"A broadside satirising Lord Bute, his Cider Excise scheme, and the Peace Treaty of Paris (1762); with an etching showing a podium with King George III seated on a throne, in front of him a group of men (aldermen) delivering a petition; on the right Lord Bute, dressed in tartan; with engraved speech bubbles and inscriptions, and with letterpress title and verses in one column."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Sawney's oeconomy and Sawney's economy
Description:
Caption title from song in letterpress printed below the plate., Above title: To the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of the City of London; To the glorious Opposition; and to the authors of the North Briton, this piece is humbly inscribed., Sheet trimmed to plate mark at top., Eight stanzas of song below title: All the friends of the land, who corruption withstand, the Muse patriotic must prize ..., "(Price six-pence).", Publisher's advertisement following imprint: Where may be had the Tyburn Interview., Watermark: Strasburg lily., and Mounted to 41 x 28 cm.
Publisher:
Printed for J. Burd, in the Temple Exchange Passage, Fleet Street, and sold by all printsellers, &c. in London and Westminster
Subject (Geographic):
England and London.
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820 and Bute, John Stuart, Earl of, 1713-1792
Design in two compartments contrasting on the left the poverty and depravity of "French Liberty" with the opulence of the British on the right "British Slavery." The thin, ragged sansculotte with a liberty cap on his head, warms his bare, talon-like feet before a fire, while eating his dinner of raw onions. Behind him snails overflow his chamber pot; above the fireplace a "Map of French Conquests". At his feet a sword lies across a violin like a bow. He extolls the virtues of the National Assembly and new won liberties. In contrast on the right, an obese, red-faced Englishman sits in a luxurious room before a table laden with a tankard of hock and a large joint of beef. His shoes are slashed to relieve his bloated, gouty feet. A gold statute of Britannia adorns the wall above him. He curses his ministry for imposing taxes and starving the British people
Alternative Title:
British slavery
Description:
Title etched below image. and Two images on one plate.
Publisher:
Pubd. December 21st, 1792, by H. Humphrey, No. 18 Old Bond Street
Subject (Geographic):
France, France., and Great Britain.
Subject (Topic):
History, Taxation, Britannia (Symbolic character), Liberty, Poverty, Rugs, Taxes, and Wealth
"John Bull sits in a double pair of stocks, his ankles heavily shackled. His wrists are linked by a huge padlock inscribed Million £800 000 000 [National Debt]. He sits on bales of Taxes; to his back is tied a huge bundle of Last Wars Taxes. His clothes are tattered; three pockets hang inside out, inscribed To Let. At his side (left), and in profile to the right, kneels a noble Spaniard, in very theatrical dress, with trunk hose, cloak, and ruff. He has a spear from which hangs a pennant inscribed Libertas. He puts his hands together in a gesture of prayer: I come once again, and on my kneens [sic] to implore your Aid, we are indeed grateful for former Services, and beleive that you fought purely for Spain and not for yourselves--Save us from our pretended Friends they are worse then Enemies--Save us, and the World, from the destruction of Liberty--. John bites his thumbs despairingly; he answers: I pity you, but I can only give you advice, when you came to me before, I was a Strong Man, and free, but I am now exhausted in saving you, and destroying your great Enemy--See how I am fetter'd--! My Creditors enchain me--! look at my Debt and pity me!-- At his feet a heavy pair of leg-irons lies across many papers inscribed Debt and Taxes. He sits under an oak-tree; from a partly-withered bough hang his cartouche-box and bayonet-belt. In the middle distance (right) Louis XVIII sits astride a cannon (cf. British Museum Satires No. 12797), on a gun-carriage drawn rapidly up a slope by the Tsar and the Emperor of Austria. Both wear uniform and crowns, that of the latter topped by a fool's cap. Both cry: War! War!! War! and blood!! Alexander holds a sword in one hand, a bayoneted musket in the other; Francis holds a sword and a pistol, against his shoulder is the shaft of a flag inscribed Holy Alliance. Louis XVIII leans back, flannelled legs extended, two pistols in his belt, a sword in one hand, a musket in the other. Before him on the cannon is a bowl of soup, &c. The Pope walks at his right, holding a string attached to his nose. The King: By the Powers I shall fall, and lose my Balance Stop!! Stop! I say don't pull so hard you'll rupture [your scored through] Eu rope, this is not suited to my Taste [scored through] Gout I am already crippled and cannot bear it Stop!!!-- The Pope, who wears his tiara and holds his crosier against his shoulder, answers: Fear not, I'll let you into Heaven, through the back door my dear Son. Keys hang from his neck. Behind the cannon runs the Devil pushing at the King's posterior with a trident; he says: They cannot go on without me so I bring up the rear!! Beside the cannon run tiny frogs in uniform with muskets, &c. A slightly bigger one holding a sword may represent Angoulême. Cannon fire at them from a fort on a hill."--British Museum online catalogue, description of an earlier state
Alternative Title:
John Bull flourishing in a dignified attitude of strict neutrality
Description:
Title etched below image., Later state, with initials "A.J." added in lower right and the words "with Spain" added to speech bubble immediately to the right of the stocks in center of image. For an earlier state lacking these additions, see no. 14520 in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum, v. 10., and Sheet trimmed within plate mark.
Publisher:
Pubd. May 1823 by G. Humphrey, 24 St. James's Street & 74 New Bond Street
Subject (Name):
Louis XVIII, King of France, 1755-1824, Francis I, Emperor of Austria, 1768-1835, Alexander I, Emperor of Russia, 1777-1825, and Pius VII, Pope, 1742-1823
Subject (Topic):
John Bull (Symbolic character), Public debt, Taxes, Trees, Rocks, Stocks (Punishment), Forts & fortifications, Cannons, Devil, and Frogs
"John Bull, a plebeian, stout and dishevelled, lies on his back on a tangle of large roses with vicious thorns. These are on a heap of stones and under the stump of a decayed oak tree (left). He exclaims: "Oh Lord! Oh Lord! if this be the Bed of Roses they make such a noise about I'd sooner lye with the Old Sow and her Farrow in the Dog Days! - My Dame will roar woundidly when she comes to bed! Ecod it's as bad as lying on a Harrow upside down." The stones (left to right) are 'Expedition to Holland' [1799, see British Museum Satires No. 9412, &c], 'Expedition to Ferrol', 'Jobs and Contracts', 'Pension List', 'Indemnity for the past & Security for the Future', 'No Peace possible with the child and Champion of Jacobinism', 'Places', 'Subsidies'. The roses are: 'Candle Tax', 'Hair Powder Tax', 'Hat Tax', 'Paper Tax', 'Snuff Tax', 'Game Tax', 'Wine Tax', 'Property Tax', 'Salt Tax', 'Land Tax', 'Stamp Tax', 'Assessed Taxes', 'Income Tax', 'Table Beer Tax', 'House Tax', 'Window Tax', 'Excise Duty', 'Horse Tax', 'Tobacco Tax', 'Soap Tax', 'Servant Tax', 'Malt Tax', 'Hop Tax', 'Sugar Tax', 'Legacy Tax', 'Tea Tax', 'Cyder Tax'. On the two extremities of the 'bed' are clusters of thorny buds; these are inscribed '1807', '1808', and [once] '1809', those on the left being labelled 'National Debt'. In the distance St. Paul's is indicated. Bushes on the right are wind-swept."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
John Bull on a bed of roses
Description:
Title etched below image., Attributed to Charles Williams in the British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed to plate mark leaving thread margins., and Watermark: 181[0?].
Publisher:
Pubd. July 1806 by Wm. Holland, Cockspur Street
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Topic):
Taxation, John Bull (Symbolic character), Roses, Thorns, and Taxes
A exciseman stands in profile facing to the left. His lower lip protrudes, and his chest is thrown out
Description:
Title inscribed in ink, lower right: Jack in office., Attributed to Dighton based on published print of the same title., Date based on publication date. Original sketch of British Museum 8395A?, Robert Dighton, English draughtsman, 1752-1814., and Watermark.
Subject (Topic):
Government officials, Excise tax, Inkstands, and Taxes
"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
Description:
Title etched below image. and Sheet trimmed within plate mark.
Publisher:
Pub. April 5th, 1797, by H. Humphrey, New Bond & St. James's Street
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain and Great Britain.
Subject (Name):
Pitt, William, 1759-1806.
Subject (Topic):
Taxation, Taxation of articles of consumption, Law and legislation, John Bull (Symbolic character), Cats, Hats, Millinery, Slaughtering, Swords, Taxes, Show displays, and Window displays
"John Bull, corpulent, bald-headed, and stripped to the loins, is beset by leeches with human heads. They climb up his legs and attack his body, arms, and head. He stamps angrily, with clenched fists, saying, "This is Bleeding with A Veangence If I do not Shake off Some of these Leaches I shall not have a drop of Blood Left, why they will never be full & this is the third Set I have had on with in this three years or so. enough to Destroy the best Constitution." The King's profile projects into the design from the left. margin; he holds his spy-glass to his eye (as in British Museum Satires No. 10019, &c), saying, "Hard Work Indeed for poor Johnny How Voraicous I begin to think they will be too many for him I must Order Some of them off I see." Four leeches lie on the ground all inscribed 'Defaulter', followed by various sums: '300-000', '200-000', '400,000', [?] '500,000'. With these is a roll of 'New P . . . [? Pensions]'. On the right are heaped John's hat, waistcoat, coat, shirt, and wig, with a club inscribed 'Oak'."--British Museum online catalogue
Alternative Title:
Bleeding John Bull
Description:
Title etched below image., Year of publication from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Printseller's announcement within design: Folios of caricatures lent for the evening., and Watermark: John Hall.
Publisher:
Pub. 6th of Feb. by S.W. Fores, 50 Piccadilli [sic]
Subject (Name):
George III, King of Great Britain, 1738-1820
Subject (Topic):
John Bull (Symbolic character), Phlebotomy, Worms, Medical procedures & techniques, and Taxes
A satire on the impeachment of Lord Melville, with politicans heads on dogs bodies
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from unverified data from local card catalog record., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., Not in the Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires., and Mounted to 30 x 39 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. June 23rd, 1806, by T. Rowlandson, No. 1 James St., Adelphi
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806, Sidmouth, Henry Addington, Viscount, 1757-1844, Smith-Stanley, Edward, 1752-1834, Whitbread, Samuel, 1764-1815, Windham, William, 1750-1810, Grenville, William Wyndham Grenville, Baron, 1759-1834, Sheridan, Richard Brinsley, 1751-1816, and Erskine, Thomas Erskine, Baron, 1750-1823
Charles Fox is shown making opposing statements depending on his audience or situation. In the first pair of images he proclaims his opposition to any additional taxes in front of a cheering crowd that includes Sam House, the Wardour Street publican and Fox's staunch supporter in the Westminster elections, and the Duchess of Devonshire, while in the corresponding image he encourages Lord Cavendish to increase taxation. In the second set of images he speaks both for and against the war for American independence. In the last set he assures Lord North of his sincere friendship only to deny it in the last image
Description:
Title from item., Publication date from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed to plate mark., and Mounted to 29 x 41 cm.
Publisher:
Pubd. as the act directs 178[...] by B. Pownall, No. 6 Pall Mall
Subject (Geographic):
Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Fox, Charles James, 1749-1806., North, Frederick, Lord, 1732-1792., Cavendish, Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire, 1757-1806., Cavendish, John, Lord, 1732-1796., and House, Samuel, d. 1785.
Subject (Topic):
Politics and government, Public speaking, and Taxes
"Three tax-collectors beset a house door, on which is a plate: 'Doctor Humbug', and above: 'Advice Gratis.' An elderly man holds the knocker, a ring in a lion's mouth, and looks up at the window above where two heads peer out: a grotesque aged couple wearing nightcaps. On the lintel stands a pestle and mortar, inscribed 'Hippocrates.' On the house are two bills: 'The Goodwill of this House to be disposed of for Particulars enquire' - and 'The Budget opened or how to raise the Wind for the Year 1805.' The tax-collector holds a large open book: 'Window Tax Income Property House Tax'; under his arm is another book;..'Tax-Servants-Horses.' Papers inscribed 'Tax' and 'Taxes' project from his coat-pocket. Beside him, a man holding a paper points his pen viciously at the open window. A third man stands close behind holding a large book inscribed 'Dog Tax.' On the extreme left a woman carrying an infant begs, looking up at the window; a little boy beside her holds out his hat for alms to the tax-collector. On the right a fat man gapes up at the window while a little boy picks his pocket of a hankerchief. The house is at a corner, and from its wall a lamp with oil, spilling it on the people below. In the background (right) are tall, old-fashioned houses, all the windows, except in the top floor and attics, are 'Block'd Up'; one is 'To Lett.'"--British Museum catalogue
Alternative Title:
Clamorous tax gatherers
Description:
Title etched below image., Printmaker from British Museum catalogue., Sheet trimmed within plate mark., and Watermark: 1809.
Publisher:
Pubd. Feby. 3, 1805, by Howitt, N. 73, Wardour Street, Soho
Subject (Topic):
Beggars, City & town life, Pickpockets, Poor persons, and Taxes
