The cartoon refers to the unfounded charge, levelled against gerard krefft in 1874, curator of the australian museum, as part of the movement to dismiss him from office — that of "maliciously breaking up a fossil jaw, lent to the museum by dr. [george] bennett", one of the museum’s trustees — and how krefft was supposed to have destroyed the fossil (the mandible of a diprotodon) that was sent, by bennett, on to professor richard owen at the british museum. It is a matter of fact that owen, himself, had confirmed that the fossil in question had reached england intact (see, for instance, the sydney museum, the harp and southern cross, (friday, 10 july 1874), p. 6). Here, krefft (at right), the expert conjuror, to the amazement of professor owen (at left) removes his magic silk cloth from the pile of dust (removed from the package beneath his left foot) that he had just placed on the table, having at the same moment uttered the magic word "diprotodon!!", to reveal an intact jaw bone. Professor krefft — the great wizard of the north:—"now, this is the most remarkable trick, ladies and gentlemen, ever performed in the australian colonies. In this present enlightened age i don't intend to try to make you believe there is any witchcraft in it. The thing is perfectly easy when you once know how to do it. You saw me crush to powder the jawbones of the great australian diprotodon, which i placed in this box; hey, presto!! —————— and here, ladies and gentlemen, you see them on the table, perfect as professor owen acknowledges that he received them!" (loud applause). Date: 26 June 1874.
Loading...
