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Not currently on display at the V&A

H Beard Print Collection

Print
February 1805 (published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Print entitled 'John Bull in Lilliput or Theatricals for the Nineteenth Century'. Published in London by S. W. Fores.

Cartoons about current social or political events were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. As well as mocking individuals, they often featured symbolic figures representing a type of person - John Bull was the archetypal Englishman. This cartoon is satirising the fashion for child actors that swept the country in the late 19th century, the most famous of whom was William Henry West or ‘Master Betty’. His success led to ‘The Glasgow Roscius’ and ‘The Little Siddons’, named after Sarah Siddons. The children announcing their identities in this toy theatre take no notice of each other, and all appear to be costumed for a different play.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleH Beard Print Collection (named collection)
Materials and techniques
hand coloured etching, ink and wash on paper
Brief description
Print entitled 'John Bull in Lilliput or Theatricals for the Nineteenth Century'. Published in London by S. W. Fores in February 1805, Harry Beard Collection.
Physical description
Etched and hand coloured print entitled 'The Theatrical Bubble; - being a new specimen of the astonishing Powers of the great Politico-Punchinello, in the Art of Dramatic Puffing'.
Dimensions
  • Print size height: 26.5cm
  • Print size width: 40.6cm
Subjects depicted
Summary
Print entitled 'John Bull in Lilliput or Theatricals for the Nineteenth Century'. Published in London by S. W. Fores.

Cartoons about current social or political events were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. As well as mocking individuals, they often featured symbolic figures representing a type of person - John Bull was the archetypal Englishman. This cartoon is satirising the fashion for child actors that swept the country in the late 19th century, the most famous of whom was William Henry West or ‘Master Betty’. His success led to ‘The Glasgow Roscius’ and ‘The Little Siddons’, named after Sarah Siddons. The children announcing their identities in this toy theatre take no notice of each other, and all appear to be costumed for a different play.
Other number
F.117-65 - H Beard collection numbering
Collection
Accession number
S.4651-2009

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Record createdSeptember 9, 2009
Record URL
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