Stone Blind. Fun (19 April 1873): 170. Possibly by John Gordon Thomson (1841-1911) since the monogram at lower right seems close to his. . Courtesy of the Suzy Covey Comic Book Collection in the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida. Click on image to enlarge it
Shoe Black: —“That swell giv’ me a tanner for the job, Sam: see the jules on ’s fingers?”
Sam: — “No!”
S.B: — “Ah! yer oughter, he was a gem-’an — he was!”
This cartoon by the artist who signed his work with the monogram "TC" (or "CT") did many of the magazine’s finest full-page political cartoons. Several things in this cartoon invite comment, the first of which is that this is one of the very few in fun that does not mock the Swell, the would-be gentleman with traces of the dandy (such as the moustaches here) but who often reveals his lower-class origins by his pronunciation. Second, note the play on the contested notion of gentleman — or gem-’an — whose meaning changed dramatically throughout the Victorian years. Third, note that the poor sweep, who seems to be blind, has no shoes. — George P. Landow
Related material
- The Gentleman
- Newman on the Gentleman
- The Political Function of the Gentleman
- From London Coffee Houses to London Clubs
- Punch on the use of “Gentleman”
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Last modified 28 February 2016