Drawing* attention to Victorian cartoons

*pun intended.

Cartoons are marvellous. They can be witty, satirical, clever, or just plain funny. And even better, the Victorians were the first to associate the word 'cartoon' with comical drawings,  giving a name to the satirical output of the likes of Hogarth and Gilray (two fantastic Georgians - but I mustn't get sidetracked).

In honour of this great tradition, here are my three all-time favourite Victorian cartoons, both of the time and more recent creations.

This is from an 1851 edition of Punch. I wonder if it was based on the artist's own experiences?!

This one is by Kate Beaton. It's a perfect satire of the Victorian can-do attitude. Plus, it features Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who (quite frankly) was fabulous. I may give him a blog post all to himself at some point soon...

But my absolute favourite Victorian cartoon is this, from a past issue of Private Eye. I liked it so much at the time that I cut it out, and it has been sat in a little frame on my desk ever since!

However, I can't possibly do a blog about Victorian cartoons without mentioning the brilliant Sydney Padua, author of The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage. If you haven't read it, you really should:

1. it's a graphic novel about awesome Victorians. Few people are more awesome than Ada Lovelace, and Padua makes her even more awesome in the book. It's incredible.
2. the illustrations are beautiful, and make the book immensely readable, even if (like me) you're new to graphic novels.
3. FOOTNOTES. So many footnotes. Read the book, and revel in the glory of learning about Victorians through the medium of footnotes. You think Terry Pratchett was fond of footnotes? His were a drop in the ocean compared to these!
4. It features the Duke of Wellington, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Need I say more?!

The history of cartoons is in itself quite interesting. Punch's website elaborates further:

"It was Punch which invented the cartoon as we know it today. One momentous day, Punch made a grim joke which accidentally changed the English language by giving a new meaning to an old word. The butt of the joke was an exhibition intended to help in the selection of new paintings and murals for the Houses of Parliament, then being rebuilt after the disastrous fire of 1834. Artists made their submissions in the form of cartoons – the original meaning of the word was a preliminary drawing for a work of art; a painting, a fresco, a tapestry. At the time, the most important part of the magazine was a full-page satirical drawing, known as The Big Cut, entitled 'Mr Punch’s Pencillings'. But in July 1843, The Big Cut was replaced for a week by the magazine’s own entry for the Parliamentary exhibition. In a series of drawings which it ironically titled “cartoons”, Punch contrasted the sumptuousness of the Parliamentary plans with the miserable poverty of the starving population. [...] it parodied beautifully the designs submitted to the 1843 competition to decorate Westminster. As a result the word "cartoon" stuck and became associated with pictorial satire and eventually with any humorous drawing."


What's your favourite Victorian cartoon?  Let me know in the comments or tweet them to me @nice_cravat...

And if you haven't already, you should check out all the cartoonists, magazines and websites I've mentioned! Links:
Punch
Kate Beaton
Private Eye
Sydney Padua

Enjoy!
The Secret Victorian 


P.S. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present my aforementioned desk, currently adorned with two more cartoons than usual as a result of this blog...!