12 s. i. MAR. 11, 1916.] NOTES AND QUERIES.
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the genealogical statements in Old Welsh legends about these fourth- and fifth-century princes are unquestionably worthy of the attention of students of the history of the Holy Grail and of the period referred to. Alfred Anscombe.
GEORGE CRUIKSHANK AND
GEORGE CHILDS.
The splendid and in many respects unique collection of Cruikshank's work formed by the late Capt. R. J. H. Douglas, R.N., who died in 1913, was sold by Messrs. Sotheby in February, 1911. Though sold as the collection of Capt. Douglas, the Captain had parted with it to Hornstein, the bookseller of Victoria Street—I have heard for 4,000l. When sold by auction at Messrs. Sotheby's in 1911 it realized 4,886l. 9s. There were 1,018 lots, but the last 366 lots, being the fifth and sixth days' sale, were bought en bloc by Messrs. Maggs Bros., whose names are familiar to your readers, for 800l., and are now in America.
Among the lots were about eighty large "scenes" for the toy or juvenile theatre, published by "Hodgson & Co." These are the largest and some of the finest scenes issued by any publisher; but as artistic work I prefer many of West's twopenny scenes—those, for example, in 'Black-Eyed Susan' and 'Cymon.' Those now in question are 12 in. in height and 15 in. in width. They were sold by Hodgson & Co. at 3d. plain, and, I suspect, about 9d. coloured. To show these properly a stage or "toy theatre" about 2 ft. high and 2½ ft. wide must have been required, as side scenes and top drops were also issued, much increasing the width and height. These scenes are all initialled "G. C." For many years past I have owned a number of them, and naturally have always been willing to attribute them to the great "George." But from the first I felt it was an impossible attribution on account of the style. I was certain that Cruikshank would never have drudged away at (for example) a dreary landscape, or an interior of a room, of such a size as mentioned above, sometimes of the most commonplace kind, and nearly all in straight lines. He would certainly have put a comic twist to a piece of wood here and there. I have never seen an interior or landscape in this series of Hodgson's that I could attribute to either of the Cruikshanks, and certainly not to George; nor do I know any drawing of an interior or of a landscape by him. There were not any among the splendid collection of his works on exhibition at the Royal Aquarium after his death in 1878. Therefore I have always been on the look-out for some indication that would enable me to settle whether these Hodgson's scenes were really his. The Aquarium collection was sold at Sotheby's, May 22 and 23, 1902.
When the Douglas collection was on view, I took the opportunity of looking particularly at the lots in which Hodgson's scenes occurred. All of them are fine, many of them must have looked superb on the stage. I have upwards of fifty, but probably one hundred were issued. Eighteen scenes and four sets of wings were in 'Richard III.' alone. I need hardly say that I have numbers of duplicates. After I had inspected the Hodgson prints in the Douglas sale, I wrote to the auctioneers expressing my doubts, amounting almost to certainty, that these "scenes" were not Cruikshank's. They replied that "the question was an open one, but as Capt. Douglas considers them to be by Cruikshank, we let them go through as his."
There were a few of these scenes at another sale at Sotheby's on July 29, 1914, lot 968, of which I ultimately became the possessor. On looking them through at home I noticed a name I had not observed in the auction-room. It is on a set of four side scenes—to be used with the scenes—on which is the following information:—
"3d. Plain. Hodgson's new (inside) cottage wings[1] in 'Mary the Maid of the Inn,' No. 2; and 'Rob Roy Macgregor,' &c., &c. (to be commonly used in any scene that requires them). Printed April 14, 1823, by Hodgson & Co., 10 Newgate Street."
The third wing is signed " G. Childs." George Childs signs a scene published by Hodgson & Co. in 'Richard III.,' No. 11 of April 23, 1822, "G. Ch." A scene in 'The Vision of the Sun,'[2] No. 14 of May 26, 1823, bears "G. C—s." Neither of these abbreviations fits Cruikshank. I think the above satisfactorily settles the name, and that these prints are not by Cruikshank. To judge by the style, they are throughout by George Childs.
George Childs was an artist and scene-painter, as were many others of his day;
- ↑ Since I began this note I have found that these "wings" are in the Print Room, vol. vi. p. 81.
- ↑ Acted at Covent Garden for the first time April 21, 1823. The author's name (Farley) was not stated until the 31st time. I do not find the play in any list. Mr. William Douglas has kindly given me this information.
