"An enormously fat lady flings up arms, legs, and tea-cup in terror, as her flimsy gown catches fire from a red-hot poker falling from the grate (left). She, a stiff military officer, and a young woman sit at a round tea-table. The man sits paralysed, alarmed and helpless, spilling his tea; the girl has added to the calamity by knocking over the tea-table so that urn and tea-pot spill their scalding contents, and crockery slides towards the floor. A loutish footman enters (right) but has stopped dead, dropping a dish of muffins. A frightened cat scampers from the hearth-rug. Over the chimney-piece is a picture of Vesuvius in eruption. The woman is a monstrous creature with bare arms and elaborately dressed hair (or wig), a patterned carpet completes the design."--British Museum online catalogue.
Description:
Text following title: Dedicated to the serious attention of the fashionable ladies of Great Britain. and Title etched below image.
Publisher:
H. Humprey, No. 27 St. James's Street
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., and Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher.
Subject (Topic):
Cats., Clothing & dress--England--1800-1810., Parlors., Tea tables (Tables), and Tea.
"John Bull stands full-face on the pavement outside a shop window, holding on his head a red cap (i.e., bonnet rouge) trimmed with fur of quasi-military, quasi-libertarian shape. He is the yokel with wrinkled gaiters ... with a tattered great-coat held together by a military belt. In his left hand is a ragged hat. He says, with a broad grin: "Wounds, when Master Billy sees I in a Red-Cap, how he will stare! - egad; I thinks I shall cook em at last. - well if I could but once get a Cockade to my Red Cap, & a bit of a Gun - why, I thinks I should make a good stockey Soldier!" The shop is that of 'Billy-Black-Soul [Pitt], Hatter, & Sword-cutler \ Licenced to deal in Hats and Swords.' Above the door (right) are the royal arms and 'Stamp-Office' (the tax on hats being levied by a stamp). Within the window are crossed swords and military cocked hats with a number of stamps bearing the royal arms. In the foreground (left) is a pile of dead cats with a paper: 'List of Cats Killed for making skin caps 20000 Red 5000 Tabb ...'"--British Museum online catalogue.
Alternative Title:
John Bull evading the hat tax
Subject (Name):
Auchincloss, Hugh Dudley--Ownership., Harvey, Francis--Ownership., Humphrey, Hannah, active 1774-1817, publisher., and Pitt, William,--1759-1806.
Subject (Topic):
Cats., Hats. , John Bull (Symbolic character)--Caricatures and cartoons., Millinery., Show displays., Slaughtering., Swords., Taxation of articles of consumption--Law and legislation--Great Britain., Taxation--Great Britain--Early works to 1800., Taxes., and Window displays.
