1887 · London
by VANITY FAIR
London: Vanity Fair, 1887. Lib. Color lithograph. Sheet measures 15 x 21.5." This lovely print from the December 6, 1887 issue of Vanity Fair depicts an English paddock scene. A crowd of spectators and buyers surround the enclosure where a horse is being displayed. Tattersall's (now Tattersalls), founded in 1766, has been the main auctioneer of race horses in the United Kingdom and in Ireland. The print is in good condition with minor wear along the original folds and some foxing in the margins. The British Vanity Fair (1868--1914), a compendium and often critique of Victorian culture, is best known today for its lithographed caricatures of contemporary figures and issues. Its portrait series pictured and described--with both praise and caricature--prominent Victorian and Edwardian politicians, lawyers, doctors, and similar professionals. Their images, often accompanied literary and political articles, cultural reviews, serialized fiction, and other standard weekly magazine features. As the publication grew, it turned increasingly toward gossip as a topic. (Inventory #: 274307)