‘Last Sunday Night, Sir Basil Firebrass, noted for his humanity to young Vintners, whom he first set up, and afterwards upon Default of payment took execution against ‘em, departed this life.’
The Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer for May 9th, 1724, contains an account and illustration of the same eclipse that is described in Parker’s London News. The illustration is a diagram, and is called, ‘A Representation of a Solar Eclipse. The Time of the Beginning, Middle, and End of the Eclipse and the continuance of Darkness, together with its Appearance at London and Bristol.’
The celebrated Grub Street Journal now comes upon the scene; and we find it not only surpassing its contemporaries in wit and satire, but it also comes out as an illustrated paper. In No. 43, for Oct. 29th, 1730, a whole page is occupied with woodcuts of the arms of the City Companies, which are reprinted about the time of Lord Mayor’s Day in succeeding years. In No. 48 there is a very well-executed copperplate portrait, presumably of the Lord Mayor of London. As it is printed on the same page with type (involving two printings), and the journal was sold for twopence, it shows some enterprise for the year 1730. On the front page of No. 95, for Oct. 28th, 1731, there are very rude woodcuts of the Lord Mayor’s procession, surrounded by the arms of the City Companies before referred to. No. 147 has a curious copperplate at the head of an article entitled, ‘The Art and Mystery of Printing Emblematically Displayed.’ The engraving represents human figures with animals’ heads at work in a printing-office. An ass is setting up the types, a pig is using the inking-balls, a horse is acting as pressman, a sheep is arranging the printed sheets, while a two-faced man and a many-horned devil are watching them all. This, like the portrait of the Lord Mayor, is printed on the same page with the type, with no printing at the back of the engraving. The article is a satirical conversation between certain printers’ devils, and is continued in the next number, where the engraving is also reproduced. The Grub Street Journal is the first example I have met with of a newspaper employing the expensive process of copperplate engraving for illustrations, and printing the plate in the body of its pages. It was probably thought to be too costly, for we find the conductors recurring to the almost extinct art of wood-engraving. In the number for Oct. 25th, 1733, there is a coarsely executed woodcut heading a satirical allegory, entitled, The Art of Trimming Emblematically Displayed.
The Daily Post of March 29th, 1740, is interesting as being an early example of a daily paper attempting to illustrate current events. The Daily Post consisted of a single leaf, with the page divided into three columns. In the number referred to there is a long account of Admiral Vernon’s attack on Porto Bello, illustrated with a woodcut, which the writer says will give the reader a clearer idea of the position of the town, castle, and ships engaged. The narrative is introduced by the editor in these words:—‘The following is a letter from a gentleman on board the Burford at Porto Bello to his friend at Newcastle, which, as it contains a more particular account of Admiral Vernon’s glorious achievement at that place than any yet published here, we thought we could not in justice to the Bravery of our English Officers and Sailors, refuse it a Place in our Paper.’
| ADMIRAL VERNON’S ATTACK ON PORTO BELLO. FROM THE ‘DAILY POST,’ 1740. |
A. The Iron Castle on the North side of the Mouth of the Harbour with 100 Guns.
B. The Castle Gloria, with 120 Guns, on the South side of the Harbour, and a Mile from the Iron Castle.
C. The Fort of Hieronymo, with 20 Guns.
D. The Town of Porto Bello lying along the Extremity of the Harbour.
E. The station of the Spanish Ships.