Run neighbours, run, St. Al-ns is quadrilling it

group of people dancing

“The Duchess of St. Albans, immensely fat, florid, and bejewelled, and a stout elderly naval officer wearing loose wide trousers, and apparently doing hornpipe steps, his hands on his hips, dance side by side with rollicking abandon. The others of the set: one man and two ladies on the left and one lady and two men on the right dance rigidly erect, and watch the central pair with hauteur; the men are dandies, the women slim and fashionable. The duchess has a swirling paradise-plume in her towering loops of hair, above tossing ringlets.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Heath, William, 1795-1840, printmaker.
  • Title: Run neighbours, run, St. Al-ns is quadrilling it [graphic] / [man with an umbrella] Esq.
  • Publication: [London] : Pub. by T. McLean, 26 Haymarket, May 1829.

Catalog Record 

829.05.00.08+

Acquired October 2018

A short ride in the Long Walk, or, The ponies posed!!

A short ride in the Long Walk, or, The ponies posed!!

“George IV drives Lady Conyngham in a four-wheeled pony-chaise. He is chubbily obese, in loose trousers and braided jacket, wearing a cap poised on his naturalistic curls (cf. British Museum Satires no. 14637). He turns to the enormously corpulent lady. Both overweight the little chaise, and the very small ponies strain desperately. Behind and on the extreme left is the head of the horse ridden by an attendant. They have just passed a gate with a small octagonal lodge. The drive is bordered by a paling; in the background are stags.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Heath, William, 1795-1840, printmaker.
  • Title: A short ride in the Long Walk, or, The ponies posed!! [graphic].
  • Publication: [London] : Pub. March 28, 1824, by S.W. Fores, 41 Picadilly [sic], London, [28 March 1824]

Catalog Record

824.03.28.01+

Acquired October 2018

Irish M.P.’s

Irish M.P.'s. Detailed description below.

An Irish schoolmaster-priest, sits in a chair taking a pinch of snuff from an open snuff box as he catechizes a dwarfish Irish peasant, ragged and barelegged, who answers with a sly grin: ‘O’C — for O’Connell thats right–now Pat what does MP stand for eh?’ Answer: ‘Mealy Potato’. On the table to the right is a crucifix used to prop open a book. Cf. British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Heath, William, 1795-1840, printmaker.
  • Title: Irish M.P.’s [graphic] / [man with an umbrella] Esqr.
  • Publication: [London] : Pub. by T. McLean, 26 Haymarket …, [1829]

Catalog Record 

829.00.00.112+

Acquired October 2018

A kiss at the congress

Louis XVIII, grotesquely obese (left), and the Tsar kiss, their lips touching

“Louis XVIII, grotesquely obese (left), and the Tsar kiss, their lips touching. Louis, whose head is much the larger, grasps the back of Alexander’s head; the Tsar bends from the waist to reach beyond the King’s paunch. Louis, with the gouty legs and old-fashioned gold-embroidered coat and waistcoat of English caricature, wears the order of the Saint Esprit. The Tsar, in uniform, has the high pinched waist and bulging breast of the dandy (cf. British Museum Satires No. 13029) with enormous cavalry boots to the thigh, huge epaulets, and a sash, but no sword. He says: “My Dear Legitimate Brother (tho I believe I call Boney the same) I am happy to serve you tho your cursed Country Men almost destroyed my country–” Louis answers: “Ma Chere [sic] Ami, I am so rejoiced at your Brotherly Kindness in putting off our payment & takeing off your Troops that I could Devour you.” The embrace is watched by two Frenchmen on the left, and on the right by the King of Prussia, the Emperor of Austria, and a young man (? Napoleon’s son). Frederick William wears dandified uniform like that of the Tsar but with long trousers; he supports a large sword hanging from a belt, and holds a huge cocked hat; he watches the embrace with distaste, saying, “I am obliged to follow the Leaders at Present.” Francis I says: “I must agree for the moment but I have a Grandson.” One Frenchman wears uniform with top-boots; he says: “De Legitimate francais be too much for John Bull de manoeuvre by Gar ve want de Time & we show dem vat ve intend.” His companion, an elderly man wearing a court suit with a powdered wig (Richelieu attended the Conference on behalf of France) says delightedly: “Ah-ha he do him vid Compliments & den we do them out of the Money.” Behind them is a row of melancholy knock-kneed Grenadiers.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Heath, William, 1795-1840, printmaker.
  • Title: A kiss at the congress [graphic] : a legitimate embrace at Aix la Chapelle between Alexander the Great and Louis the Large, & others of the dramatis persona.
  • Publication: [London] : Pub. Nov. 18, 1818, by S.W. Fores, 50 Piccadilli [sic] & 114 Oxford Street, [18 November 1818]

Catalog Record 

818.11.18.01+

Acquired October 2018

Slugs in a saw-pit hell to pay

Slugs in a saw-pit hell to pay . Detailed description below

“Two timorous duellists face each other at close quarters in a saw-pit, trembling and dropping their weapons, namely pistol and blunderbuss; each has a heap of weapons at his feet: sabres, rapier, pistol, more blunderbusses. The hair of both rises on their heads. One (left) is in uniform, the other (right), who is smaller, wears fashionable civilian dress with tasselled Hessian boots. A scroll extends above their heads inscribed: ‘Did you mean to Offend me? indeed Sir not I.–indeed Sir I’m very glad on’t!!!’ A spectator (right) looks over the edge of the pit, holding a bowl from which he blows soap bubbles, which float over the head of the civilian. The bubble in the pipe is inscribed ‘Puff’, suggesting a publicity campaign.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Heath, William, 1795-1840, printmaker.
  • Title: Slugs in a saw-pit hell to pay, or, The direful courage of Dolla Lolla [graphic].
  • Publication: [London] : Pub. Jan. 1810 by S.W. Fores, Picadilli [sic], [January 1810]

Catalog Record

810.01.00.01+

Acquired October 2018

Modern aquatics

Modern aquatics . Detailed description below.

“A Thames wherry passes close to the wall of a riverside tavern, and is about to go under a high timber bridge. The two oarsmen have immense artificial-looking whiskers and curled hair, cf. British Museum satires no. 15962, no hats, and wear striped shirts, open at the neck, nautical in cut. They row a lady who sits erect in a grotesquely huge hat, with wide brim, high jam-pot crown, and towering ribbons. They row badly and carelessly. In waterside arbours spectators drink and smoke. On the extreme left steps lead to the water, and two more amateur oarsmen, looking like buccaneers, stand, while a boatman in waders holds the bow of a boat. Behind are urban houses.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Heath, William, 1795-1840, printmaker.
  • Title: Modern aquatics [graphic] / [man with an umbrella] Esq. del.
  • Publication: [London] : Pub. by T. McLean, 26 Haymarket, London, [ca. 1829]

Catalog Record 

829.00.00.113+

Acquired October 2018

The man wots got the whip hand of ’em all

The man wots got the whip hand of 'em all. Detailed description below

“A hand printing-press of metal (a Stanhope Press), supported on the stout legs of a man in breeches which seem to belong to a John Bull, puts to flight mere pigmy humans: two flee to the right, one propelled by a kick from a huge buckled shoe; two others have fallen. Two levers or handles serve as arms; one has a hand which grasps a giant pen, the feather entwined with three serpents which spit flame at the departing legs and cocked hat of Wellington, who, kicked into the air, disappears behind the upper right margin of the design. Another pair of legs, with the black stockings and buckled shoes of Eldon, project from the upper left margin; beside them a single leg and a broom indicate the departing Brougham. A second lever supports a print, ‘The Man Wot Drives The Sovereign’, copied from British Museum satires no. 15731; a flame issues from the press, threatening to scorch or destroy the print. The press is topped by a cap of Liberty inscribed ‘Free Press’ and encircled with a wreath. A little demon (a printer’s devil) rushes towards the press from the left, holding up a big ink-ball.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Heath, William, 1795-1840, printmaker.
  • Title: The man wots got the whip hand of ’em all [graphic].
  • Publication: [London] : Pub. May 30th, 1829, by T. McLean, 26 Haymarket …, [30 May 1829]

Catalog Record 

829.05.30.01+

Acquired October 2018

A view in Regent’s Park, 1831

A View in Regents Park. Detailed description below

Steam-driven coaches and carriages and three-wheeled vehicles loaded with well-dressed passengers fill Regent’s Park. The chaos and conjestion fill the park with dust and dark smoke and result in accidents.

  • Printmaker: Alken, Henry Thomas, 1784-1851, printmaker.
  • Title: A view in Regent’s Park, 1831 [graphic].
  • Publication: London : Pubd. Feby. 20, 1828, by S & J. Fuller, at their Sporting Gallery, 34 Rathbone Place, [20 February 1828]

Catalog Record 

828.02.20.01+

Acquired October 2018

Modern St. George attacking the monster of despotism

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“Burdett, wearing armour, attacks a seven-headed monster, which guards the gate of the Treasury, a heavy door in a stone arch (left). On his shield is a St. George’s Cross inscribed ‘Bill of Rights’ and ‘Magna Charta’; at his feet is the word ‘Independance’ [cf. British Museum Satires No. 10732]. He says: “I will Stand up for the Rights of the People Or Perish in the Attempt”. The monster has a scaly body, webbed and barbed wings, a barbed tail, and fierce talons; its seven serpent-like necks, terminating in human heads, are encircled by a collar inscribed ‘Coruption’ [in reversed characters). All spit at Burdett, three emit words: Perceval says: “I Perceive what hes Doing”; Croker says: “I begin to Croke”; a third, Lethbridge (identified by his words), says: “Bless me He makes my Hair stand on End like the Quills upon the fretfull Porcupine”. His hair is standing up, and is flanked by two locks which suggest ass’s ears. A profile resembles Windham; one head may be presumed to represent Yorke. Under the feet of the monster are three torn papers: ‘Act of Habeas Corpus’, ‘Compact between the King and the People’, ‘Petition of Right’.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Heath, William, 1795-1840, printmaker.
  • Title: Modern St. George attacking the monster of despotism [graphic].
  • Publication: [London] : Pub. 6th of April by Fores, 50 Picadilli [sic], [6 April] 1810.

Catalog Record 

810.04.06.01+

Acquired October 2018

The Devils doings

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“The Devil (right), in the foreground and much larger than the other figures, stands Asmodeus-like on a house-top (cf. British Museum Satires No. 16160), overturning with a long pole a dinner-table and upsetting the guests who fall on clouds of Dust. He is a grotesque muscular creature with goat’s legs, barbed wings and tail, and looks round with a triumphant grin at the spectator. The guests are also assailed by harpies, little winged men, whose bodies terminate in barbed and scaly tails. One of these (Corder), holding a long bill which rises into the air above him, assails a man (Roach) mounted on a cockroach and holding up a book inscribed Parish Acct; he is The Grand Carver mounted on his Cockroach.; from the cockroach’s antennae hang two big keys, and it emits a tail-blast inscribed We are of the Select, against his assailant. The latter holds out a paper inscribed Majority 7 and says am I not the Elect. Another harpy holding out a constable’s staff flies menacingly towards the cockroach, saying, By St Thomas I cheque this. Roach exclaims: I tell you it’s all a farce so we have taken the liberty to Cribb the Books Keep the Keys tight Cockey. A third harpy threatens the feast with a pair of spurred cavalry boots, saying you will Do-Well to give in, showing he is T. W. Dow (a boot-maker of York Street, Covent Garden. P.O. London Directory, 1822), see British Museum Satires No. 15528. A fourth has seized a paunchy Vestryman by the nose; the victim screams Oh my Nose–Rose Water rose water–oh oh oh– From the table fall birds, hare, tureen, decanter, pineapple, &c. The dust forms a background, and is inscribed Dust for the Eyes of the Parishioners; looming through it is the façade of St. Paul’s, Covent Garden. The bill held by Corder is headed Dinners. The items are Richardson £8-5, Hodgson & Gan £47-11-0, wine 5. 3. 0. Hodgson & Gan[n] Venison feast 30. 3- 6–Dinner on auditing Accounts £11- 4- 0, Hodg & Gann Ditto £40 4-0, Richardson Visitation Din . . £22. 7. 6, Joys St Thomas Day Dinner £20-10-0—&c &c.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • Printmaker: Heath, William, 1795-1840, printmaker.
  • Title: The Devils doings, or, The cruel radical harpies destroying a feast [graphic] / [man with an umbrella] Eqs. de.
  • Publication: [London] : Pub. by T. McLean, 26 Haymarket …, [April 1828]

Catalog Record

828.04.00.02+

Acquired October 2018