THESE
VANITY FAIR REFERENCE PAGES ARE ARRANGED
IN 3 MAIN CATEGORIES
GENERAL
INTEREST - Judges. Sportsmen. Jockeys. Politicians. Etc.
WORLD
INTEREST - Monarchs. Statesmen. Etc.
UK
& IRISH INTEREST - Local Members of Parliament Etc.
EACH CATEGORY IS THEN SUB-DIVIDED INTO MORE
DETAIL
Beyond that, using our advanced INVENTORY SEARCH flexibility, you can
identify more personalities with USA interest, sporting a sword, smoking a
cigarette or even wearing a monocle |
Thomas Gibson
Bowles
Founder of Vanity Fair
Click on image to view a larger version |
Leslie Ward
Principal Artist - Alias: SPY
Click on image to view a larger version |
CLICK THE LINK TO ANY YEAR TO CHECK THE
CONTENTS
1868/9
1870
1871
1872
1873
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
1881
1882
1883
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
CLICK
HERE TO VISIT OUR ALPHABETICAL INDEX
Summary Of
the Information on this Page
Background Information about VANITY FAIR
and the POSTAPRINT Search Facility
Unrelated to its
modern namesake, Vanity Fair was the weekly finger on the pulse
of Victorian and Edwardian upper class society. Founded in 1868
by Thomas Gibson Bowles, Vanity Fair was probing, insightful and
incisive. Irreverent yet always relevant, its analyses, articles,
commentaries, exposes and reviews could be and often were acerbic
yet never sour or bitter. Supremely democratic, none of the
prominent personalities of the day escaped its scrutiny. Renown
and repute were imbued with a sense of satire, sometimes smooth,
sometimes sharp, always revealing. Vanity Fair readers revelled
in it. Posterity preserved it.
Best known and most
remembered for its colour caricatures, over 2300 were published
in Vanity Fair during its nearly half century in print, from 1868
until 1914. Famous artists contributed to Vanity Fair, typically
under pen names. The best known was Leslie Ward (1851-1922), who
signed his works as Spy, and whose caricatures account for well
over half of those featured in Vanity Fair. So famous have these
fabulous prints become, Vanity Fair caricatures today often are
referred to and recognised immediately simply as Spy Cartoons.
Whether drawn by Ward himself or another of the Vanity Fair
artists, all caricatures from this exceptional and unique
publication have become prized collectibles. They are embodiments
epitomising British society during the Empire's most glorious
years.
Previous attempts to
categorise the subjects of the caricatures failed to classify
them topographically or to include the interesting hobbies and
background information, contained in the biographical
commentaries accompanying the prints when they were published.
The modern technology of our online database makes it possible,
for the first time, for you to browse selections by different
criteria.
Basic categories have
been created according to the principal interest. You can
retrieve a complete category through our keyword categories list.
Beyond that, using our advanced search flexibility, you can
identify subjects with American interest, sporting a sword,
wearing glasses or even wearing a monocle. For our UK customers,
the facility is available to identify characters who lived in
their particular county or even town. Search criteria are limited
only by your personal preferences.
Our initial listing
is available now, with scans of every cartoon. In the coming
months, as we continue adding information from the original
biographical notes, our search facilities will become
increasingly comprehensive.
BACK TO SUMMARY
Example
of prints and biographical notes.
|
'THE UNITED
STATES' - by APE - 1875
CLICK ON
THE SAMPLE IMAGE TO VIEW A LARGER VERSION
|
Each
Cartoon was accompanied by a sometimes Cryptic Biography
Click on
the Sample image to read the notes on General Robert SCHENCK
|
BACK TO SUMMARY
Brief
Outline about Vanity Fair
From 1868 to 1914 the
Vanity Fair caricatures both lampooned and praised the
eminent Victorian and Edwardian Politicians, Sportsmen, Lawyers
and other 'Men of the Day'.
Thomas Gibson BOWLES created the the magazine for the elite
classes, although today, these cartoons have become highly
collectible items. The cartoons were printed in colour, initially
using lithography, but evolving to more modern processes with the
advancement of printing techniques.
The overall size of
the earlier prints was some 9 x 14 inches, with an engraved area
of 7. 5 x 12 inches. The later prints were slightly larger.
BACK TO SUMMARY
THE FOUNDER - THOMAS GIBSON
BOWLES
Click on the image
to view a larger version
In 1868, Bowles
(alias - Jehu Junior) founded this prolific magazine and was also
responsible for the biographical notes that accompanied the
caricatures. Editor for twenty years, he moulded the magazine so
that no-one was too superior to escape its critical angle.
Bowles' approach was unique and insightful and readers would wait
for the next edition to chuckle at the weekly theme.
The objects of Jehu
Junior's critique (which included Bowles himself) considered it
an honour to be included in this tremendous publication, and
although they were scrutinised, it was always in a light-hearted
manner, intended to be amusing not insulting. This balance was
achieved successfully by Bowles.
The name 'Jehu
Junior' was partly devised from a biblical poet who was famous
for enunciating and effectuating the devastation of his enemies.
BACK TO SUMMARY
|
APE
Carlo
Pellegrini
(1838-1889)
Click on the image
to view a larger version
Carlo Pellegrini was
born in March 1838 in Capua, near Naples, Italy to a noble
family. His charcter was prominent and boldly individual from a
young age. He began to draw caricatures in Naples as thumbnail
sketches but he didn't have any published until he joined Vanity
Fair. Pellegrini moved to London in November 1864.
Alias SINGE for his
first two plates, which was later translated to English as APE.
Pellegrini started working for Vanity Fair in 1869 being
the author of the very first published caricature. There is some
confusion as to the subject of this initial cartoon, His
biography published in Vanity Fair suggests that it was
of Lord Beaconsfield, whereas other sources name Prime Minister
Benjamin Disraeli as his first published lithograph.
Ape frequently worked
from memory, but when he did work from life, he preferred to have
a friend present to engage him in conversation. He was connected
to the English High Society and had many friends there, although
his socialite, generous nature usually left him in financial
straits. He was considered to be objectionably dressed although
the caricature illustrated above would suggest otherwise.
Pellegrini continued
to work for this publication, with little interruption, until his
death in January 1889 at the age of 50 years. His caricatures
were known to never slander a foe and never to adulate a friend,
however the subjects of his pencil considered him as a friend and
were the most ardent of his admirers.
|
SPY
Leslie Ward
(1851-1922)
Click on the image
to view a larger version
Ward was the most famous
Vanity Fair artist, indeed the whole genre tends to be named after him.
Leslie Ward was born
in 1851. The son of two famous artists, he was surrounded by
important people, writers and painters consequently some of his
caricatures are the more notable characters are gratifying to the
recipient. Architecture was the chosen career of Spy's father,
however, after working in several architectural studios, his
desire to paint people became evident when he started to work on
commissioned portraits. His interest in caricatures began whilst
Spy was still at school, where he drew his classmates and tutors.
1873 was the notable year in which he sent some of his
caricatures to Bowles, four years after Vanity Fair was founded.
As a result, he was hired to replace Ape, who had left the
periodical temporarily.
Spy worked for Vanity
Fair for over forty years, producing over 55% of the 2387
caricatures published. Consequently, the whole genre became named
after him, regardless of who the artist was, although he did not
sign all of his own.
Ward could be perhaps
likened to the paparazzi of today, in the manner in which he
collected his material. He spent hours stalking barristers,
clergy and judges in their favourite haunts, to draw them from
memory at a later date. He enjoyed this process and as a result
these pictures were his most successful.
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In
all some 19 different Artists were employed.
Other
Artists
and their
pseudonyms
on Vanity Fair
Cartoons
MAX (or
Ruth or Bulbo)
Max BEERBOHM (1872-1956)
Writer and cartoonist.
'T'
Theobald CHARTAN
Thomas NAST
(1840-1902)
A German who went to New York in 1846
James
Abbott McNeill
WHISTLER
(1834-1903)
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BACK TO SUMMARY
We can
usually offer a good selection of these highly collectible and
genuine antiquarian prints.
Very
suitable for framing. All are offered ON 7 DAYS APPROVAL. We offer a 'No
Questions' Returns Policy
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