"Improvement in Weights and Measures." -or- Sir John Seeclear Discovering ye Balance of ye British Flag, [1798 - 1799]
Scope and Contents
Artist: James Gillray. Published: Hannah Humphrey. Sinclair, tall and thin, stands full-face, holding up in his right hand a balance (steelyard, or stilliard) inscribed 'Vive le Egalité'. A large British flag at the right end of the beam much outweighs a bunch of objects at the other; three documents: [1] 'Navy of England to be retaind viz: 50000 Seamen and half a Dozen Ships of War - 500000 Sailors to be sent to plant Potatoes.' [2] '10 000 heavy reasons for giving the Enemy a fair chance of getting out of their Ports.' [3] 'Advantages of cold oeconomy'. Below these are bunches of turnips, carrots, a cabbage, the whole terminating in a pendent bonnet-rouge. Sinclair is fashionably dressed, wearing a hat, half-boots, ill-fitting coat, and overcoat almost to the ankles. On a heavily draped writing-table (right) are three large volumes: 'Improvements in the Art of Political Dunging and Pursuits of Agriculture.' A paper: 'The Apostate Laird - a Parliamentary Romance - together with Loss of the Agricultural Arm' Chair. On the wall (right) is a picture of three pigs feeding at a trough of 'Democratic Verbosity'; this is 'Pigs Meat: or new method of feeding the Swinish Multitude'. Beside it is a placard: 'Table of Weights and Measures laid down upon the true democratic Principle of the Stilliards of Egalité'. A patterned carpet completes the design. Description from the British Museum.
Dates
- Creation: [1798 - 1799]
Conditions Governing Access
Physical item available by appointment in our Reading Room
Extent
1.0 Item(s)
Language of Materials
English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and Archives Repository
Western Bank Library
University of Sheffield
Western Bank
Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 2TN United Kingdom
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