Caricature of Henry Bessemer
Date
1880
Sitter
Sir Henry Bessemer (1813 - 1898, British) , Industrialist
Creator
Sir Leslie Matthew Ward (1851 - 1922, British) , Artist
Creator - Organisation
Vincent Brooks, Day & Son, Lithographer
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Technique
Dimensions
height (print): 380mm
width (print): 260mm
width (print): 260mm
Subject
Description
Caricature of Henry Bessemer at full length, in right profile as viewed, holding a pocket watch.
Inscribed in the bottom left corner of the print: ‘Spy’
Inscribed above: ‘VANITY FAIR Novr. 6 1880’
Inscribed below: ‘Vincent Brooks, Day & Son, Lith./ “Steel”’
This caricature is titled ‘Steel’ and was number 231 of the ‘Men of the Day’ series published in Vanity Fair.
The associated text begins: ‘Born eight and sixty years ago, Sir Henry Bessemer began life as an artist and exhibited pictures fifty years since. But he preferred modelling to painting, and as he modelled he found that he preferred mechanics to both. A man of great natural powers, indomitable energy, and unwearied tenacity, he worked in various directions until at length he hit upon a new method of making steel so much more cheaply and more speedily than any hitherto known, that it has already caused iron to be all but entirely superseded, has ruined or revolutionised all the iron-works of the country, and has made a colossal and well-earned fortune for Sir Henry himself […]’
Sir Henry Bessemer (1813-1898), British steel maker, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1879.
Sir Leslie Matthew Ward (1851-1922), British artist who did much of his work under the pseudonym ‘Spy’ and served as a caricaturist for Vanity Fair between 1873-1911.
Inscribed in the bottom left corner of the print: ‘Spy’
Inscribed above: ‘VANITY FAIR Novr. 6 1880’
Inscribed below: ‘Vincent Brooks, Day & Son, Lith./ “Steel”’
This caricature is titled ‘Steel’ and was number 231 of the ‘Men of the Day’ series published in Vanity Fair.
The associated text begins: ‘Born eight and sixty years ago, Sir Henry Bessemer began life as an artist and exhibited pictures fifty years since. But he preferred modelling to painting, and as he modelled he found that he preferred mechanics to both. A man of great natural powers, indomitable energy, and unwearied tenacity, he worked in various directions until at length he hit upon a new method of making steel so much more cheaply and more speedily than any hitherto known, that it has already caused iron to be all but entirely superseded, has ruined or revolutionised all the iron-works of the country, and has made a colossal and well-earned fortune for Sir Henry himself […]’
Sir Henry Bessemer (1813-1898), British steel maker, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1879.
Sir Leslie Matthew Ward (1851-1922), British artist who did much of his work under the pseudonym ‘Spy’ and served as a caricaturist for Vanity Fair between 1873-1911.
Object history
Vanity Fair’s ‘Men of the Day’ series, which featured a full page, colour caricature of a significant public figure and text commentary, largely written by "Jehu Junior", was a popular feature that ran between 1868 and 1913.
This print was purchased by the Royal Society in 1999.
This print was purchased by the Royal Society in 1999.
Associated place