Reports discussion of the proposed embankment to the south side of the
Thames, and the debate on the poor ventilation of places of work, prompted by
the death of a woman who worked in an overcrowded dressmaker's sweat-shop.
Notes
Edwin
Lankester'sLankester, Edwin
(1814–74)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> inspection of the premises. (2)
Discusses news of the invention of a microscope that magnifies '56,000,000
times', noting the distress caused by looking at the building of the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >> at
this magnification.
The initial letter forms part of an illustration showing Mr Punch
represented as he 'intended to appear, enlightening the scientific world', in a
lecture to the
Royal Geographical SocietyRoyal Geographical Society
CloseView the register entry >> in
honour of
John H SpekeSpeke, John Hanning
(1827–64)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and
James A GrantGrant, James Augustus
(1827–92)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>.
Noting the society's reception of Speke and Grant, 'the heroes of the Nile',
the author describes Mr Punch's struggles to enter the society's rooms. Having
obtained entrance, Mr Punch loudly praises the explorers and
Roderick I
MurchisonMurchison, Sir Roderick Impey, 1st Baronet
(1792–1871)
DSBODNB CloseView the register entry >>, but his outbursts provoke scorn from illustrious members.
Mr Punch meets Speke, who tells him that he is 'far from delighted at being
lionised in this fashion', but that the thought of seeing Mr Punch afterwards
will keep him 'up to the mark'. The final illustration shows Mr Punch peering
into a window, 'Endeavouring to Discover the Sources of the Geographical
Society'.
Education, Mathematics, Metrology, Nationalism, Exhibitions,
Government
Reports on the
House of
CommonsHouse of Commons
CloseView the register entry >> debate on a bill to introduce new arithmetical tables in
schools, to which Punch adds that 'if the Boys of England have true
British pluck they will demand to be taught the metrical system, and will
meantime refuse to learn the ridiculous old one'. Later notes the debate on the
buildings of the
International ExhibitionInternational Exhibition (1862), London CloseView the register entry >>.
(12)
Describes Mr Punch's attempts to teach the 'little British Blockhead' how to
count and weigh by 'the Metric Weights and Measures', and urges him that he
will soon appreciate 'what toil it saves' and consider 'its foes [...] fools or
knaves'. Proceeds to define the metre ('Tis ten millionth of the distance /
From th' Equator to the Pole'), upholds the ease of multiplication and division
using the metric system, and then explains and gives an example of the use of
Greek prefixes used in metric measures. Further ridicules opponents of the
system and concludes by insisting that 'we'll have the Metric system' and that
opponents to it 'Shall be trampled down by Punch'.
Punch, 45 (1863), 24, 27.
Stay-at-Home Travellers; Or, Where Are We To Go To?
Addressed to the president of the
Royal Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsSociety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
CloseView the register entry >>, the spoof letter-writer
Ojawaway identifies himself as 'the Soft-Buffalo, Chief of the North American
Association for preventing the Massacre of Milliners' and opens by lamenting
the number of 'youthful Milliners' amongst Britons. Acknowledges the way in
which Britain rightly reproached his ancestors for 'barbarities in war', but
now asks the president, 'Benefactor of Badgers', to 'ameliorate' Britain's
harmful 'court millinery' just as he ameliorated our brutal 'military code'.
Explains the formation of a 'mission of young Indians' to travel to Belgravia
and slay the 'false Ogre of Economy' that leads to 'sedentary damsels' being
killed by 'carbonic gas'. Discusses, however, the possibility that his
missionaries will 'themselves be led into fatal dalliance' with these women,
and urges the president to ensure that the missionaries do not end up marrying
them.
Cruelty, Ornithology, Agriculture, Crime, Politics,
Government
This parodies the nursery rhyme 'Who killed Cock Robin?' to represent the
recent political debate on a bill to prevent the killing of small birds. The
song contains the remarks of several yokels, all of whom confess to killing a
particular small bird and explain their brutal acts. The last verse reflects
Punch's cyncism about legislation to protect small birds: 'Who'll go on
killing the Small Birds? / Says the Farmer, He-hee! / You wun't convince we; /
We'll goo un killun the Small Birds'.
Punch, 45 (1863), 34.
Badly Hit During the Recent Encounter with the Guards
Medical Treatment, Mental Illness, Disease, Gender
Shows a doctor, a disgruntled-looking young woman (dressed for a ball and
staring at a bouquet), and her mother, arrayed around a table. Having heard the
mother explain that her daughter had persisted in keeping silent and staring at
her bouquet, the doctor advises that 'We must first get the ball out of her
head, and then perhaps the nervous system may right itself!'.
Sung to the tune of 'Pop Goes the Weasel', the song describes the practice
of rifle-shooting, with Enfield and
WhitworthWhitworth, Sir Joseph, 1st Baronet
(1803–87)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
guns, 'Up and down to Wimbledon / In and out at Putney'.
Politics, Government, Medical Treatment, Medical
Practitioners
Shows
John Russell (1st Earl
Russell)Russell, Lord John, 1st Earl Russell
(1792–1878)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> as a little boy eating pie at a dinner table. Around him
stand
King Leopold
ILeopold I, King of Belgium
(1790–1865)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> of Belgium and Britannia, who tells Russell that the 'Brazil-Nuts'
have disagreed with him and that 'Doctor Belgium says you did wrong, and that a
little humble pie will do you good'. This refers to Russell's involvement in a
dispute between the British and Brazilian governments over the arrest of some
British officers in Rio de Janerio, a dispute resolved in favour of the
Brazilians by Leopold.
Announces a 'Ladies' Conversazione at Chat-Moss', which will 'provide a
really scientific and philosophical entertainment, which shall not degenerate
into a mere Chit-Chat Moss', and the establishment in 'Whim-bledon' of a 'New
Hospital for people troubled with Queer Fancies'.
Playing on the poetic and metrological connotations of 'metre', the author
argues that 'the increasing taste for poetry' will 'attain its legitimate
development in the universal adoption of a Metrical System of Coinage'.
Supposes that the Poet Laureate may be appointed 'Deputy Assistant Chancellor
of the Exchequer', but is being 'consulted as to the New Metrical Terms in all
Commercial Dealings' and preparing the public for this change by composing
lines of poetry to be used in commercial transactions. These include the
shopkeeper's line, 'Sir are you willing / To pay a shilling', or the consumer's
retort 'That would rob / Me of a Bob'.
The seaside thoughts of '"GLAUCUS" who is staying at a
quiet watering-place, five miles from anywhere, and three from a Railway
Station'. These idle ruminations include whether 'there ever was such as
creature as a mermaid', 'what
SPEKESpeke, John Hanning
(1827–64)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and
GRANTGrant, James Augustus
(1827–92)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> had for dinner to-day',
and 'if the
Zoological GardensZoological Society of London —Gardens
CloseView the register entry >>
are open at sunrise'.
Notes the decision by
ParliamentHouses of Parliament
CloseView the register entry >> to allow the
Great Eastern Railway CompanyGreat Eastern Railway Company
CloseView the register entry >>
'to have steamboats in connection with its lines' and, playing on the notorious
sluggishness of steamboats, notes that its 'naval correspondent' informs
Punch that the names of the new vessels will include 'Dawdle' and
'Laggard'.
Thinks the articles in the latest issue of the
Quarterly
ReviewQuarterly Review
(1809–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> appear to be 'arranged with reference to the [hot]
season. The prominent articles are, the Glacial Theory, the Church of Rome, and
Spiritualism. Come, Ice, Wafer, and Liqueur are not bad hints in this
weather'.
Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment, Human Development
Shows an elderly doctor standing in front of a small boy and his mother. The
doctor informs the mother that 'we must cut off his animal
aliment', which prompts the boy to wonder whether it will hurt.
Discusses an alarming
LancetLancet
(1823–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> report
describing how some doctors enjoy commissions from undertakers 'for
recommending the latter to the notice of afflicted survivors'. Points out that
since the commission is more than a doctor's bill, then a doctor is more likely
to 'make an Undertaker necessary'. Expresses hostility to undertakers, and
recommends that readers should follow its lead and seek a cheap funeral.
Presents 'hints' to 'non-farming readers' for judging the quality of animals
on display at agricultural meetings and cattle shows. The hints parody the
vague and coarse methods by which farmers assess an animal's weight, coat, and
other characteristics.
The illustration shows a view along Ludgate Hill, but with the traditional
view of
St Paul's
CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral
CloseView the register entry >> now obscured by an ugly railway bridge built between
buildings on both sides of the street. The text urges people to take their last
glimpse of
Christopher
Wren'sWren, Sir Christopher
(1632–1723)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> 'remarkable edifice' which 'will become invisible, owing to
the great improvements which the march of intellect and the progress of
commerce' have forced upon London.
Introducing himself as 'by profession, a Mathematician', whose studies are
being 'pursued [...] by Bands of Inharmonious Blackguards', the writer of the
letter parodies
Charles
Babbage'sBabbage, Charles
(1792–1871)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> notorious attacks on street musicians. He complains about
his daughter's habit of practising refined music and complains that his
preparation of 'a work on the Differential Calculus' has been thwarted by
singing 'Niggers' and bagpipe-playing highlanders.
Describes a meeting of English monarchs convened to review some of the
statutes passed under their reigns.
King James IJames I, King of England and Scotland (formerly King
James VI of Scotland)
(1566–1625)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> claims
that he cannot find fault with any of his acts and remarks that 'In our time
[...] witchcraft had a pungent odour' but 'has now an aromatic scent, and is
gratefully inhaled by persons moving in select circles. Mediums used to cast
their spells over the cream of the dairy, now mirabile dictu, they
confine their charms to the cream of society'.
Following a miserable experience getting wet in a rain shower, the writer
proposes the invention of 'Waterproof Crinoline for gentlemen, which, when
expanded, shall answer all the purposes of an umbrella'.
Following the interpretation of the Faust legend recently presented to
London audiences in
Charles F
Gounod'sGounod, Charles François
(1818–93)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> opera Faust, the legend is here presented in the
somewhat crude style of a music hall song. Describes Faust's reputation as 'a
scollard and a sage', his 'workin' at' 'Agrippa'sAgrippa von Nettesheim, Heinrich
Cornelius
(1486–1535)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> works', and his
exchanging 'His precious soul' with the Devil 'for a dose of physic'.
Responding to a letter in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>
reporting the observation of a bright meteor, warns of the possible confusion
between meteors and fireworks set off by 'school-boys'. Looks forward to the
end of the school holidays 'in the interests of Science'.
Describes the case of a 'Celebrated Bird-tamer' who had trained his canary
to perform such services as cleaning his master's boots and providing
meals.
The initial letter of the first word of the article forms part of an
illustration showing a bearded character sitting by a telescope from which
hangs a lantern. He points towards the sky where a luminous 'W' appears. The
text reports that the 'Astronomer in Richmond Park' has discovered a star,
although not a new one; this may be a reference to
Balfour
StewartStewart, Balfour
(1828–1887)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>, who was superintendent of the
Royal
Observatory, KewRoyal Observatory, Kew CloseView the register entry >>. The article also reports on the protest of the
'North and South Poles' against their 'oppressed brethren' (in Poland), and
that the sundial was invented 'by a gentleman of that name'.
Introduces a letter from Johnson, Jun., who complains about the noises made
by a police brass band, and who reveals that his father (clearly modelled on
Charles
BabbageBabbage, Charles
(1792–1871)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>) is 'writing a book about Astronomy, I think, and
Mathematics' and is driven wild by the policemen practising. Punch
suggests this is why the police' obstinately refuse to suppress
street-noises'.
Discusses the 'petty social' 'nuisance' of 'the Man of Many Dogs', drawing
attention to the different dispositions and characteristics of such dogs as 'an
enormous Blood Hound', 'the medium-sized black shaggy dog of uncertain breed
and dangerous eye', and a 'King Charles', and describing the odd behaviour of
their owners.
Spiritualism, Religious Authority, Superstition, Faith,
Charlatanry
Discusses a recent attack on
Daniel D HomeHome, Daniel Dunglas
(1833–86)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> in
the
Quarterly
ReviewQuarterly Review
(1809–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> (Mansel
1863Mansel, Henry
Longueville 1863. 'Modern Spiritualism', Quarterly Review,
114, 179–210
CloseView the register entry >>), drawing attention to the claims that Home converted to several
religious faiths and may convert
Pope Pius IXPius IX, Pope
(1792–1878)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> to 'a
belief in rapping'. Relishes the prospect that Home's conversion to Roman
Catholicism will destroy his spiritualistic powers, but warns that the Catholic
Church, with 'its own superstitions to support', will probably not support the
rival 'superstition' of spiritualism, not least because 'The gullibility of man
[...] may be exhausted'. Declares its greater respect for 'the Papal faith'
than 'the humbug of the Spirit-rappers', and expects Home to confess to all of
his 'artful dodges'.
Reflects on the slight drop in the number of people killed or injured in
railway accidents between 1861 and 1862. Pointing out the increased number of
railway lines laid during this period, considers the statistics to be 'an
encouragement' to keep on 'giving heavy damages' to victims of railway
accidents.
Discusses news of an assault in Ramsgate on the wife of
Paul B Du
ChailluDu Chaillu, Paul Belloni
(1831–1903)
CBD CloseView the register entry >>. Believes that Du Chaillu will 'laugh' to see that local
magistrates have 'fined' rather than 'flogged' 'the brutal gorilla' who
attacked his wife, but suggests that the creature should be sent to
Richard OwenOwen, Richard
(1804–92)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> 'for
safety's sake'.
This is written from the perspective of a nurse of limited literary ability,
who introduces herself as 'a Nuss (privit not ospitl)'. She declares nursing to
be the 'most onerable' 'Ov hall purfeshuns', although she considers that she
has more 'oposishun too Kontend against' than does the Prime Minister
Henry J Temple (3rd
Viscount Palmerston)Temple, Henry John, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
(1784–1865)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>. She proceeds to describe her attitude towards
spiritualism, refusing to 'giv Kredens too hall the gost stories i eer', but
admitting a belief in 'sperets Ginerally'. She supports her belief by highly
dubious testimony, including her claim that 'many things [...] disappear most
hunaccountably', that on one occasion she had 'been Takin sum port whine
Negress' and 'Felt the ole room go round and round jest has it hapt to do wen
There's a mediem in itt', and that on another occasion when her nurse friend
Mrs Gingham allegedly awoke to find on her knee 'a kap belongin to her
granmamar wot had bun Ded nerr upon aleven Yeers'. Concludes by wondering why
'sperets' should prefer to play accordions rather than fiddles.
Anon 1863Anon. 1863. Who to Consult?; or, A Book Of Reference for
Invalids, in Disordered Health, Difficult Cases, or Longstanding Disease.
Including a Simple Nosological Arrangement of the Medical and Surgical Forms of
Disease, LondoMatthen: [n.pub.]
CloseView the register entry >>
Belief, Reasoning, Vulcanology, Meteorology, Nationalism, Cultural
Geography, Superstition
Opens by informing Mr Punch of the virtues of dismissing 'anything whatever
that is extraordinary', arguing that the large number of occasions on which
'you are right' will 'gain [you] the credit for good sense', while a mistake
will be put down to mere 'error on the side of judgment'. Insists that, since
earthquakes do not occur in England, they do not occur elsewhere either; thus,
he denies the plausibility of Mount Vesuvius and of reports of 'tremendous
hail-storms and thunder-storms' in foreign countries. Ridicules as a 'fudge' a
report in the
Courier du
Bas RhinCourier du Bas Rhin
(1781–1801)
BUCOP CloseView the register entry >> describing a shower of enormous hailstones, and
considers 'all foreigners' to be 'natives' who are 'eaten up with credulity and
abandoned to delusion', which can 'infect even British travellers'. Denies the
actual magnitude of the American Civil War and the Polish insurrection, and
concludes with another reflection on the untrustworthiness of 'Foreigners'.
Discusses a report in the
Cincinnati Scientific
ArtizanCincinnati Scientific Artizan
(cited 1863)
PU1/45/11/1 CloseView the register entry >> of
Hiram Cox'sCox, Hiram C
(1840–1900)
WBI CloseView the register entry >> analysis of
'various samples of liquors on sale at a store in Cincinnati', which reveals
that some were 'pure, and some vile and pernicious imitations' while 'the wines
had not one drop of the juice of the grape'. Wonders whether Cox's analysis of
British liquors would reveal their freedom from adulteration and that port wine
may only resemble 'real port' by virtue of its colour and toxic effects.
Set in 'Punch's Model Farm' somewhere in the South of England, this drama
describes how Mr Punch and fellow farmers celebrated 'a fine harvest'. One
farmer remarks that 'There wunt be no famine 'cept the cotton famine up in the
North. And that dwoan't titch we', but Mr Punch insists that 'it ought to touch
us. With such a harvest as we've got, my buck, we must n't have any starving
weavers'. This is a reference to the 'Cotton Famine' of Lancashire, in which
weavers' livelihoods were severely threatened by the blockade of cotton exports
by the Confederate states.
Scientific Practitioners, Astrology, Charlatanry, Societies, Military
Technology, Invention
Written from the perspective of a woman of limited literary ability, who
begins by declaring her scepticism towards 'philosifers and men of science',
notably
'ZADKIEL
TAO TSZE'Morrison, Richard James ('Zadkiel')
(1795–1874)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, whom she has often found to be a 'deceiver'.
Denying faith in almanacs, and the prophecies of
John CummingCumming, John
(1807–81)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, she
praises
William G
ArmstrongArmstrong, Sir William George, Baron
Armstrong of Cragside
(1810–1900)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, whose 'gun pertects the British nation' and is fitting
for the
British
Association for the Advancement of ScienceBritish Association for the Advancement of Science
CloseView the register entry >>, of which he is
president. She then discusses Armstrong's address to the association (a version
of which was published as
Armstrong 1864Armstrong, William
George 1864. 'Address', Report of the Thirty-Third Meeting of the
British Association for the Advancement of Science; Held at Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
in August 1862, li–lxiv
CloseView the register entry >>),
sharing his fears that coal supplies are in danger of running out, pointing to
such sources of consumption as 'gash burnt all night long, and constant steam
on land and ocean', and 'the sluts'—servant girls—who waste coal
when cooking.
Discusses some of the 'anomalies' and contradictions in English customs,
notably the English attitudes towards 'bathing at our watering-places', a
custom that leads to 'Gorillas on the shore' surveying 'bathing nymphs' in the
sea. Wonders whether anybody will 'defend this system of indecency' and urges
that bathing be properly supervised.
Describes his trip to the seaside (with his companion) for the benefit of
his health. The author's diary of his holiday reveals how his attempt to write
a 'second essay on the Binomial Theorem' was rudely interrupted by several
street musicians playing simultaneously—an allusion to
Charles
BabbageBabbage, Charles
(1792–1871)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> (115).
Discusses an article in the
Lady's
NewspaperLady's Newspaper
(1847–64)
Queen
(1864–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >> reporting the abandonment of tight stays for looser
fitting 'ceinture Suisse'. Reports Mr Punch's relish for this latest
development in Parisian fashion, which will deter women from wearing crinoline.
Outlines some of the debilitating illnesses suffered by women as a result of
the fashion for 'small waists', including 'Bent spines and reddened noses [...]
headache, giddiness, and fainting fits, and other fashionable ailments'. Later
notes that 'young ladies' seem to think that 'men like a slim waist', but
points out that men do, 'if it be one of Nature's moulding', and that 'much as
they value good looks in a wife', men 'put a higher estimate upon good health
and good temper'.
Discusses the report of an inquest held at
St George's
HospitalSt George's Hospital
CloseView the register entry >> into the death of a wounded man who, after being refused
medical attention by a
Dr
ArmstrongArmstrong, Dr
(fl. 1863)
PU1/45/12/5 CloseView the register entry >>, died through loss of blood. Responding to a juror's
questioning of Armstrong's actions, considers that Armstrong was right not to
interfere but to refer the victim to the nearby St George's. Points out that
had he not done so, Armstrong would have been blamed for 'not having referred'
the patient.
Discusses
Robert D
Thomson'sThomson, Robert Dundas
(1810–64)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> recent claim that the 'Thames was charged with
impurities', asking where 'Old Father Thames' was so charged, and reporting
that the old figure was seen running away from the river towards the sea.
Announces itself as a company for removing people's 'tarnished reputations',
and imparting to even 'the most blackened character qualities and beauties
which never belonged to the original'. Insists that it operates in a similar
way to 'dissolving views', insofar as the 'boldest outlines of character' can
be removed and 'replaced by the most exquisite touches'. The company expects
'important results from the present and advancing state of spiritual science'
because 'spirits of the highest celebrity [...] have shown themselves perfectly
at home in the business' (i.e. in the restoration of posthumous
reputations).
Medical Treatment, Language, Gender, Chemistry, Religion
Responds to an advertisement in the
Medical
CircularMedical Circular
(1852–65)
Waterloo Directory
CloseView the register entry >> from the Edinburgh pharmaceutical firm
T & H SmithSmith (T. & H.), firm CloseView the register entry >>
for their 'aloina' or 'crystaline [sic] principle of aloes' which medical
practitioners recommend to 'females both alive and in a combined form'. Draws
attention to the grammatical infelicities of this advertisement, and suggests
that females in a 'combined form' might mean dead females, but points out that
medicine for the dead would be absurd. Concludes by suggesting that the vendor
is better at 'metaphysical theology' than chemistry.
Amusement, Travel, Scientific Practitioners, Charlatanry,
Stratigraphy, Geology, Zoology, Botany, Collecting, Amateurism, Public
Health
Informs Mr Punch of his unsatisfactory holiday experiences at the seaside.
Later describes his enjoyment of the countryside near Ilfracombe (Devon) which,
Punch notes, elicits Shylock's 'shallow parade of scientific knowledge'.
Shylock describes Ifracombe's 'succession of bays, formed by the wildest
headlands and shattered and twisted rock (grauwacke of the clay-slate formation
[...])', and the riches it has in store for the 'retiring zoophyte', the marine
gardener (who can enjoy such delights as the 'sea-anemone' that 'expands its
many-coloured petals'), and the botanist and 'fern-hunter'. He goes on to
praise the efforts of the local board of health in keeping the streets
clean.
Discusses a
Morning
PostMorning Post and Daily Advertising Pamphlet
(1772–1900+)
Waterloo Directory
CloseView the register entry >> report of the alleged sightings of the 'moving of the
eyes of the picture of the Madonna in the Church of Vicovaro'. Insists that
such reports are a 'wonderful delusion', but if true they would be 'more
wonderful' than the claim that the lion on top of Northumberland House wagged
its tail. Bases this argument on the claim that while the latter phenomenon
could be explained by the expansion of the lion's metallic tail and the
'spiritual force that hoists
MR.
HOMEHome, Daniel Dunglas
(1833–86)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>', the winking picture cannot be explained so easily.
Insists that it will only 'inquire whether it is a miracle or a humbug' when it
has been witnessed by 'a whole congregation' rather than single priests.
Proceeds to discuss the claim that the winking image is being worshipped.
Reflects on the 'glut of ghosts' in theatres and other places of 'public
amusement'. Wonders why 'the bona fide' ghosts of 'private "circles"' allow
themselves to be 'insulted by mimicry'—the ghosts exhibited by the 'well
understood denomination of optical illusions'. Noting
John H Pepper'sPepper, John Henry
(1821–1900)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>
'avowed design of demonstrating the unreality of those ghosts which
spiritualists believe to be real', questions why the real ghosts do not 'give
Pepper, and the other philosophers who produce the sham ghosts, a rap over the
head'. The author adds that if he were a ghost he would 'astonish both the man
of science outside the scenes and also the performer on the stage in a ghost
piece'.
Discusses and savours a report of a
Mr FryFry, Mr (Deputy on the Court of Common
Council)
(fl. 1863)
PU1/45/15/5 CloseView the register entry >> who, as a deputy
alderman on the
Court of
Common CouncilCourt of Common Council
CloseView the register entry >>, maintained that Ludgate Hill would be disfigured by
the proposed railway viaduct, however much it was to be beatified with
ornamental designs. Punch believes that the bridge will be 'a monument
to the barbarism of a crew of sordid speculators out of the Legislature, and of
their representatives within it', and thinks the names of such characters
should be engraved on the bridge 'to the scorn of posterity'. Ends by
suggesting that the
London, Chatham, and Dover
Railway CompanyLondon, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company
CloseView the register entry >> (which is to build the viaduct) be renamed the
'Goths and Vandals, Railway'.
Shows a drunken churchwarden attempting to unlock his front door, the
caption reporting that he experienced the recent earthquake when, after coming
out of a public house, he felt the 'pavement hit him on the nose, and [...] the
street door wouldn't let him get his latch key in'.
Discusses the large number of people who are moving out of Bloomsbury, and
suggests the possibility that the property could be bought cheaply for
Richard OwenOwen, Richard
(1804–92)
DSB CloseView the register entry >> and
'his Animals'.
The initial letter forms part of an illustration showing a satanic-looking
figure dressed in a wizard's costume labelled 'ZADKIEL' (a reference to the
astrologer
Richard J
MorrisonMorrison, Richard James ('Zadkiel')
(1795–1874)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>). The figure waves a wand at a celestial object and is
surrounded by small creatures. The text explains that
Punch's
Pocket Book for 1863 Punch's Pocket Book
(1842–80)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>will contain a prediction of the recent
earthquake, and thus demonstrate that 'THERE IS BUT ONE PUNCH, AND HE IS HIS
OWN PROPHET'.
Cruelty, Animal Behaviour, Religious Authority, Morality,
Ethics
Discusses the response by the 'Censor at Rome' to 'a little book entitled
A Short Catechism on Humanity to Animals', which suggests that he denies
that cruelty to animals is contrary to Christianity and that compassion towards
beasts is a rule 'interpreted according to private caprice if it is understood
to mean that one ought to be compassionate towards the beasts on order to be a
good Christian'. Punch questions the morality of his position and
suggests that
Pope Pius IXPius IX, Pope
(1792–1878)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> should
dismiss him.
Describes some of the effects of the earthquake which shuddered through
'this English land / From South to North' and which caused such domestic
effects as waking sleepers, crumbling plasterwork, and stopping clocks.
Observes that ''Tis well the human herd has felt / In Mother Earth how frail
their trust, / Divided from the molten belt / Of Vulcan by how thin a crust',
but points out that human minds 'know / In what yet thinner tubes of veins /
And arteries hath man's blood to flow / Throughout the finest nervous tissue: /
And giving but a mere drop issue / Life's pipes were burst: all over so!'. Adds
that such minds 'Need no admonitory jog / Beneath them from the lava mine'.
Nationalism, Cultural Geography, Development, Evolution, Animal
Behaviour
Discusses
Nathaniel
Hawthorne'sHawthorne, Nathaniel
(1804–64)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> waspish remarks about the English, notably his criticism
of the ponderous frame and 'elephantine' walk of English women. Concludes by
telling Hawthorne that he 'is strong enough in your own works to bear being
supposed a descendant from a gorilla, were heraldry unkind', and that Mr Punch
thinks he should follow up his uncomplimentary remarks about people with whom
he was so intimate with an autobiography, which will be 'a natural history of
half-civilised animals'.
Warns travellers of the dangers of eating adulterated pickles in Heidelberg
hotels. Urges the traveller that, if he cannot obtain the services of a
toxicologist, then he should 'immediately attempt to detect the presence of
copper' in the pickles. The suggested method for detecting copper is to 'offer
the lowest silver coin in your possession, and to ask for change for that
amount'; this will provide a measure of how much copper the pickles
contain.
Describes a recent party in which 'the well-known and justly celebrated
aeronauts'
James GlaisherGlaisher, James
(1809–1903)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>
and
Henry T
CoxwellCoxwell, Henry (Tracey)
(1819–1900)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> were among the guests. Explains how Glaisher felt the
'urgent necessity of communicating to the world at large [...] the interesting
discoveries that had been that day made', and presents Glaisher's 'Sitific
Count', evidently written under the influence of alcohol, of his fabulous
observations. These include Glaisher's claim that 'the weight of the water on
Mr. Coxwell's cubic foot was affected by the Sun's ray', that 'a Blackened Bulb
Thermometer' was caught 'reading with its rays and blacking the eye of the
sun', and that 'Professor Tindall' (a reference to
John TyndallTyndall, John
(1820–93)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>)
'filled with two bags of air, was washing the blackened bulb'.
Regards the donation, by some 'kind little Milliners', of their 'scant
earnings' to the 'victims' of the Warsaw uprising, to be 'a pretty illustration
of the Needle being true to the Pole'.
Education, Universities, Botany, Medical Practitioners, Medical
Treatment
Noting the abstruse scientific language contained in a botanical question
included in a medical examination at the
University of EdinburghUniversity of Edinburgh
CloseView the register entry >>, wonders why
such a question was asked and notes how unlikely it is that a patient would ask
his doctor the same question. Insists that a doctor possessing such knowledge
would suggest 'a mind especially devoted to other things than medical science'.
Contrasts such useless botanical knowledge with a doctor knowing how to set an
arm. Concludes by suggesting that the doctors of Edinburgh University should
continue to set such examination questions if they wish their 'brotherhood' to
consist of individuals whose 'memory is all their intellect' and who are not
'thinking men'.
Shows a room in a barber's shop, in which two gentlemen are having their
hair brushed with two large rotatory combs whose spindles are held by barbers
and which are turned by belts that disappear into the ceiling.
An elegy on the death of the porpoise at the
Zoological Society
GardensZoological Society of London —Gardens
CloseView the register entry >>. The sturgeon expresses joy at the news that the 'great,
black, oily', and blind porpoise has been taken away from his 'basin'.
Questioning why
Francis T
BucklandBuckland, Francis Trevelyan
(1826–80)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> put the porpoise in his home, he emphasises his own status
as 'King of the Fish' and feels he should have been housed in a marble tank in
the gardens of
Windsor
CastleWindsor Castle
CloseView the register entry >> and that he should not be exposed to fellows of the
Zoological
SocietyZoological Society of London
CloseView the register entry >> who 'talk zoological muddle' or to 'swells' and plebeians.
Reiterates his hostile feelings about the porpoise, lamenting the fact that
'swells' only want to look at the porpoise's corpse. Urges Buckland in future
to put sick porpoises in tanks with other fishes, pointing out that although he
is a king, he cannot cure by touch. Insists that the porpoise is not a fish
'but a highly deweloped man. / Improved, of course, with a tail and fins, on
the famous
Westiges[Chambers,
Robert] 1844. Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation,
London: John Churchill
CloseView the register entry >> plan'. In
a postscript he denies being related to
Charles H
SpurgeonSpurgeon, Charles Haddon
(1834–92)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, whom he believes looks more like a porpoise.
Describes his observations of iron-clad rams docked at Birkenhead, rams that
'never were fed on hay', whose coats were made of iron, whose 'horns' were made
of steel, whose 'trotters were under water, / Like the mail-clad
Warrior'sHMS Warrior CloseView the register entry >>
keel', and whose tails were screw propellers. Identifies the rams as the
El ToussonEl Tousson, ship CloseView the register entry >> and
the
El MonastirEl Monastir, ship CloseView the register entry >>,
twin vessels built for the Confederate states, but seized by the British
government in October 1863; notes that they are to be closely attended by 'a
British man-of-war'.
Discusses
Banting 1863Banting,
William 1863. Letter on Corpulence: Addressed to the Public,
[London]: printed by Harrison and Sons
CloseView the register entry >>, which draws
attention to
William
Banting'sBanting, William
(1796/7–1878)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> claim that he underwent unsuccessful medical treatment for
obesity. Observes that while 'Corpulence is generally the consequence of
gluttony, and curable, by moderation', Banting's work suggests that corpulence
can be 'reduced by any abstinence short of low diet'. Presents Banting's scheme
for reducing weight, which surprisingly and amusingly for Punch,
consists of a diet of extremely fattening foods. Punch explains that the
diet excludes 'starch and saccharine matter as much as possible', a principle
which Punch thinks is 'sound' but then points out that a diet of
potatoes does not cause stoutness: 'vital chemistry transmutes potatoes into
Irish muscle'. Concludes by urging that the best plan for the 'diminution of
bulk' is eating food that you do not like and abstaining from that which you
do.
Noting the possibility that such sentiments as 'Success to Farming' and
'Speed the Plough' will seem 'quite out of place on the English soil',
discusses an article in
The TimesThe Times
(1777–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>
lamenting the demise of English farming and stressing the inability of the
English farmer, despite his 'multitude of implements and artificials', to
compete with his foreign rivals, as well as the vanquishing of productive land
by buildings and railways. Echoes the view of the Times writer that
England will soon be covered with 'bricks and mortar', and 'Great Britain will
perhaps be re-christened as Large London'.
Notes the claim that the alpine mountain of Pilatus 'can always give certain
prophetic signs of a coming storm, surer even than those of
ADMIRAL
FITZROYFitzroy, Robert
(1805–65)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>'.
Describes his observations of 'a wonderful Ram' which had 'frightened Uncle
SAM'—a reference to the United States government's
frantic diplomacy to avert the delivery of a Confederate order for two
British-built ironclads. Draws attention to the length, iron 'head', the
'roaring flue', and 'awful screw' of the vessel. States that it was reported to
be destined for Egypt (a ruse used to ensure secrecy), but wonders what would
happen if it 'made for Davis's straits' (i.e. if it entered into the American
Civil War). Concludes by praising
John Russell (1st Earl
Russell)Russell, Lord John, 1st Earl Russell
(1792–1878)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> for using 'wise discretion [...] in clapping the Ram in the
Pound'.
Medical Practitioners, Gender, Sociology, Periodicals
Discusses an article in the
ScotsmanScotsman
(1817–1900+)
BUCOP CloseView the register entry >> 'which
treats of the admission of the fair sex to the medical profession', and which
criticises an address made by a
Mr BrownBrown, Mr
(fl. 1863)
PU1/45/20/6 CloseView the register entry >> at the
Social
Science CongressSocial Science Congress
CloseView the register entry >>. Regarding Brown as a 'gorilla', condemns this
representation of women as 'bitter beer and tobacco' who 'soothe' man 'in
defeat'. Denying the possibility that members of the Social Sciences Congress
could have said this, suspects that the Scotsman has put these words
into Brown's mouth. In a postscript, the author considers women doctors to be a
'profanation' of the female sex, not least because it would be difficult to
court a woman who had been soiled by medical work.
Notes the disappearance of the 'Caledonian Violin'—'a certain subject
of raillery against the Scotch'—from North Britain. Explains that this
was a euphemism for a 'cutaneous disease', but that this has been 'driven in'
and has 'produced a constitutional disease'. Reveals that the disease is
Sabbatarianism.
Medical Practitioners, Politics, War, Internationalism
The article relates to the proposal of
Emperor Napoleon
IIINapoleon III, Emperor of France (originally
Louis Napoléon (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte))
(1808–73)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> of France for the convocation of a European congress. Describes
a conversation between Dr Punch and the emperor. The emperor reveals that he
has 'invited the Sovereigns of Europe to a Congress' for settling' all our
troubles and quarrels by Arbitration', a plan that Dr Punch claims that he has
been urging for 'the last ten years'. The emperor quickly grows tired of Dr
Punch's obsequious remarks, although the latter persists in reminding his
patron that 'war, in self-defence, is a crime and a blunder' and questions his
patron's war against Mexico, while boasting of the fact that he has converted
600,000 soldiers. (208) Dr Punch anticipates that half a century of struggles
will result in him becoming 'Victor of the Victor of the World'.
Medical Practitioners, Medical Treatment, Politics,
Internationalism
Shows
Emperor Napoleon
IIINapoleon III, Emperor of France (originally
Louis Napoléon (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte))
(1808–73)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> of France in conversation with Dr Punch, the latter telling
Napoleon that his decision to try 'Arbitration' instead of aggression is 'just
what I've been telling you to do for the past ten years. You've no constitution
and you want peace and quiet'.
Medical Treatment, Quackery, Mesmerism, Vaccination, Government,
Cultural Geography
Considers that 'progress in Turkey' is demonstrated by the nation's
periodical, Terjuman
AhvalTerjuman Ahval
(cited 1863)
PU1/45/21/4 CloseView the register entry >>, which features an advertisement for a medical cure
effected by breathing on and using charms on the patient. Describes the state
of medical quackery in Turkey, noting that the 'Mussulmans are even with the
British Aristocracy in medical enlightenment', that Constantinople has
'advertising Mesmerists', although the Turks have no such 'nostrum vendors' as
Thomas
HollowayHolloway, Thomas
(1800–83)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> and
James MorisonMorison, James
(1770–1840)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >>, or
a government that endorses such medical treatments. Suggests that if Holloway
and 'his brotherhood' should 'turn Turk with them' then they should 'turn Turks
too', and set up business in Constantinople.
Describes some 'curious specimens of the insect tribe' that the touring
naturalist will find in Interlachen, Switzerland. To emphasise the size of the
spiders and grasshoppers seen, points out that they dwarf those seen in a play
called 'Butterfly's Ball' (featuring human-sized insects) and the
insects magnified in the oxyhydrogen microscope at the
Royal Polytechnic InstitutionRoyal Polytechnic Institution
CloseView the register entry >>.
(212) The illustrations show giant spiders and grasshoppers.
A response to the call by
Emperor Napoleon
IIINapoleon III, Emperor of France (originally
Louis Napoléon (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte))
(1808–73)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> of France for a European congress, the poet likens Napoleon to
an eagle, of which 'No wingèd thing' is 'more modest, milder, meeker',
and which is the 'guardian of the weaker'. Unfortunately, 'from ill designs
however clear, / The Eagle was misconstrued and mistaken', and few other
animals trusted it. Notes how the eagle sought to change the fact that 'Mother
Nature' had made it carnivorous—a reference to French—and to
dissipate suspicions that it killed 'babies and sucklings' and stole its food.
The eagle decides that the best solution is to call a 'solemn' congress for
settling 'matters not with claws, but words' and to show that it is 'not a
thing at which to tremble'. Likening the animal kingdom to the rest of Europe,
the eagle calls for an end to recrimination and for its recognition as a
sincere animal. The poem then describes the reactions of various animals, each
emblematic of European countries, which illustrate the foreign policies of
those countries. For example, the Prussian vulture insists that its 'game's not
meddled with', but the British lion is sceptical of the eagle's words and
refuses to attend the congress, wanting actions rather than words.
Discusses news of the discovery of an iron horse-shoe 'at the depth of seven
metres in the diluvium of pre-Adamite deposit' in France, a 'pre-Adamite
horse-shoe' that will 'turn out to be less of a pre than a
pone'.
Opens by describing the 'Red Howling Monkeys' recently exhibited at the
Zoological Society
GardensZoological Society of London —Gardens
CloseView the register entry >>, a species which, according to a report before the author,
has 'extraordinary vocal powers' which depend on a 'special mechanism in the
throat'. Laments the fact that the monkeys languish owing to the English
climate and suggests that the animals should be wheeled about in perambulators.
Goes on to suggest how 'valuable' the monkeys would be to organ grinders, and
anticipates that their noise would be so 'unendurable' that
ParliamentHouses of Parliament
CloseView the register entry >> would eventually have to
'take the matter up'. Concludes by urging that the monkeys should be used in
'street music' in order to ensure that the nuisance will eventually be
banned.
Describes Mr Naggleton's attempts to contest the parliamentary seat for
Finsbury. His wife, however, is sceptical and thinks he 'is about as fit to be
a Member of Parliament as I am to make a steam-engine',
Religious Authority, Superstition, Supernaturalism, Railways,
Accidents
Describing the belief among the 'lower orders of intellect in Italy' in 'a
ridiculous superstition' of the 'evil eye', notes that
Pope Pius IXPius IX, Pope
(1792–1878)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> is held
to be 'gifted with this sinister endowment' and that superstitious Italians
claim that this power caused a railway train to fall off a drawbridge that the
pope had blessed a few days earlier. Points out that the accident was caused by
the train bolting when the drawbridge was up, which constitutes an act of
'common negligence'. Also notes that, since nobody was hurt in the accident, it
could also be explained as resulting from a 'favourable eye'. Noting the
apparent effect of the pope's benign smile on others, concludes that the only
pope's eye that is not evil is that in a 'leg of mutton'.
In response to the opening question 'Am I not a Man and a Brother?' (the
emblematic question of the anti-slavery movement), discusses the racist
arguments of 'Anthropology'. Anthropology, for example, asserts that black and
white races of humans are 'Less [a]like than one ape's like another', and that
the 'form' of the head and face is 'inferior' in black races. Describes other
features that anthropology believes distinguishes black from white races,
notably sable 'dyed' skin, heavier bones, long arms (which are 'dead against
[...] parity'), prehensile 'great-toes', and woolly hair. The author concludes
by noting how 'strange' this 'new information' will appear to the
British and Foreign Anti-Slavery
SocietyBritish and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society
CloseView the register entry >>, but hopes that
Henry P Brougham (1st
Baron Brougham and Vaux)Brougham, Henry Peter, 1st Baron Brougham and
Vaux
(1778–1868)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> will uphold the 'manhood and fraternity' of
black people.
Describes the procedure for preparing a remedy for an unspecified disease.
The gruesome process involves putting a robin's leg in water, allowing it to
stand in water, boiling the mixture, and after allowing it to jell, to 'Let the
patient smell it'. In conclusion advises that if the patient 'chance to die, /
Say 'twas Nature did it; / But should he get well, / Give the Soup the
credit'.
Discussing the 'fashion now for calling foul things for fine names', draws
attention to a letter from a medical correspondent in the
Daily
TelegraphDaily Telegraph
(1856–1900+)
Waterloo
Directory CloseView the register entry >>, who described how a murderer offered a 'fatal
chalice' to his victim, a 'stagy' phrase which Punch considers 'entirely
out of place in a medical analysis of the evidence brought forward in an actual
case of crime'.
Describes the nutritional content of breakfasts served in Swiss hotels, and
later describes the joys of Alpine scenery, the many charms for the
'naturalist' (including 'the rare hen Cockeyolly Bird'), and the 'glorious type
of Face' of Swiss people to be savoured by the 'Physiologist'.
The bell in the
Palace of
WestminsterPalace of Westminster
CloseView the register entry >>, Big Ben, describes the resumption of his duty of
ringing after a long period of idleness while a crack was being repaired.
Noting reports that he is performing his 'functions in an exemplary manner',
confesses: 'since I've been set to work again, I have done my very best to
sound my very worst, and make my voice as husky as I can, in the hope of being
once more put on the sick list'. Proceeds to complain about his duties.
Reports that at a recent meeting of the
Anthropological SocietyAnthropological Society of London
CloseView the register entry >> a paper was
presented which argued that negroes were 'a little above monkeys and very much
below white men'. Notes that the
Morning
PostMorning Post and Daily Advertising Pamphlet
(1772–1900+)
Waterloo Directory
CloseView the register entry >> sought to undermine the importance of such claims by
recalling
Richard Owen'sOwen, Richard
(1804–92)
DSB CloseView the register entry >>
confusion of a 'negro type of skull' with that of 'a Scotch Sergeant who was
killed at Waterloo'. Punch agrees, but suggests that the Scotsman may
have been 'Sergeant BLACKIE' (a common Scottish surname).
Laments the fact that efforts are now being made to enclose and appropriate
Tooting Common which Punch describes as 'that unprofitable wild, which
now pays no rent to anybody, and exhales but little smoke, and not much else at
any time but the scent of furze-bloom and other flowers in spring'. Emphasises
the natural beauties of the common as if they were simple ornaments that could
easily be disposed of. Asserts: 'All who have a proper contempt for the common
people, for their pleasures and enjoyments, and for the privileges which they
have possessed from time immemorial, but should, for the aggrandisement of
individuals, have been deprived of long ago', will relish news that an
'Enclosure Commissioner' has decided, after taking evidence from local
residents, in favour of abolishing the common. Laments the fact that a
parliamentary act legislating the enclosure will transfer all the profits of
the common to 'one man'.
Discusses an advertisement for 'The Patent Ondina', a woman's dress that
'does away with the unsightly results of the ordinary hoops' of crinoline
dresses. Considers the claim that the invention improves on crinoline, but
observes that it 'is only a lesser nuisance than the nuisance it simply
professes to diminish' and calls for the production of new dresses to be
halted.
The initial letter of the article is part of an illustration showing a
beaver sitting at an artist's easel, on the other side of which sits a man tied
with a rope and playing a drum. The text begins by noting the 'instructive'
nature of exhibiting 'specimens of the inferior creation', observing that the
'monkeys at the
ZoologicalZoological Society of London —Gardens
CloseView the register entry >> are not
models' even though 'we all go to see them', and that we see 'Pictures of the
French Drawn by Themselves'. Criticizes
Silken
FettersBuckingham,
Leicester Silk 1864. Silken Fetters: A Comedy in Three Acts,
London: Thomas Hailes Lacy
CloseView the register entry >>,
Leicester S
Buckingham'sBuckingham, Leicester Silk
(1825–67)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> adaptation of
Augustin E
Scribe'sScribe, Augustin Eugène
(1791–1861)
CBD CloseView the register entry >> drama,
Une
ChaîneScribe, Augustin
Eugène 1841. Une chaîne: comedie en cinq actes et en
prose, Paris: Beck
CloseView the register entry >>. Acknowledges that if Buckingham were a
naturalist he would be 'too conscientious' not to label gorillas in a cage
'gorillas' and would 'not put them into trousers and crinoline, and say they
were Irish people', but questions why he had given Scribe's 'monkeys' 'English
names and transferred the scene of their antics to this country'.
Discusses an article in a 'Popular American paper' which boasts about the
'impregnable ship-armour of the Yankees' and proposes that it could force
London to surrender by anchoring a 'Dunderberg' opposite the metropolis.
Replies to this latter proposal by arguing from the example of the Battle of
Bull Run that the Yankees 'would be more likely to skedaddle on the first
opportunity' than to take London in this way.
Describes some of the 'luxurious contrivances' to be enjoyed by the
'travelling Diogenes' in Parisian hotels. These include a room that takes one
up to higher floors by 'Hydraulic pressure', a 'Pneumatic Dispatch Pipe' by
which one descends from this height, machines which perform such domestic tasks
as unpacking luggage and washing guests, and an electric telegraph cable that
allows guests to relay their orders to waiters.
Describes the advances of the railway into London which is to be 'given over
as a prey' to the 'Railway League'. Explains how Punch procured from
Edward
StanfordStanford, Edward
(1827–1904)
ODNB CloseView the register entry >> a map illustrating the extent of the invasion, and then
details the various overland and underground lines that do not appear to
satisfy anybody's interests. Upholding that 'something may be done against new
aggressors', calls on 'the Senators of the moribund
ParliamentHouses of Parliament
CloseView the register entry >> to deserve re-election by
making a vigorous fight against nearly all schemes that have been lodged'.
Protests against various lines, including the 'Nelson Column and Obelisk Line,
which is to go through Poet's Corner in
Westminster
AbbeyWestminster Abbey
CloseView the register entry >>', criticises the 'tank' (railway bridge) that is to 'shut
out'
St Paul's
CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral
CloseView the register entry >>, and believes that in the 'mass of conspiracies "lodged"
on the 30th ultimo [...] are hidden schemes for effecting every one of the
objects we have protested against'. Goes on to praise Stanford for his
'magnificent and luxurious maps', calls on Londoners to protest against the
encroachment of the lines on their 'mansions and gardens', to treat railway men
as 'a highwayman of old, and hang him in his surveying chains', and that
'England expects every man to upset a train'.
Shows a woman, clad in a black shawl, being photographed by a man who is
partly obscured by the black cloth affixed to the back of his camera obscura.
The caption reveals that 'Those who are familiar with the phenomena of the
Camera Obscura', will understand why the woman has 'taken the
precaution' (i.e. put on the shawl) 'on being focussed for her Carte de
Visite'.