Playing Soldiers at Home!! Morning. Engraving by and after William Heath (London, 1834)
Caricatures offer many insights into contemporary social, political, and military history. Armies have traditionally been the focus of much satire, and depictions of soldiers, particularly their uniforms, provide valuable information to the student of military dress. Mrs. Brown was no exception. She acquired large numbers of caricatures from all periods and countries, including many original drawings and watercolors.
In the British section are original watercolor caricatures by Thomas Rowlandson, George Woodward, Robert Cruikshank, W. H. Bunbury, and later artists such as ‘Snaffles’ (Charles Payne). The original pencil sketch of Hogarth’s England Plate 2d is in the collection. There are albums containing soldiers in caricature and one containing caricatures of the Duke of Wellington.
Numerous caricatures can be found in other sections of the collection. One of the largest is devoted to caricatures of Napoleon. This complements the Bullard Napoleon Collection of Napoleonic caricatures, which is a distinct collection in itself. These Napoleonic satires can be searched online. Albums and books on soldier humor from earliest times until World War II were acquired for their illustration of uniform and costume. Several original caricatures from the Second World War have recently been added to the collection.