At the Seaside (headpiece): uncaptioned composite woodblock illustration by J. Gordon Thomson, in F. E. West's "A Cottage by the Sea." 4 by 5 ¼ inches (10.4 cm high by 13.5 cm wide), framed. The Graphic (24 July 1886): Volume XXXIV, p. 89. Thomson cleverly works all the elements of the first page into the composition: the setting of the seaside town that is also a garrison town on the Channel; the elderly duenna (left) and her attractive young charge with her poodle-cross (centre); and the young lieutenants, the idle aristocrats Caster and Pollux in expensive, fashionable attire, accompanied by their yapping bull-terriers engaged with Miss Lily Landon (right). Scanned images and commentary by Philip V. Allingham. [You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned them, and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. Click on the images to enlarge them.]
Passages associated with the Uncaptioned Headpiece
The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein was not fonder of soldiers than Lily Landon; but then she only saw them at a distance, never at close quarters. The idiosyncracy was made all he more distressing to Mr. Landon from the circumstances of his residing in a garrison town, which is a seaport as well. He could not prevent Lily seeing soldiers and officers going about their duties, nor could he abolish the regimental band which always made Miss Lily's blue eyes sparkle, and caused her unconsciously to assume something of the audacious demeanour of a vivandiere. All he could do was to engage a distant relative as a duenna; but under a homely exterior this old lady concealed a most romantic disposition, with a singular belief in what is now derided as chivalry. . . .
The two ladies, who had evidently been making some trifling purchases in town, had turned their faces in the direction of the suburbs, and were now walking along the seashore, the younger with a white fluffy poodle dog in her armas. The officers [Lieutenants Castor and Pollux] followed them at a respectful distance, but their bull terriers were in earnest to make the acquaintance of the fluffy poodle. Perhaps this accounted for one of the ladies' knowledge of what was going on behind them. [89]
Bibliography
West, F. E. "A Cottage by the Sea." Illustrated by Gordon Thomson. The Graphic, Vol. XXXIV, 24 July 1886: pp. 89-90.
Created 9 April 2025