On the cover this month
George Cruikshank (1792-1878)
Passing Events, or, The Tail of the Comet of 1853
hand-coloured etching; sheet 22.2 x 41.5 cm
From the Rex Nan Kivell Collection, National Library of Australia
George Cruikshank, born in London in 1792, was the son of the
printmaker and draughtsman Isaac Cruikshank. He learned to use an
etching needle before he was ten and went on to execute a large number
of very detailed cartoons and book illustrations during his working
life. His early work reflects his admiration of Hogarth. The Napoleonic
Wars and George IV provided Cruikshank with continuous inspiration for
his wittiest cartoons. A long and close association with the
anti-government publisher William Hone (1780-1842) was also
inspirational and resulted in an influential cartoon entitled Bank
Restriction Note (1819) which denounced the execution of women for
passing forged bank notes.
In 1820 Cruikshank started working with his brother, Robert, on Life in
London, published in monthly parts. This saw Cruikshank move from
political cariacture to social observation-as evidenced here in the
later work, PassingEvents. As a competent illustrator, Cruikshank
modified his style but never pandered to fashion. More than 6000 of his
published works and thousands of pencil sketches and watercolours are
now distributed throughout the world. text.....
September 1998 Volume VIII Number 12
FROM THE DESK OF MALTHUS: HOW THE POPULATION DEBATE BEGAN
Ian Castles sets the scene for a joint seminar entitled Malthus and His Legacy: 200 Years of the Population Debate, to be hosted by the National Academies Forum and the National Library on 17-18 September
THE TENNYSON PORTRAITS: GLIMPSES OF AN AGE
Suzanne Rickard provides an insight into the portraits of Hallam, second Baron Tennyson, and his wife, Audrey Lady Tennyson, which now hang in the National Library's Friends Lounge
'FISH TROUT, YOU'RE OUT!'
Gwenda Beed Davey discovers that the Library's Oral History Collection includes valuable examples of children's folklore
JOHNNY O'KEEFE
Barry York dips into the National Library's music scores and Australiana collection to learn more about Australia's first bona fide rock star
TAPPING THE CREATIVE PROCESS
In the first of two articles, Diana Giese investigates some original literary sources
FRIENDS
A regular news page about the activities of the Friends of the National Library of Australia
NLA SHOP
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