Cruikshank’s London Almanack, 1835
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR TICKET
In 1835, George Cruikshank drew these illustrations of the notable seasons and festivals of the year in London for The Comic Almanack published by Charles Tilt of Fleet St. Produced from 1835 – 53, distinguished literary contributors included William Makepeace Thackeray and Henry Mayhew, but I especially enjoy George Cruikshank’s drawings for their detailed observation of the teeming street life of the capital. (Click on any of these images to enlarge)
JANUARY – Everybody freezes
FEBRUARY – Valentine’s Day
MARCH – March winds
APRIL – April showers
MAY – Sweeps on May Day
JUNE – At the Royal Academy
JULY – At Vauxhall Gardens
AUGUST – Oyster day
SEPTEMBER – Bartholomew Fair
OCTOBER – Return to Town
NOVEMBER – Penny for the Guy
DECEMBER – Christmas
You may also enjoy
George Cruikshank’s Comic Alphabet
I love these old prints! It’s quite sad that some of these festivals are less widely celebrated – even I remember dancing around a maypole at primary school, and asking for a penny for the rather rubbish Guy.
I love looking at the fashion’s of the day and seeing glimpses of old London. I often seek out old images to help me to visualise the period that I am writing about in my own blog posts. Fascinating, thanks GA.