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.
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—A Coincidence | pp. [1]—[29] |
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 by Mr. Labouchere—The Great Lincolnshire Trial—Praying without Prejudice | pp. [54]—[87] |
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 Postmen—Writing Backwards—A Coincidence | pp. [88]—[130] |
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 Marble Table—Quick Change—Advice to those about to Caricature | pp. [131]—[153] |
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 Encouraged—Chaff—Reprimanded—Misprinted—Misunderstood | pp. [154]—[214] |
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). 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 Sir Walter Besant | [94] |
| The Late Sir Walter Besant | [95] |
| The "Jetty" | [95] |
| Illustration for "The Talk of the Town" | [96] |
| "That's just what I have done!" | [98] |
| Specimen of James Payn's Writing | [99] |
| The Typical Lovers in Illustrated Novels | [100] |
| Initial "T" | [101] |
| Instructions in a Letter from Lewis Carroll | [103] |
| Specimen of Lewis Carroll's Drawing and Writing | [106] |
| Original Sketch by Lewis Carroll of his Charming Hero and Heroine | [107] |
| Lewis Carroll's Note to me or a Pathetic Picture | [108] |
| Sylvie and Bruno. My Original Drawing for Lewis Carroll | [110] |
| I Go Mad! | [111] |
| From Lewis Carroll | [112] |
| "I do want a Wicket-keeper!" | [113] |
| Portion of Letter from Lawrence, age 9 | [114] |
| Reduction from a Design for my "Romps" | [115] |
| Portion of a Letter from George du Maurier | [117] |
| A Transformation | [119] |
| "Yours always, Barnard" | [119] |
| Barnard and the Models | [120] |
| "I sit for 'Ands, Sir" | [121] |
| The Grand Old Hand and the Young 'Un | [122] |
| My Fighting Double | [124] |
| Specimen of Mr. Linley Sambourne's Envelopes to me | [125] |
| Cheque for 5½d. passed through two Banks and paid. I signed it | |
| backwards, and it was cancelled by Clerk backwards | [127] |
| Sir Henry Irving writes his Name backwards | [128] |
| Sir Henry Irving's Attempt | [128] |
| Mr. J. L. Toole's first Attempt | [128] |
| Mr. J. L. Toole's second Attempt | [128] |
| Autograph: Harry Furniss | [129] |
| Initial "If" | [131] |
| The Studio of a Caricaturist | [132] |
| Caricature of me by my Daughter, age 15 | [134] |
| A serious Portrait—from Life | [135] |
| Initial "H" | [136] |
| "Penguin" | [139] |
| Mr. Brown, Ordinary Attire. Court Dress | [139] |
| Two Portraits | [140] |
| A Caricature | [140] |
| Not a Caricature | [140] |
| The Editor of Punch sits for his Portrait | [144] |
| A Model unawares and the Result | [145] |
| Sketch on a Shirt-Cuff | [146] |
| "Mundella" | [147] |
| Mr. Labouchere | [149] |
| The M.P. Real and Ideal | [150] |
| The Photo. As he really is | [151] |
| "Dizzy" (Beaconsfield) and Gladstone | [154] |
| The Inner Lobby of the House of Commons | [156] |
| Explanation to Illustration on page 156 | [157] |
| Lord Beaconsfield. A Sketch from Life | [158] |
| The last Visit of Lord Beaconsfield to the House | [161] |
| Mr. Gladstone. A Sketch from Life | [163] |
| Mr. Gladstone "under his Flow of Eloquence" | [165] |
| Mr. Gladstone. Conventional Portrait | [167] |
| Caricature of the Holl Portrait | [169] |
| Note of Mr. Gladstone made in the Press Gallery with the wrong | |
| end of a Quill Pen | [171] |
| Invitation to a "Sandwich Soirée" | [173] |
| Mr. Gladstone sits on the Floor | [174] |
| The Fragment of Punch Mr. Gladstone did not see | [175] |
| The Gladstone Matchbox | [176] |
| Mr. Gladstone's Collars | [178] |
| Parnell | [179] |
| To Room 15 | [182] |
| Outside Room 15 | [183] |
| Outside my Room | [185] |
| "The G.O.M." and "Randy" | [185] |
| Mr. Louis Jennings | [186] |
| Lord Randolph and Louis Jennings | [188] |
| Lord Randolph Churchill | [189] |
| Behind the Speaker's Chair | [190] |
| Initial "S" | [191] |
| Initial "H" | [193] |
| Bradlaugh Triumphant. From "Punch" | [194] |
| Charles Bradlaugh | [195] |
| The Meet at St. Stephen's | [197] |
| Sir George Campbell | [199] |
| Heraldic Design illustrating Mr. Plunkett's (now Lord Rathmore) Joke | [201] |
| Mr. Farmer Atkinson | [202] |
| I must Introduce you to Lucy. Here he is | [203] |
| Joseph Gillis Biggar | [204] |
| Initial "I" | [206] |
| The House of Commons from Toby's Private Box | [208] |
| The Government Bench—before Home Rule | [211] |
| Reduction of one of my Parliamentary Pages in Punch | [214] |
| Initial "T" | [215] |
| Age 26, when I first worked for Punch | [216] |
| My first Meeting with the Editor of Punch | [217] |
| My first Invitation from Punch | [218] |
| A Letter from Charles Keene, objecting to an Editor interviewing him | [219] |
| "Robert" | [220] |
| George du Maurier | [221] |
| Suggestion by du Maurier for Punch Cartoon | [224] |
| Du Maurier's Souvenir de Fontainebleau. From "Punch" | [225] |
| Punch Staff returning from Paris | [227] |
| Japanese Style | [229] |
| "Birch—His Mark" | [231] |
| Chinese Style. From a Drawing on Wood | [232] |
| Familiar Faces | [234] |
| An Official in the Press Gallery | [235] |
| "He spies me" | [236] |
| "What are you?" | [236] |
| "Blowed if the Country wants you" | [238] |
| "I feel smaller!" | [241] |
| The Black Beetle | [242] |
| The Sergeant-at-Arms' Room | [243] |
| Capt. Gosset, late Sergeant-at-Arms | [244] |
| My "Childish" Style in Punch | [245] |
| A simple Document | [246] |
| I Sketch the House | [247] |
| Dr. Percy. "The House Up" | [250] |
| Mr. Punch's Puzzle-Headed People. Mr. Goschen | [251] |
| Mr. Punch's Puzzle-Headed People. "All Harcourts" | [252] |
| The New Cabinet | [255] |
| Reduction of Page in Punch, showing that my Caricatures were—in this | |
| case—published too large | [258] |
| Reduction from the Original Drawing, showing that I gave Instructions for the Caricature to be | |
| "reduced as usual" | [259] |
| What really happened | [261] |
| Dr. Tanner | [262] |
| Assault on me in the House. What the Press described | [263] |
| John Burns | [265] |
| Note from Sir Frank Lockwood, after reading the Bogus Account of the "Assault" | [266] |
| Letter supposed to come from Lord Cross. (Lockwood's Joke) | [267] |
| Sir F. Lockwood | [269] |
| Lewis Carroll's Suggestion, and my sketch of it in Punch | [270] |
| Nature's Puzzle Portrait | [271] |
| Initial "W" | [272] |
| "Three Oarsmen under a Tree" | [273] |
| Lord Russell's Acceptance to dine with me | [275] |
| "It's your Turn next" | [277] |
| Letter from Sir Frank Lockwood | [277] |
| Mr. Linley Sambourne | [278] |
| Portrait of me as a Member of the Two Pins Club, by Linley Sambourne | [279] |
| The late Lord Russell, the President of the Two Pins Club | [280] |
| "Furious Riding." Sketch by F. C. Gould | [282] |
| My Portrait, by F. C. Burnand | [285] |
| Mr. Punch "doing" the Picture Shows | [286] |
| The Picture Shows. Design from Punch | [288] |
| "The World-Renowned and Talented Barnardo Family" | [289] |
| The Great Baccarat Case. My Sketch in Pencil made in Court, and | |
| Congratulatory Note from the Editor of Punch | [291] |
| Letter from Professor Herkomer | [293] |
| A Prisoner | [294] |
| "Good Advertisement." Original Idea as sent to me | [297] |
| Ditto. My Drawing of it in Punch | [297] |
| "English Waterproof Ink" | [299] |
| I sit for John Brown | [300] |
| A Crib by an American Advertiser | [301] |
| Finis | [302] |