The Confessions of a Caricaturist, Vol. 1

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Confessions of a Caricaturist, Vol. 1 (of 2), by Harry Furniss This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: The Confessions of a Caricaturist, Vol. 1 (of 2) Author: Harry Furniss Release Date: July 16, 2009 [EBook #29425] Language: English *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CONFESSIONS OF A CARICATURIST *** Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Marius Borror and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Transcriber's note: A few typographical errors have been corrected. They appear in the text like this, and the explanation will appear when the mouse pointer is moved over the marked passage. Original page numbers are displayed in the margin as: Pg xxx. MY CARICATURE OF MR. GLADSTONE.THE CONFESSIONS OF A CARICATURIST BYHARRY FURNISS I L L U S T R A T E DVOLUME I NEW YORK AND LONDON: HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS. 1902. BRADBURY, AGNEW, & CO. LD., PRINTERS, LONDON AND TONBRIDGE. [All rights reserved.] December, 1901. PREFACE. If, in these volumes, I have made some joke at a friend's expense, let that friend take it in the spirit intended, and—I apologise beforehand. In America apology in journalism is unknown. The exception is the well-known story of the man whose death was published in the obituary column. He rushed into the office of the paper and cried out to the editor: "Look here, sur, what do you mean by this? You have published two columns and a half of my obituary, and here I am as large as life!" The editor looked up and coolly said, "Sur, I am vury sorry, I reckon there is a mistake some place, but it kean't be helped. You are killed by the Jersey Eagle, you are to the world buried. We nevur correct anything, and we nevur apologise in Amurrican papers." "That won't do for me, sur. My wife's in tears; my friends are laughing at me; my business will be ruined,—you must apologise." "No, si—ree, an Amurrican editor nevur apologises." "Well, sur, I'll take the law on you right away. I'm off to my attorney." "Wait one minute, sur—just one minute. You are a re-nowned and popular citizen: the Jersey Eagle has killed you—for that I am vury, vury sorry, and to show you my respect I will to-morrow find room for you—in the births column." Now do not let any editor imagine these pages are my professional obituary,—my autobiography. If by mistake he does, then let him place me immediately in their births column. I am in my forties, and there is quite time for me to prepare and publish two more volumes of my "Confessions" from my first to my second birth, and many other things, before I am fifty. Signiture. London, 1901. [The Author begs to acknowledge his indebtedness to the Proprietors and the Editor of Punch, the Proprietors of the Magazine of Art, the Graphic, the Illustrated London News, English Illustrated Magazine, Cornhill Magazine, Harper's Magazine, Westminster Gazette, St. James' Gazette, the British Weekly and the Sporting Times for their kindness in allowing him to reproduce extracts and pictures in these volumes.]CONTENTS. Page CHAPTER I. CONFESSIONS OF MY CHILDHOOD—AND AFTER. Introductory—Birth and Parentage—The Cause of my remaining a Caricaturist—The Schoolboys' Punch—Infant Prodigies—As a Student—I Start in Life—Zozimus— The Sullivan Brothers—Pigott—The Forger—The Irish "Pathriot"—Wood Engraving—Tom Taylor—The Wild West—Judy—Behind the Scenes—Titiens— My First and Last Appearance in a Play—My Journey to London—My Companion pp. 1—29—A Coincidence CHAPTER II. BOHEMIAN CONFESSIONS. I arrive in London—A Rogue and Vagabond—Two Ladies—Letters of Introduction— Bohemia—A Distinguished Member—My Double—A Rara Avis—The Duke of Broadacres—The Savages—A Souvenir—Portraits of the Past—J. L. Toole—Art and Artists—Sir Spencer Wells—John Pettie—Milton's Garden pp. 30—53 CHAPTER III. MY CONFESSIONS AS A SPECIAL ARTIST. The Light Brigade—Miss Thompson (Lady Butler)—Slumming—The Boat Race— Realism—A Phantasmagoria—Orlando and the Caitiff—Fancy Dress Balls— Lewis Wingfield—Cinderella—A Model—All Night Sitting—An Impromptu Easel —"Where there's a Will there's a Way"—The American Sunday Papers—I am Deaf—The Grill—The World's Fair—Exaggeration—Personally Conducted—The Charnel House—10, Downing Street—I attend a Cabinet Council—An Illustration pp. 54—87by Mr. Labouchere—The Great Lincolnshire Trial—Praying without Prejudice CHAPTER IV. THE CONFESSIONS OF AN ILLUSTRATOR—A SERIOUS CHAPTER. Drawing—"Hieroglyphics"—Clerical Portraiture—A Commission from General Booth —In Search of Truth—Sir Walter Besant—James Payn—Why Theodore Hook was Melancholy—"Off with his Head"—Reformers' Tree—Happy Thoughts—Christmas Story—Lewis Carroll—The Rev. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson—Sir John Tenniel— The Challenge—Seven Years' Labour—A Puzzle MS.—Dodgson on Dress— Carroll on Drawing—Sylvie and Bruno—A Composite Picture—My Real Models—I am very Eccentric—My "Romps"—A Letter from du Maurier—Caldecott— Tableaux—Fine Feathers—Models—Fred Barnard—The Haystack—A Wicket Keeper—A Fair Sitter—Neighbours—The Post Office Jumble—Puzzling the pp. 88—130Postmen—Writing Backwards—A Coincidence CHAPTER V. A CHAT BETWEEN MY PEN AND PENCIL. What is Caricature?—Interviewing—Catching Caricatures—Pellegrini—The "Ha! Ha!"—Black and White v. Paint—How to make a Caricature—M.P.'s—My System —Mr. Labouchere's Attitude—Do the Subjects Object?—Colour in Caricature— Caught!—A Pocket Caricature—The Danger of the Shirt-cuff—The Danger of a pp. 131—153Marble Table—Quick Change—Advice to those about to Caricature CHAPTER VI. PARLIAMENTARY CONFESSIONS. Gladstone and Disraeli—A Contrast—An unauthenticated Incident—Lord Beaconsfield's last Visit to the House of Commons—My Serious Sketch— Historical—Mr. Gladstone—His Portraits—What he thought of the Artists—Sir J. E. Millais—Frank Holl—The Despatch Boxes—Impressions—Disraeli—Dan O'Connell—Procedure—American Wit—Toys—Wine—Pressure—Sandwich Soirée—The G.O.M. dines with "Toby, M.P."—Walking—Quivering—My Desk—An Interview—Political Caricaturists—Signature in Sycamore—Scenes in the Commons—Joseph Gillis Biggar—My Double—Scenes—Divisions—Puck—Sir R. Temple—Charles Stewart Parnell—A Study—Quick Changes—His Fall— Room 15—The last Time I saw him—Lord Randolph Churchill—His Youth—His Height—His Fickleness—His Hair—His Health—His Fall—Lord Iddesleigh—Sir Stafford and Mr. Gladstone—Bradlaugh—His Youth—His Parents—His Tactics— His Fight—His Extinction—John Bright—Jacob Bright—Sir Isaac Holden—Lord Derby—A Political Prophecy—A Lucky Guess—My Confession in the Times— The Joke that Failed—The Seer—Fair Play—I deny being a Conservative—I am pp. 154—214Encouraged—Chaff—Reprimanded—Misprinted—Misunderstood CHAPTER VII. "PUNCH." Two Punch Editors—Punch's Hump—My First Punch Dinner—Charles Keene —"Robert"—W. H. Bradbury—du Maurier—"Kiki"—A Trip to the Place of his Birth —He Hates Me—A Practical Joke—du Maurier's Strange Model—No Sportsman —Tea—Appollinaris—My First Contribution—My Record—Parliament—Press Gallery Official—I Feel Small—The "Black Beetle"—Professor Rogers—Sergeant- at-Arms' Room—Styles of Work—Privileges—Dr. Percy—I Sit in the Table—The Villain of Art—The New Cabinet—Criticism—Punch's Historical Cartoons— Darwen MacNeill—Scenes in the Lobby—A Technical Assault—John Burns's "Invention"—John Burns's Promise—John Burns's Insult—The Lay of Swift MacNeill—The Truth—Sir Frank Lockwood—"Grand Cross"—Lockwood's Little Sketch—Lockwood's Little Joke in the House—Lockwood's Little Joke at Dinner —Lewis Carroll and Punch—Gladstone's Head—Sir William's Portrait—Ciphers —Reversion—Punch at Play—Three Punch Men in a Boat—Squaring up—Two Pins Club—Its One Joke—Its One Horse—Its Mystery—Artistic Duties—Lord Russell—Furious Riding—Before the Beak—Burnand and I in the Saddle— Caricaturing Pictures for Punch—Art under Glass—Arthur Cecil—My Other Eye— The Ridicule that Kills—Red Tape—Punch in Prison—I make a Mess of it— Waterproof—"I used your Soap two years ago"—Charles Keene—Charles Barber —Punch's Advice—Punch's Wives pp. 215—302 HARRY FURNISS'S (EGYPTIAN STYLE). HARRY FURNISS'S (EGYPTIAN STYLE). From "Punch."LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE My Caricature of Mr. Gladstone Frontispiece. Initial "In." Writing my Confessions. A Visitor's Snapshot 1 My Mother 3 My Father 5 Harry Furniss, aged 10 6 A Caricature, made when a Boy (never published). Dublin Exhibition. Portrait of Sir A. Guinness (now Lord Iveagh) in centre 11 An Early Illustration on Wood by Harry Furniss. Partly Engraved by him. 16 Sketches in Galway 19 "Judy," the Galway Dwarf 23 Phelps, the first Actor I saw 24 Mrs. Hardcastle. Mr. Harry Furniss. From an Early Sketch 25 Caricature of Myself, drawn when I first arrived in London 30 Age 20 35 A successful "Make-Up" 36 Two Travellers 38 The Duke of "Broadacres" 40 Savage Club House Dinner. From a Sketch by Herbert Johnson 41 The Earl of Dunraven as a Savage 42 "Another Gap in Our Ranks" 43 "Jope" 43 H. J. Byron 44 A Presentation 45 Savage Club. My Design for the Menu, 25th Anniversary Dinner 47 "Savages" 50 Letter from Sir Spencer Wells 51 Distress in the Black Country 54 At the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race 55 As Special at the Balaclava Celebration 57 Distress in the North 59 Realism! 61 "The Caitiff" and Orlando 62 An Invitation 63 At a Fancy Dress Ball 65 Lewis Wingfield as a Street Nigger Home from the Derby 67 "The Liberal Candidate" 68 Sketches at the Liverpool Election: A Ward Meeting 69 My Easel. Drawing Mr. Gladstone at a Public Meeting 71 The American Sunday Papers 72 Major Handy 74 The World's Fair, Chicago. A "Special's" Visit 75 "On dashed the Horses in their wild Career" 77 Initial "A" 79 The Charnel-House. Chicago World's Fair 80 Initial "London" 83 The Bishop of Lincoln's Trial 85 Initial "If" 88 Majuba Hill 89 Canon Liddon. A Sketch from Life 92 Letter from S