Comments on: Dr Syntax In London https://spitalfieldslife.com/2022/07/15/dr-syntax-in-london-x/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Sun, 11 Feb 2024 11:46:31 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Grizzle the Nag https://spitalfieldslife.com/2022/07/15/dr-syntax-in-london-x/#comment-1546621 Sun, 11 Feb 2024 11:46:31 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=192524#comment-1546621 Dr Syntax – the English classic that never came to be. Thankfully, in a culture absorbed by one Austen rehash after another, Thomas Rowlandson and ‘Old Combe’s’ creation has slipped through the cracks and remains a forgotten treasure for those who stumble across it. This makes the price of original editions and ceramic merchandise wonderfully inexpensive!

Dr Syntax was ahead of its time: the first popular serialized English character, the forerunner of the comic, the first fictional character with mass merchandising, and the first series to do a spin-off (Johnny Quae Genus after the Dr’s death). The visual representation (in aquatint) of a hapless individual plagued by bathetic and farcical situations was arguably the forerunner of late 20th century English humour (in film).

As entertaining as the Dr’s adventures are, Rowlandson and Combe were at their best “The English Dance of Death”, a classic and irreverent English take on an otherwise glum topic!

]]> By: Richard https://spitalfieldslife.com/2022/07/15/dr-syntax-in-london-x/#comment-1471606 Sat, 16 Jul 2022 19:05:56 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=192524#comment-1471606 Very amusing. Thanks. Love the way the wife adopts the hat with the hugest feathers.

]]> By: William Martin https://spitalfieldslife.com/2022/07/15/dr-syntax-in-london-x/#comment-1471583 Sat, 16 Jul 2022 13:31:07 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=192524#comment-1471583 The colors are so brilliant! How did the printer achieve that?

]]> By: Bill https://spitalfieldslife.com/2022/07/15/dr-syntax-in-london-x/#comment-1471522 Fri, 15 Jul 2022 21:01:37 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=192524#comment-1471522 I like to think Dr. Syntax survived his dunking. All so fun, even the mugging in St. Giles High Street (whatta buncha punks!)

Hmm, being presented to the King!

There was a lovely story about a young woman telling Geo. II how she looked forward to seeing a coronation! Seems old George was too amused to be offended. Good old George.

Aw, this site is so much fun!

]]> By: Gregg https://spitalfieldslife.com/2022/07/15/dr-syntax-in-london-x/#comment-1471465 Fri, 15 Jul 2022 05:21:20 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=192524#comment-1471465 Excellent article. Great piccies. Thanks.

]]> By: Saba https://spitalfieldslife.com/2022/07/15/dr-syntax-in-london-x/#comment-1471447 Thu, 14 Jul 2022 23:48:42 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=192524#comment-1471447 Beyond delightful! Loved his hair until I got to Windy Day and realized that it was a wig. Great hat. Just fabulous.

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