who says: “He shall not pollute this holy Temple”. Tooke rests his right foot on Fox’s back, his hands grasping the sill; his left toe is in a cranny in the wall above a placard headed: ‘Old Sarum Dilly takes only one at the Brazenface’. He looks down at Fox, saying, “don’t give way I am not quite in Yet”. Fox, his head towards the door, one foot supported on a book: ‘Powerfull Reasons for Non attendance’, says: “Come on with you!! and mind and button your great Coat to hide the Old Cassock.” Tooke’s greatcoat hangs open, showing his coat, and the skirt of a short cassock over knee-breeches. On the wall beside him is a torn placard: ‘A New Edition The Diversions of Purley by the Rev John H…’ The keystone of the arch over the door, on the extreme right, is a satyr’s head, leering at Tooke with protruding tongue.”–British Museum online catalogue.
801.03.14.02+
Acquired November 2020
“John Bull, a plebeian, stout and dishevelled, lies on his back on a tangle of large roses with vicious thorns. These are on a heap of stones and under the stump of a decayed oak tree (left). He exclaims: “Oh Lord! Oh Lord! if this be the Bed of Roses they make such a noise about I’d sooner lye with the Old Sow and her Farrow in the Dog Days! – My Dame will roar woundidly when she comes to bed! Ecod it’s as bad as lying on a Harrow upside down.” The stones (left to right) are ‘Expedition to Holland’ [1799, see British Museum Satires No. 9412, &c], ‘Expedition to Ferrol’, ‘Jobs and Contracts’, ‘Pension List’, ‘Indemnity for the past & Security for the Future’, ‘No Peace possible with the child and Champion of Jacobinism’, ‘Places’, ‘Subsidies’. The roses are: ‘Candle Tax’, ‘Hair Powder Tax’, ‘Hat Tax’, ‘Paper Tax’, ‘Snuff Tax’, ‘Game Tax’, ‘Wine Tax’, ‘Property Tax’, ‘Salt Tax’, ‘Land Tax’, ‘Stamp Tax’, ‘Assessed Taxes’, ‘Income Tax’, ‘Table Beer Tax’, ‘House Tax’, ‘Window Tax’, ‘Excise Duty’, ‘Horse Tax’, ‘Tobacco Tax’, ‘Soap Tax’, ‘Servant Tax’, ‘Malt Tax’, ‘Hop Tax’, ‘Sugar Tax’, ‘Legacy Tax’, ‘Tea Tax’, ‘Cyder Tax’. On the two extremities of the ‘bed’ are clusters of thorny buds; these are inscribed ‘1807’, ‘1808’, and [once] ‘1809’, those on the left being labelled ‘National Debt’. In the distance St. Paul’s is indicated. Bushes on the right are wind-swept.”–British Museum online catalogue.
806.07.00.01+
Acquired November 2020
A scene in a fashionable library with ladies and gentlemen conversing with attendants at the counters on either side. On the left a woman looks in a book while her male companion converses with a clergyman, as the woman behind the counter consults a book. On the right, a man sits in a chair as a lady discusses her choices with the man behind the counter who reaches for a book below a sign ‘Stamp’. Behind him is another sign “Just published […]” An older woman with a walking stick approaches the counter on the right, followed by a Black servant and a dog. The windows are filled with books and prints. Through the open door a woman with an umbrella is silhouetted; to the left another sign “History Westminster and its monuments.”
813.00.00.24
Acquired November 2020
“Stoddart sits in the centre of the design blowing through a trumpet a blast of abuse towards the newly-arrived Queen (left) while holding out copies of his newspaper towards four ragged little newsboys (right), who also blow their horns with great vigour. Queen Caroline, tall, dignified, and demurely dressed in black, flinches from Stoddart’s blast, and is protected by Britannia and Alderman Wood. She says: “Surely thos Fellows will not be suffered to Insult me in this manner? who is it that Sets them on? who encourages them.” Britannia, seated on a very angry Lion, extends her arms, saying: “Welcome Beloved of thy People, the Mother of Englands lost — & ever to be lamented Hope, will ever be dear to the Hearts of every true born Englishman.” Wood, wearing an Alderman’s gown, tries to protect her with a shield inscribed: ‘No more Douglas’s an Englishman’s Rights, Justice & Truth’. From Stoddart’s trumpet issue the words: ‘Treason, Crim Con, no Rights, no Claims, no pretensions, no Prerogatives, no Patronage, no Property, no Soul to be Prayed for, no Justice, no Law, no Protection, Woe to them that espouse her Cause, Woe to them that Speak well of her!!!’ At his feet lie newspapers: ‘New Times’, ‘Morning Post’, ‘Courier’. Castlereagh and Sidmouth (right), who extend admonitory fingers, urge him on: the former says: “hit hard–dont spare now Dr Slop here is a fine Oppertunity for you to indulge your Spleen.” Sidmouth, larger than life and shockingly malevolent, says: “Blow away my boys, spread it far and near, lay it on thick, do not stand for Trifles!!!” The biggest newsboy has a bill headed ‘New Times’ in his hat; another holds a bundle of the ‘Courier’, ‘New Times’, and ‘[Morning] Post’. A third has ‘News’ in his hat. Behind and between Stoddart and Castlereagh a man capers in ecstasy, waving a hat in which is a paper: ‘Pardon for Edwards’. He exclaims: “Now I shall have a Job again and get better paid than before.””–British Museum online catalogue.
820.06.08.01+
Acquired November 2020
An exoticly dressed man and wild hair dances with a woman in a large headdress and flowing gown as three figures look on
Drawings C89 no. 1 Box D205
Acquired November 2020
Three men sit by a supper-table, a grandfather-clock behind them points to XI. The man on the left is having his jack-boots pulled off by a small boy; the boy stands astride his right leg pulling hard, his back to the man, who is scowling and pushes his other booted foot against the boy’s back; on the floor are a pair of spurs, a pair of slippers, and a boot-jack. A man (right) wearing a night-cap, but otherwise completely dressed and wearing spurred boots, leans one elbow on the table, his face contorted as if in pain, he holds his hand to his thigh. On the table beside him is a small packet inscribed “Diaculum”. In the centre, and on the farther side of the table, the third man leans both elbows on the table, his hair is tousled and his eyes are shut. A servant behind, yawning, is carrying off a square box, probably a wig-box, while a maidservant stands on the right, a candle in one hand, a warming-pan in the other, watching with amusement the efforts of the boy to pull off the boot. Three hats hang on the wall; a bottle, a plate, three wine-glasses, and a guttering candle, burnt down to the socket, stand on the table. See related image in the British Museum catalogue.
816.00.00.81+
Acquired November 2020