Soldier with an arrow in his chest

description below

A soldier, possibly from the English Civil War, looks with shock towards an arrow embedded in his chest. He sits, surrounded by foliage, holding a dagger in his right hand.

 

  • Creator: Bunbury, Henry William, 1750-1811, artist.
  • Title: [Soldier with an arrow in his chest] [art original].
  • Production: [England], [1780s?]

Catalog Record

Drawer Drawings B87 no. 31

Acquired November 2022

Anniversary meeting of the Guardians of the Asylum

description belowInvitation to a dinner of the Guardians of the Asylum for Female Orphans. At top is a scene of a woman leading three orphan children away to the left, while the bodies of soldiers are taken away to the right; text with the details of the meeting engraved below. The whole is enclosed within a border of leaves.

 

  • Creator: Asylum for Orphan Girls (London, England)
  • Title: Anniversary meeting of the Guardians of the Asylum : at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, on [blank] May 19th, 179 [blank]. Dinner ticket, price 10s. 6d.
  • Publication: [London] : [publisher not identified], [179-]

Catalog Record

File 66 79- As861

Acquired November 2022

Hell hounds rallying round the idol of France

description below

“A colossal but life-like bust of Napoleon is placed on a mound of decollated human heads. He gazes fixedly upwards in profile to the left; round his neck and bare breast is twisted a noose of rope. Round this idol dance demons with human heads, holding hands. They are naked except for head-coverings, and have horns, hairy legs, tail, with one leg terminating in a cloven hoof, the other in the claw of a bird of prey. These ‘Hell Hounds’ have labels hanging from a collar of rope, showing that they are ‘Caulincourt’, ‘Fouché’, ‘Savory’, with a pen in his hat (he succeeded Fouché as Minister of Police in 1810), ‘Vandamme’, ‘Davoust’, ‘Ney’, ‘Lefebre’. Two demons fly towards the emperor, holding a large wreath which is on fire, with the inscription ‘He Deserves A Crown of Pitch.’ This they are about to place on the idol’s head, towards which gallops through the air a small demon (right) on a goat, blowing a horn. In the foreground lie dead and dying soldiers, one is decapitated, another (right) is naked and has lost an arm which he holds out with an agonized expression towards the idol. In the background (left) soldiers are feeding a bonfire with ‘English Goods’. On the right is a blazing town.”–British Museum online catalogue.

 

  • Printmaker: Rowlandson, Thomas, 1756-1827, printmaker.
  • Title: Hell hounds rallying round the idol of France [graphic].
  • Publication: [London] : Pubd. April 8, 1815, by R. Ackermann, No. 101 Strand, [8 April 1815]

Catalog record

815.04.08.01+

Acquired November 2022

The C … ll volunteer corps

printed text

  • Author: Inhabitant of Coggeshall.
  • Title: The C … ll volunteer corps : a farce, in two acts / by an inhabitant of Great Coggeshall.
  • Edition: The fourth edition.
  • Publication: Colchester : Printed and sold by I. Marsden : Sold also by all the Booksellers in the United Kingdom, [1804?]
  • Manufacture: [Colchester] : Marsden, printer, Colchester.

Catalog Record

768 In56 804

Acquired May 2022

The perpetual almanack, or, Gentleman soldier’s prayer book

description below

Printed in two columns with a woodcut at the head of each column, and playing cards surrounding text.

  • Title: The perpetual almanack, or, Gentleman soldier’s prayer book : shewing how one Richard Middleton was taken before the Mayor of the City he was in, for using cards in church during Divine Service : being a droll, merry, and humurous account of an odd affair that happened to a private soldier, in the 60th Regiment of Foot.
  • Publication: [London] : J. Catnach, printer, 2 & 3, Monmouth-Court, 7 Dials, [1837 or 1838]

Catalog Record

File 68 837 P453+

Acquired June 2021

A scene on the frontiers…

description below

A scene on the frontier of the United States: a Native American (left) is shown scalping a dead British soldier. Another British soldier who has already been scalped is shown on the left edge of the design. In the center a second Native American, from whose rifle hangs a sign “Reward for 16 … scalps” and in whose knife initials “G.R.” have been etched, is shown handing a scalp to an obese British soldier (right). The speech balloon above the soldier ‘s head reads: “Bring me the scalps and the King our master will reward you”; from his pocket a strip of paper “Secret service money”. In the background, Native Americans and British soldiers dance around a fire.

  • Printmaker: G. L. (Draughtsman of Port de Québec), printmaker.
  • Title: A scene on the frontiers as practiced by the humane British and their worthy allies! [graphic] / L.G.
  • Publication: [United States] : [publisher not identified], [ca. 1813]

Catalog Record

813.00.00.25+

Acquired August 2021

Monsr. Alexandre in The rogueries of Nicholas

description below

“A scene from a play: a soldier admired by a lady at her dressing table stands before a table of heads and ghosts, with an elderly couple to the right.”–British Museum online catalogue.

 

  • Printmaker: Heath, William, 1795-1840, printmaker, artist.
  • Title: Monsr. Alexandre in The rogueries of Nicholas [graphic] / drawn & etch’d by W. Heath.
  • Publication: [Dublin] ; [London] : Pubd. 22nd Jany. 1825 by Wm. Heath at the new Panorama, 15 Grafton St., Dublin, and Henry Heath, London, [22 January 1825]

Catalog Record 

825.01.22.01+

Acquired January 2020

La derniere cuvée

description below

“French soldiers are being cooked or drowned in a big round vat built of stone, under which a fire is burning. Blücher (left) and Wellington (right) stand over the vat, holding long-handled perforated ladles with which they skim the surface of the water, fishing out the soldiers. Blücher (left), saying “Mon cher Welington je commence a écumer j’espere que vous me Seconderez,” holds on his level ladle a hussar in large busby, braided tunic, and boots. Wellington holds up on his (tilted) ladle a man hanging head downwards. Beside the vat (right) is a rocky cone from a fissure in which the flames of Hell emerge; Cerberus, a monster with three serpentine necks and webbed wings, reaches from the opening towards Wellington’s captive, and devours his legs with two of his great jaws. Wellington answers: “mon ami Blucher je sais pret a vous suivre mais surtout travaille fort cette nuit.” Other soldiers struggle to get out or sink back hopelessly. An eagle (standard) projects from the water, on which float many tricolour cockades. Wellington’s victim, who has a moustache, is not Napoleon, who is a subordinate figure, struggling to get out, and extending his arms towards Wellington.”–British Museum online catalogue.

 

  • Title: La derniere cuvée [graphic].
  • Publication: A Londre [i.e. France?] : [publisher not identified], 1815.

Catalog Record

815.07.00.01+

Acquired May 2020

His Majesty’s warrant, granting an allowance in lieu of small beer

title page

  • Creator: Great Britain. Army.
  • Title: His Majesty’s warrant, granting an allowance in lieu of small beer to the troops serving at home : and containing further regulations on various matters directed by His Majesty’s warrants of the 25th May, 1797, “For encreasing and regulating the pay and allowance of non commissioned officers and private men of corps of cavalry and infantry serving at home”.
  • Publication: [London] : Printed by G. Roberts, Angel Court, Charing Cross, [1800]

Catalog Record

652 H673 800

Acquired January 2020

The procession of the Lord Mayor of London

“Stylised representation of the Lord Mayor’s procession, framing a blank space in the centre of the sheet; two rows of figures at the top, 7 groups one above the other to either side, and the City Counsel on foot, the Aldermen and Lord Mayor on horseback forming the bottom of the frame.”–British Museum online catalogue.

  • PrintmakerCole, James, 1715-1774, printmaker.
  • TitleThe procession of the Lord Mayor of London, 29th of October [graphic].
  • Publication[London] : Published according to act of Parliament Novemr. the 4th, 1742, and sold by James Cole engraver in Great Kirby Street, Hatton Garden, [4 November 1742]

Catalog Record 

File 66 742 C689++

Acquired November 2017