Genre:

Illustration

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Illustrators:

J T *

Subjects:

Railways, Steam-power, Engineering, Politics, Commerce, Government, Cultural Geography

    Similar to PU1/62/4/5, this shows the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Robert Lowe, as a locomotive 'stoker' conversing with the French head of state, Adolphe Thiers. Both stand in front of a locomotive, John Bull, whose smoke stack is covered with a 'safety valve' held down by a lever on the end of which is a large weight labelled 'Income Tax—Surcharge'. The locomotive represents the booming British economy of the early 1870s. Lowe points to the weight and explains to Thiers that 'that's the way we "raise the wind;"—simplest thing in the world!'. Thiers is more sceptical and replies that he thinks John Bull will '"blow up" one day!'.