Alarming Prospect - The Single Ladies off to the Diggings.
London: Punch, 1853. Ephemera. The folding frontispiece and contiguous title page for Punch's Pocket-Book for 1853. Inspired by the recent discovery of gold in Australia, the image shows a crowd of comely young women off to find rich husbands in Australia, rejecting their suitors in England. Their British suitors have begged some to stay. The women's replies are "A Cottage! Fiddle-de dee - Sir!" and "Bother yer Hunderd (sic) Pounds, and House in the Public line! a likely Start indeed!" . The women are on the wharf and descending a ladder to the boat that will ferry them to the clipper to Australia.
Brandeis University has a handsome run of these Punch Pocket Books. From their website- "An offspring of the famed British satirical magazine Punch, Punch’s Pocket Book was an annual publication containing an almanac, cash account log, daily diary pages, and a variety of useful business information as well as short stories, poetry, and cartoons."
A steel engraving with original hand color,11 7/8 x 5 3/4". Slightly rubbed on one fold o/w very good. Item #24795
Price: $275.00