Caricature of Lyon Playfair
Date
1875
Sitter
Lyon Playfair (1818 - 1898, British) , Politician
Creator
Carlo Pellegrini (1605, Italian) , Caricaturist
Creator - Organisation
Vincent Brooks, Day & Son, Lithographer
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Technique
Dimensions
height (print): 380mm
width (print): 263mm
width (print): 263mm
Subject
Description
Caricature of Lyon Playfair at full length, shown in right profile as viewed, wearing a top hat and holding a bundle of papers in his right hand.
Inscribed in the bottom left corner of the print: ‘Ape’
Inscribed above: ‘VANITY FAIR Feby 20 1875’
Inscribed below: ‘Vincent Brooks Day & Son. Lith/ “Chemistry”’
This caricature is titled ‘Chemistry’ and was number 195 of the ‘Statesmen’ series published in Vanity Fair.
The associated text begins: ‘He was born five-and-fifty years ago in India; he took early to Scotland and chemistry, he engaged naturally in calico-printing, and he became a chemical professor in Manchester. In his particular vocation he grew to be an authority, was set to do various things by the Government, and, being adopted as a Special Commissioner in the Exhibition of 1851, he blossomed into a Companion of the Bath and a Court functionary, so far as the Prince Consort could make him one […]’
Lyon Playfair, 1st Baron Playfair (1818-1898), British politician and chemist, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1848.
Carlo Pellegrini (1839-1889), Italian artist who did much of his work under the pseudonym ‘Ape’ and served as a caricaturist for Vanity Fair between 1869-1889.
Inscribed in the bottom left corner of the print: ‘Ape’
Inscribed above: ‘VANITY FAIR Feby 20 1875’
Inscribed below: ‘Vincent Brooks Day & Son. Lith/ “Chemistry”’
This caricature is titled ‘Chemistry’ and was number 195 of the ‘Statesmen’ series published in Vanity Fair.
The associated text begins: ‘He was born five-and-fifty years ago in India; he took early to Scotland and chemistry, he engaged naturally in calico-printing, and he became a chemical professor in Manchester. In his particular vocation he grew to be an authority, was set to do various things by the Government, and, being adopted as a Special Commissioner in the Exhibition of 1851, he blossomed into a Companion of the Bath and a Court functionary, so far as the Prince Consort could make him one […]’
Lyon Playfair, 1st Baron Playfair (1818-1898), British politician and chemist, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1848.
Carlo Pellegrini (1839-1889), Italian artist who did much of his work under the pseudonym ‘Ape’ and served as a caricaturist for Vanity Fair between 1869-1889.
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.