Caricature of John Lubbock
Date
1878
Sitter
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury (1834 - 1913, British) , Politician
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): 385mm
width (print): 265mm
width (print): 265mm
Subject
Description
Seated portrait of John Lubbock, in left profile as viewed, his top hat beside him, with one hand stroking his beard and the other in his pocket. A raised hand in a shield is depicted in the top right-hand corner of the cartoon.
Inscribed in the bottom right corner of the print: ‘Spy’
Inscribed above: ‘VANITY FAIR Feby 23 1878’
Inscribed below: ‘Vincent Brooks Day & Son. Ltd./ “The Bank Holiday”’
This caricature is titled ‘The Bank Holiday’ and was number 267 of the ‘Men of the Day’ series published in Vanity Fair between 1868-1913.
The associated text begins: ‘Sir John Lubbock is a man of mark. His father was a banker and an astronomer; he is an entomologist , a politician, and a banker. He was saved from Eton at an early age to begin banking in Lombard Street, which enabled him to begin archaeology and natural history in Kent; and at one-and-thirty he found himself a well-to-do fourth baronet. Hereupon he took to politics, and after five years' practice and two defeats, was elected to the House of Commons five years ago by the borough of Maidstone, for which he stills sits […]’
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury (1824-1913), British politician, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1858.
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 right corner of the print: ‘Spy’
Inscribed above: ‘VANITY FAIR Feby 23 1878’
Inscribed below: ‘Vincent Brooks Day & Son. Ltd./ “The Bank Holiday”’
This caricature is titled ‘The Bank Holiday’ and was number 267 of the ‘Men of the Day’ series published in Vanity Fair between 1868-1913.
The associated text begins: ‘Sir John Lubbock is a man of mark. His father was a banker and an astronomer; he is an entomologist , a politician, and a banker. He was saved from Eton at an early age to begin banking in Lombard Street, which enabled him to begin archaeology and natural history in Kent; and at one-and-thirty he found himself a well-to-do fourth baronet. Hereupon he took to politics, and after five years' practice and two defeats, was elected to the House of Commons five years ago by the borough of Maidstone, for which he stills sits […]’
John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury (1824-1913), British politician, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1858.
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.