In November, we looked at James Gillray and some of his more famous caricatures from the Regency Era. Today I wanted to introduce another caricaturist and illustrator, George Cruikshank. George was the son of caricaturist, Isaac Cruikshank (a contemporary of Gillray’s), and apprenticed with his father at an early age. After spending a decade or so making caricatures, George then turned his attentions to book illustrations. The most notable of his illustrations are those he did in the 1830s for his friend, Charles Dickens.
From 1813, this mocks American boasting in the face of the British Navy.
This mocks some of the rather impractical fashions of 1818.
This mocks servants trying to act as their masters in the kitchen.
This is one of Cruikshank’s numerous illustrations for Oliver Twist.
Do you like any of these caricatures and illustrations? Do you prefer the ones that satirize regular life or politics? Why?
Kristi here. Has your winter been insane? Mine certainly has. In a single week in February, we had an ice/snow storm, a sunny 70 degree afternoon, and even felt the minor tremors of an earthquake. The ice and snow has definitely been the biggest surprise of this winter. Multiple crippling freezes have crossed this country, two reaching deep into the south.
The ramifications of cold weather were l to the people of Regency England. 1816 is even famously known as the year without a summer. However, it was 200 years ago in February 1814 that the last of the great Frost Fairs occurred on the great Thames River.
It wasn’t the first time the Thames River froze over. Indeed it happened more than twenty times since 1309. This was, however, the last time. The replacement of London Bridge in 1831 and Victorian addition of the Embankment improved the water flow to the extent that a solid freeze hasn’t happened again and is highly unlikely to do so.
With the city pulled to a halt by the bitter cold and drifting snow, people were drawn to the novelty of solid ice, allowing them to walk and play where boats usually reigned. A thoroughfare of sailing vessels, to the tune of 1500 a day, brought to a halt by Mother Nature.
Among the frivolities included in the 1814 Frost Fair were:
– An elephant crossing the river, demonstrating the thickness and security of the ice near Blackfriars Bridge.
– A printing press set up on the ice, churning out commemorative books about the fair
– Food and drink vendors galore and impromptu bars created with ship sails
– Fires built right on the ice, with large oxen roasting over them
– Ice skating, bowling, and every other game or sport imaginable
Everything was not all light and smiles, though.
Frost Fair on the Thames with London Bridge in the background.
With no way to earn their keep on the river, dock workers and ferrymen took to guarding the stairs and ladders that led to the icy surface, charging people a toll to attend the fair and then collecting a penny again when they wanted to leave. Pickpockets took advantage of all the slipping and sliding and drunken frivolity.
The party lasted four days. When the ice began to crack, it proved fatal for some of the final revelers. It also sent huge chunks of ice floating down the river, crashing into barges and doing thousands of pounds in damage.
Four short days, but they were legendary ones. There’s even a reference in Doctor Who, when The Doctor and River visit it for an ice skating outing (A Good Man Goes to War). In some ways the fair marked the coming end of an era. As the Regency ended and the Victorian age began, life in England would alter considerably. Transportation, engineering, social habits, and opportunities would all change.
Never again would everything align perfectly to create such a unique experience as the Thames Frost Fair.
Have you had unique experiences with snow and ice this year? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Deadlines and glitches in my learning curve as I transfer from a Microsoft computer to a Mac have me behind on everything and thus this is a short, though I hope, encouraging post.
With 60% of North America covered in wintry mixes of precipitation to greater or lesser degrees, what is lovelier than the idea of spring? People want to put away sweaters and mittens and pull on something that appears more fashionable and, for many anyway, frilly. When heating was primitive at best, how much more must those in the Regency have craved for warm breezes and sunshine heralding spring?
One great herald of spring is flowers. During the Regency, around the time when tulips bloom in those northern climes, snowdrops were prevalent in English gardens. Then come the bluebells. These grow in for an al fresco meal or meeting.
Wisteria, by BearerOfTheCup via Wikimedia Commons
Other spring flowers to consider including are clematis. Thesse are small pink flowers and grow on walls, even covering them with their delicate blooms. And we mustn’t forget one of my personal favorite–wisteria. They can be nearly purple, one of my favorite colors, and the scent is heavenly.
I have never smelled a bluebell, but I have read that they, too, smell delightful when carpeting an English wood.
So let us think spring on this winter’s day and imagine our favorite Regency hero and heroine strolling hand-in-hand through an English garden or woodland and remember that spring always follows winter like the promise of eternal life.
Kristi here, wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day from Regency Reflections!
It is all too easy to write off Valentine’s Day as a “Hallmark Holiday” filled with flowers, chocolate, and unrelenting torment for single people, but the truth of Valentine’s Day is so much more than those cheesy trappings.
Check out some of these Reflections postings about Valentine’s Day, then reach out and tell the people closest to you that you love them, whether friend, family, or someone hovering somewhere in between.
Reflections on Valentine’s Day ~ Valentine’s Day trappings from the Regency period including the lost art of the language of flowers.
Be My Valentine: The Art of the Handmade Card ~ Exchanging cards on Valentine’s Day existed long before elementary school kids stuck construction paper hearts on shoeboxes. Before the printed cards of the Victorian era, though, they had to be made by hand.
Love VS Love ~ A devotional look at the various meanings and usages of the word love. Tired of the cupids and roses? Take the time to remember and celebrate the love of friends, family, and our Savior.
And if you’re like me and enjoy the trite trappings and over-romanticism of Valentine’s Day, what better way to celebrate than with a fabulously romantic story. We’ve got you covered there, too. You can check out our serial story, A Suitable Match, or the first of our third year short stories, Saving Miss Caulfield. In the mood for something a bit longer? Read the latest from one of our recently highlighted authors, Jennifer Hudson Taylor or Julie Klassen, or one of the many books available from our Regency Reflections authors or our Recommended Reading posts.
The ramifications of cold weather were l to the people of Regency England. 1816 is even famously known as the 
