University of Virginia Library

OF THE STREET-SELLERS OF COMIC EXHIBITIONS,
MAGICAL DELUSIONS, &c.

The street sale of "Comic Exhibitions" (pro-
perly so called) is, of course, as modern as the last
autumn and winter; and it is somewhat curi-
ous that the sale of any humorous, or meant to
be humorous sheet of engravings, is now be-
coming very generally known in the street sale
as a "Comic Exhibition." Among these — as I
have before intimated — are many caricatures of
the Pope, the Church of Rome, Cardinal Wise-
man, the Church of England, the Bishop of
London (or any bishop or dignitary), or of any
characteristic of the conflicting creeds. In many
of these, John Bull figures personally, and so
does the devil.

The Comic Exhibition (proper) is certainly a
very cheap pennyworth. No. 1 is entitled, "The
Ceremonial of the Opening of the Great Exhi-
bition, in 1851, with Illustrations of the Contri-
butions of All Nations." The "contributions,"
however, are reserved for Nos. 2 and 3. Two
larger "cuts," at the head of the broad-sheet,
may be considered geographical, as regards the
first, and allegorical as regards the second.
"Table Bay" presents a huge feeder (evi-
dently), and the "Cape of Good Hope" is a
spare man obsequiously bowing to the table and
its guest in good hope of a dinner. Of the
Sandwich Islands and of Hung(a)ry, the "exhi-
bition" is of the same description. The second
larger cut shows the Crystal Palace ascending
by the agency of a balloon, a host of people of
all countries looking on. Then comes the

[Description: 915EAF. Page 287.]

`Procession from Palace-yard to Hyde Park."
The first figure in this procession is described
as "Beefeaters piping hot and well puffed out,"
though there is but one beefeater, with head
larger than his body and legs ridiculously, small
(as have nearly all the sequent figures), smok-
ing a pipe as if it were a trombone, duly
followed by "Her Majesty's Spiritual Body-
guard" (five beefeaters, drunk), and by "Prince
Albert blowing his own trumpet" (from the
back of a very sorry steed), with "Mops and
brooms," and a "Cook-oo" (a housemaid and
cook) as his supporters. Then follow figures,
grotesque enough, of which the titles convey
the character: "A famous Well-in-Town;"
"Nae Peer-ye;" "Humorous Estimates"
(Mr. Hume); "A Jew-d' esprit" (Mr. D'Is-
raeli); "An exemplification of Cupidity in
Pummicestone" (Lord Palmerston); "Old
Geese" and "Young Ducks" (old and angry-
looking and young and pretty women); "Some
gentlemen who patronise Moses in the Mino-
ries" (certainly no credit to the skill of a tailor);
"A Jew Lion" (M. Jullien); "Fine high
screams" (ice-creams) and "Capers" (chorister
boys and ballet-girls); "Hey-day, you don't
take advantage here" (Joseph Ady); and
"Something to give the milk a head" (a man
with a horse's head on a tray). These, however,
are but a portion of the figures. The Comic
Exhibition-sheet contains ninety such figures,
independent of those in the two cuts mentioned
as headings.

"Galleries of Comicalities," or series of figures
sometimes satirically, sometimes grotesquely
given without any aim at satire, are also sold by
the same parties, and are often announced as a
"Threepenny gallery for a penny! — and dirt
cheap at threepence. As big as a newspaper."

Another broad-sheet sold this winter in the
streets is entitled, "Optical and Magical Delu-
sions," and was announced as "Dedicated to
and Prepared for his Royal Highness the Prince
of Wales — the only original copy." The en-
gravings are six in number, and are in three
rows, each accompanying engraving being re-
versed from its fellow: where the head is erect on
one side, it is downward on the other. The first
figure is a short length of a very plain woman,
while on the opposite side is that of a very plain
man, both pleased and smirking in accordance
with a line below: "O what joy when our lips
shall meet!" "Cat-a-gorical" is a spectacled
and hooded cat. "Dog-matical" is a dog with
the hat, wig, and cane once held proper to a
physician. "Cross purposes" is an austere
lady in a monster cap, while her opposite hus-
band is pointing bitterly to a long bill. The
purport of these figures is shown in the follow-
ing

Then there are the "Magical Figures," or
rude street imitations of Dr. Paris' ingenious
toy, called the "Thaumascope." Beside these
are what at the first glance appear mere black,
and very black, marks, defining no object; but
a closer examination shows the outlines of a
face, or of a face and figure. Of such there are
sometimes four on a broad-sheet, but they are
also sold separately, both in the streets and the
small stationers' shops. When the white or
black portion of the paper is cut away (for both
colours are so prepared), what remains, by a
disposition of the light, throws a huge shadow
of a grotesque figure on the wall, which may
be increased or diminished according to the
motions of the exhibitor. The shadow-figures
sold this winter by one of my informants were
of Mr. and Mrs. Manning, the Queen, Prince
Albert, the Princess Royal, and the Prince of
Wales; "but you see, sir," observed the man,
"the Queen and the Prince does for any father
and mother — for she hasn't her crown on — and
the Queen's kids for anybody's kids."

I mention these matters more particularly, as
it certainly shows something of a change in the
winter-evenings' amusements of the children of
the working-classes. The principal street cus-
tomers for these penny papers were mechanics,
who bought them on their way home for the
amusement of their families. Boys, however,
bought almost as many.

The sale of these papers is carried on by the
same men as I have described working conun-
drums. A superior patterer, of course, shows
that his magical delusions and magical figures
combine all the wonders of the magic lantern
and the dissolving views, "and all for one
penny." The trade is carried on only for a
short time in the winter as regards the magical
portion; and I am informed that, including the
"Comic Exhibitions," it extends to about half of
the sum taken for conundrums, or to about 45l.