John bull stands full-face on the pavement outside a shop window, holding on his head a red cap trimmed with fur of quasi-military, quasi-libertarian shape. He is the yokel with wrinkled gaiters of bmsat 8141, &c, but a tattered great-coat is held together by a military belt. In his left hand is a ragged hat. He says, with a broad grin: "wounds, when master billy sees i in a red-cap, how he will stare! - egad; i thinks i shall cook em at last. - well if i could but once get a cockade to my red cap, & a bit of a gun - why, i thinks i should make a good stockey soldier!" the shop is that of 'billy-black-soul [pitt], hatter, & sword-cutler \ licenced to deal in hats and swords. ' above the door (right) are the royal arms and 'stamp-office' (the tax on hats being levied by a stamp). Within the window are crossed swords and military cocked hats with a number of stamps bearing the royal arms. In the foreground (left) is a pile of dead cats with a paper: 'list of cats killed for making skin caps 20000 red 5000 tabb. . ' 5 april 1797
hand-coloured etching. Date: 1797. Dimensions: Height: 354 mm; Width: 256 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: William Pitt the Younger. Collection: British Museum. Le Bonnet-Rouge;-or-John Bull evading the hat tax. (BM 1851,0901.856)
Loading...
