IMPORTANT: the name, date, and title given below each thumbnail do not appear on the prints, as these are
"Proofs before lettering." Please see background information above.
We do provide descriptive text of the caricature whenever possible.

Phineas Taylor Barnum
[Phineas Taylor Barnum]
[Nov. 16, 1889]
["Barnum"]
(Americans)

Proof before lettering
$150

The Hon. Chauncey Mitchell Depew, LL.D
[The Hon. Chauncey Mitchell Depew, LL.D]
[Oct. 26, 1889]
["Mr. Chauncey M. Depew
President of the New York Central Road"]
(Americans)

Proof before lettering
$75
The Hon. Chauncey Mitchell Depew, LL.D
[M. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel]
[May 11, 1889]
["Gustave Eiffel"]
(Architects and Engineers)

Proof before lettering
$125
Baron Ferdinand James De Rothschild, M.P.
[Baron Ferdinand James De Rothschild, M.P.]
[June 15, 1889]
["Ferdy"]
(Bankers and Financiers)

Proof before lettering
$75
Richard Pigott
[Richard Pigott]
[March 9, 1889]
["Richard Pigott"]
(Criminals)

Proof before lettering
$100
Sir Henry Aaron Isaacs
[Sir Henry Aaron Isaacs]
[Nov. 9, 1889]
["A New Lord Mayor"]
(Freemasons)

Proof before lettering
$125
The Marquis of Drogheda, K.P., P.C., J.P., D.L.
[The Marquis of Drogheda,
K.P., P.C., J.P., D.L.]
[March 30, 1889]
["Punchestown"]
(Horse Trainers)

Proof before lettering
$75

John Porter
[Mr. John Porter]
[Oct. 12, 1889]
["John Porter"]
(Horse Trainers)

Proof before lettering
$100

Sir George Russell
[Sir George Russell, M.P., D.L.]
[March 2, 1889]
["Wokingham"]
(Legal)

Proof before lettering
$100
Mr. Augustus Helder
[Mr. Augustus Helder]
[April 30, 1889]
["Whitehaven"]
(Legal)

Proof before lettering
$100
Admiral Sir John Edmund Commerell, G.C.B., V.C.
[Admiral Sir John Edmund Commerell, G.C.B., V.C.]
[August 3, 1889]
["Admiral Sir John Edmund Commerell, G.C.B., V.C."]
(Military)

Proof before lettering
$125
Major-General Sir Francis Grenfell, K.C.B.
[Major-General Sir Francis Grenfell, K.C.B.]
[Oct 19, 1889]
["General Sir Francis Grenfell, K.C.B."]
(Military)

Proof before lettering
$100
Harry Marks
[Harry Marks]
[March 17, 1889]
["Financial News"]
(Newspapermen)

Proof before lettering
$100
Monsieur de Blowitz
[Monsieur de Blowitz]
[Dec 7, 1889]
[" 'The Times' in Paris "]
(Newspapermen)

Proof before lettering
$100

Mr. John Corlett
[Mr. John Corlett]
[March 14, 1889]
["The Pink 'Un"]
(Newspapermen)

Proof before lettering
$75

Mr. Thomas Gibson Bowles
[Mr. Thomas Gibson Bowles]
[July 13, 1889]
["Tommy"]
(Newspapermen)
(founder of Vanity Fair magazine)

Proof before lettering
$175

The Right Honourable Lord Sandhurst
[The Right Honourable Lord Sandhurst]
[June 22, 1889]
["A Soldier's Son"]
(Politicians)

Proof before lettering
$100
The Earl of Fife, K.T.
[The Earl of Fife, K.T.]
[July 27, 1889]
["A Princess's Husband"]
(Politicians)

Proof before lettering
$100
The Right Honourable James Whitehead, J.P., D.L., Lord Mayor of London
[The Right Honourable James Whitehead, J.P., D.L., Lord Mayor of London]
[March 16, 1889]
["Bonnie Westmoreland"]
(Politicians)

Proof before lettering
$125
John Bright
[John Bright]
[April 6, 1889]
["John Bright"]
(Politicians)

Proof before lettering
$75
Mr. William Cuthbert Quilter. J.P., M.P.
[Mr. William Cuthbert Quilter. J.P., M.P.]
[Feb 9, 1889]
["in Society and a Member of Parliament"]
(Politicians)

Proof before lettering
$75
H.S.H. Prince Demtrey Soltykoff
[H.S.H. Prince Demtrey Soltykoff]
[July 6, 1889]
["Count Soltykoff"]
(Royalty and Heads of State)

Proof before lettering
$75
M. Marie François Sadi Carnot
[M. Marie François Sadi Carnot]
[Sept 21, 1889]
["M. Carnot"]
(Royalty and Heads of State)

Proof before lettering
$75
Henry Searle
[Henry Searle]
[Sept 7, 1889]
["Professional Champion
Sculler of the World"]
(Rowing)

Proof before lettering
$200
Mr. Guy Nickalls
[Mr. Guy Nickalls]
[July 20, 1889]
["Wingfield Sculls"]
(Rowing)

Proof before lettering
$225
The Marquis of Carmarthen
[The Marquis of Carmarthen]
[Feb 23, 1889]
["Dolly"]
(Sports Misc.)

Proof before lettering
$125
The Rev. Edmund Henry Morgan, M.A.
[The Rev. Edmund Henry Morgan, M.A.]
[Jan 19, 1889]
["Red Morgan"]
(Teachers)

Proof before lettering
$125
The Reverend Henry Arthur Morgan, D.D.
[The Reverend Henry Arthur Morgan, D.D.]
[Jan 26, 1889]
["Black Morgan"]
(Teachers)

Proof before lettering
$150
Mr. Arthur Cecil
[Mr. Arthur Cecil]
[Dec 28, 1889]
["Arthur Cecil"]
(Theatre)

Proof before lettering
$75
Major E.H. Egerton
[Major E.H. Egerton]
[Aug 24, 1889]
["Major E.H. Egerton /
Official Handicapper to the Jockey Club"]
(Turf Devotees)

Proof before lettering
$100
Viscount Dagnan
[Viscount Dagnan]
[Jan 12, 1889]
["Viscount Dagnan"]
(Turf Devotees)

Proof before lettering
$100
The Honourable George Higginson Allsopp, M.P.
[The Honourable George Higginson Allsopp, M.P.]
[April 20, 1889]
["Beer"]
(Turf Devotees)

Proof before lettering
$75
The Right Honourable Lord Hothfield
[The Right Honourable Lord Hothfield]
[Aug. 17, 1889]
["Lord Hothfield"]
(Turf Devotees)

Proof before lettering
$75
Mr. Harry McCalmont
[Mr. Harry McCalmont]
[Oct. 5, 1889]
["Mr. HLB McCalmont"]
(Turf Devotees)

Proof before lettering
$100
Mr. J. T. MacKenzie of Kintail
[Mr. J. T. MacKenzie of Kintail]
[March 23, 1889]
["The Universal Benefactor"]
(Turf Devotees)

Proof before lettering
$100
return to Vanity Fair home page

Accountants
Ambassadors from England
Ambassadors to England
Americans
Architects and Engineers
Artists
Automobilists
Bankers and Financiers
Billiards
Boxers
Businessmen and Empire Builders
Carriage Drivers
Chancellors of the Exchequer
Chess
Clergy
Cricketers
Criminals
Doctors and Scientists
Doubles/Groups
Duelling
Explorers and Inventors
Fencing
Fishing
Fox Hunters
Freemasons
Game Hunters
Gymnasts
Horse Trainers
Jockeys
Ladies
Legal
Literary
Military
Miscellaneous
Music
Newspapermen
Orientals
Photographers
Policemen
Politicians
Prime Ministers
Proofs before lettering
Railway Officials
Red Robed Judges
Roller Skating
Rowing
Royalty
Rugby
Scotsmen
Shipping Officials
Sport Riders
Sports, Misc.
Stock Exchange
Officials
Swimming
Teachers
Tennis
Theatre
Track
Trade Union Officials
Turf Devotees
Wagerers
Yachting

BACKGROUND: Produced to verify the colours and lines of the lithographs, no more than 20 proofs were printed of each caricature. These prints have no captions or dates, or other descriptive type, and the magazine bound them in numbered albums, in green leather with gilt tooling. They were offered for sale, and also awarded as prizes in the magazine's acrostic contests. At the front of each volume was a printed note from Vanity Fair giving the number of proof volume and the numbered volume in the series. The quality of the colours in the proof prints, their clarity of line and detail and their scarcity make them of considerable interest to collectors.

Source: " In 'Vanity Fair' " by Roy T. Matthews and Peter Mellini (this rare, out-of-print book is available for purchase. Please inquire if interested.)

Darvill's Rare Prints, fine antique prints and rare maps since 1918! Darvill's Rare Prints, fine antique prints and rare maps since 1918!
Antique prints from Darvill's since 1918 Rare Maps and Charts Limited edition prints from Alaska's most famous artist Rie Munoz Darvill's Rare Prints homepage About Darvill's Rare Prints
Sorry, we do not perform appraisals and we do not buy from unsolicited sources.

We sell original Vanity Fair prints (lithographs), not reproductions.
Vanity Fair prints are usually about 10½ by 15½ inches, varying somewhat by year
and publisher over the 45 years of the magazine's life.

Whenever possible, we provide the original descriptive text or a copy thereof.