Bambridge on trial for murder by a committee of the House of Commons / engraved by T. Cook from an original painting by William Hogarth in the possession of Mr. Ray.
Summary
Print shows several members of the House of Commons, including James Oglethorpe and Archibald Grant, gathered in a room at the Fleet Prison for an investigation of Thomas Bambridge, warden of the prison, for the brutal treatment of prisoners, one of whom is shown at center wearing a punishment device, known as the collar, that fits around the neck and one or both hands, another device, known as the sheers, is held by Grant, and another device, known as the skull cap, is held by Oglethorpe and two other committee members. Bambridge was subsequently tried at the Old Bailey for the murder of a prisoner.
It wasn't really until the 1700s that caricature truly blossomed as a form of political criticism. In the late 1750s, a man named Thomas Townshend began using the techniques employed by earlier engravers and applying them towards a political model. This gave Thompson's cartoons a much greater feeling of propaganda than previous artistic critiques of the time. The intense political climate of the period, and often accusatory nature of most political cartoons forced many artists to use pseudonyms in order to avoid accusations of libel. Other artists took it a step farther, and left their cartoons completely unsigned, foregoing any credit they may have received. Political higher-ups were notoriously touchy about their reputations and were not afraid to make examples of offenders. Puck was the first successful humor magazine in the United States of colorful cartoons, caricatures and political satire of the issues of the day. It was published from 1871 until 1918.
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