Cartoon Gallery

Water! Water! Everywhere; and not a Drop to Drink, 1849

Water! Water! Everywhere; and not a Drop to Drink, 1849. Comment on the London water supply during the reappearance of cholera in 1848 and 1849. Cholera first appeared in Britain in 1831, and its relationship with poor public hygiene and contaminated water supply was not understood until this was established by John Snow (1813-1858). Snow's work led to legislation paving the way for dramatic improvements in all aspects of public health provision. Cartoon from Punch, London, 1849, with a mis-quote from Coleridge's Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner

© Oxford Science Archive / Heritage-Images

Telescopic Philanthropy, 1865. Artist: John Tenniel

Telescopic Philanthropy, 1865. Little London Arab. Please M, Ain't We Black Enough to be Cared For? (With Mr. Punch's Compliments to Lord Stanley.) In his novel, Bleak House, Dickens had highlighted and satirised the growing numbers of the middle classes who expended much time, effort and money on raising funds to civilise (particularly black) foreign peoples, rather than concentrating on the problems of the poor at home. This telescopic philanthropy was epitomised by Mrs Jellyby in Bleak House, but here is represented by Britannia who has her eyes fixed so firmly on the distant horizon that she fails entirely to see the three children at her feet who, like Dickens Jo, represent the estimated 30, 000 homeless children living on the streets of London. From Punch, or the London Charivari, March 4, 1865

© The Print Collector / Heritage-Images

Four Scenes: How to Ride Genteel & Agreeable Down Hill; How to be Run Away With;

Four Scenes: How to Ride Genteel & Agreeable Down Hill; How to be Run Away With; The Mistaken Notion; How to Loose Your Way, 1787 or later

© Heritage Art/Heritage Images

18th Century, 19th Century, Animal, Animals, Art, Arts, Britain, British, Bunbury Henry William, Caricature, Cartoon, Century, Color, Colour, Concept, Costume, Country, Dress, Eighteenth Century, England, English, Equestrian, Etching, Gambado Geoffrey, Geoffrey Gambado, Georgian, Guy, Hand Colored Etching, Henry Bunbury, Henry William Bunbury, Heritage Art, Horse, Horseback, Horseman, Horsemen, Horses, Location, Male, Man, Men, Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Museum, Nineteenth Century, Parody, People, Rider, Riders, Riding, Satire, Satirical, The Met, The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Unknown