Mr. Punch's History of Modern England, Vol. 3 (of 4).—1874-1892Graves, Charles L. (Charles Larcom)
History
Mr. Punch's History of Modern England, Vol. 3 (of 4).—1874-1892
Graves, Charles L. (Charles Larcom)
Great Britain -- History -- Victoria, 1837-1901 -- Humor
The "Healtheries" and "Inventories" followed in 1884 and 1885, and
_Punch's_ verdict was that "The Fisheries and the Healtheries were
very much the same, especially the Inventories." The Colonial and
Indian Exhibition (the "Colinderies" as _Punch_ christened it) in 1886
prompts the usual mock-serious account of the opening ceremony. Some
distrust was excited by the suggestion of the Prince of Wales that
the Exhibition should be given a permanent existence as an Imperial
Institute, to be founded as a Jubilee Memorial, and _Punch_ gave his
blessing to a proposal which was carried into effect. The subsequent
history of the Imperial Institute affords an interesting commentary on
the fear, expressed by _Punch_ in 1888, that it would degenerate into
another popular Exhibition, with bands, side-shows, etc. He regarded it
at the moment as "a big-sounding name, signifying nothing; to conjure
with but nothing more"; and some of the names of the organizing
committee filled him with astonishment at the ineptitude of their
choice.
Buffalo Bill's "Wild West" Show in West Kensington in 1887 struck a
somewhat new note. _Punch_ was impressed by the buck-jumping, but
the rest smelt too much of footlights and sawdust, and he asks, "Why
should Noble Savages be always beaten by the Cowboys?" Still "Buffalo
Bill" was a picturesque figure, with a not undistinguished record of
active service; the Queen's visit is appropriately described in the
"Hiawatha" metre, and Du Maurier, in a spirited fantasy, hints that
the introduction of a team of buck-jumping ponies would brighten the
monotonous decorum of the meets of the Four-in-Hand Club.
The absurdities of the annual Exhibitions did not escape _Punch_ in
their earlier days. At the "Healtheries" he describes a representation
of a street in Old London, in which there was a girl in Tudor
costume selling photographs! The strange miscellaneous international
exhibitions which followed the first four were rich in material for
ridicule. A prominent attraction at the Anglo-Danish Exhibition of 1888
was a "grotto of Mystery," consisting chiefly of skeletons. At the
Italian Exhibition which followed, the great feature was the "Triumph
of Titus," a representation of a gladiatorial contest, and chariot
races by "wild omnibus horses." The sons of Belial, as represented by
Master Freddy, who was disappointed because "they didn't have lions
and--and real martyrs," were dissatisfied, but Mr. Anstey in his "Voces
Populi" had a glorious time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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