The wise men of Gotham and their goose – Historic Reproduction
![The wise men of Gotham and their goose, [London] : Pubd. by W. Humphrey, Gerrard Street Soho, 1776 Feby. 16th. — historic print](https://images.jameslantos.com/img/1e/1e2341046686-L.webp)
(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)
Description
A window into the past: The wise men of Gotham and their goose, preserved in this historic print. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.
The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. A fine choice for anyone who loves history, and a gift that gets noticed. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.
The wise men of Gotham and their goose
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The particular detail here is the title: "The wise men of Gotham and their goose" borrows from an English folk tradition about the foolish villagers of Gotham, whose supposed wisdom was really a string of absurd schemes. The 1776 mezzotint, published in London by W. Humphrey, applies that joke to the politicians and churchmen it depicts, and its subjects include John Stuart, Earl of Bute, along with legislators and bishops. The record also ties the print to the American Revolution, which was underway by early 1776, so it is worth reading as commentary on the government's handling of the colonies. Its catalog entry places it among the British political satires of the 1770s.
| Created / published | [London] : Pubd. by W. Humphrey, Gerrard Street Soho, 1776 Feby. 16th. |
|---|---|
| Medium | 1 print : mezzotint. |
| Genre | Cartoons (Commentary) British 1770-1780.Mezzotints British 1770-1780. |
| Notes | Title from item. Catalogue of prints and drawings in the British Museum. Division I, political and personal satires, v. 5, p. 216 Forms part of: British Cartoon Prints Collection (Library of Congress). Published in: The American Revolution in drawings and prints; a checklist of 1765-1790 graphics in the Library of Congress / Compiled by Donald H. Cresswell, with a foreword by Sinclair H. Hitchings. Washington : [For sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off.], 1975, no. 695. |
| Subjects | Bute, John Stuart,--Earl of,--1713-1792. Geese--England--1770-1780. Politics & government--England--1770-1780. Government policy--England--1770-1780. Legislators--England--1770-1780. Bishops--England--1770-1780. United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783. |
| Source | Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division |
| Original scan | 1,172 × 1,536 px · prints to 4 × 5 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | AMZ-SOTP-HPA-109497 |
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