Kitchin Stuff, caricature by Thomas Rowlandson, 1810

Satirical etching

Bequeathed by Frank A. Gibson

The ‘golden age’ of satirical print making, dominated by James Gillray (1756-1815), Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827) and Cruikshank (1792-1878), was between 1780 and 1830. This period coincided with the founding and development of the mass movements for the abolition of the slave trade and subsequent abolition of slavery within Britain’s West Indies colonies. Unsurprisingly, then, slavery and abolitionism were themes addressed by many print satirists whose work featured black people in a number of social and political contexts.

This etching by Rowlandson shows a black butler enjoying the company of his female colleagues in front of a blazing fire. The group also seemed to have enjoyed a glass or two from a pictured bottle of ‘Cherry Bounce’. In the 18th century domestic service was the biggest employment sector for both white and black populations. Black domestic workers, however, were usually unpaid and unable to voluntarily leave their employer. [Helen Mears]

From the hand-colouring on this print we can tell that the male servant shown here is meant to be black. According to a book by Peter Fryer published in 1984, "Staying Power: The History of Black People in Britain", the majority of the 10,000 or so black people who lived in Britain in the eighteenth century were household servants. In 1731 the Lord Mayor of London had issued a proclamation banning any black person from becoming an apprentice in the City of London.

E.1240-1990