Cartoons in 'FUN' Magazine

Fun was a Victorian weekly magazine, first published on 21 September 1861.The magazine was founded by the actor and playwright H. J. Byron in competition with Punch magazine. Like Punch, the journal published satiric verse and parodies, as well as political and literary criticism, sports and travel information. These were often illustrated or accompanied by topical cartoons (often of a political nature). Reproduced below are cartoons from Fun dated October 7th 1871 featuring George Moore.

If I am interpreting these cartoons correctly, they would appear to be one of the very few examples of bad press that George Moore attracted. Mostly he comes over as a generous and considerate, if somewhat paternalistic, employer. However, in these cartoons he is depicted as much more of an establishment figure - one of "the haves" who didn't regard the poor as deserving at all .... or, perhaps, there's another way of looking at them.

 

The captions read:

1. The Boss speaking to an employee

Principal- "Want something to eat? Preposterous - why, you had dinner only the week before last."

2. Three lean workers gazing into a Cook Shop window

Recreation for Saturday half-holidays.

3. George Moore dining with well-fed clerics

Dinner 9.30 p.m. :- Supper indeed! - most absurd. What can people want with supper?

4. A draper's assistant addressing a wealthy client

Pardon me, madam, but you don't happen to have such a thing as a red herring, or a rasher of bacon about you. I haven't had anything to eat for a fortnight.

 

Here we see George Moore pictured as St George on his High Horse shielded by his wealth impaling one of the poor starving underclass with his lance labelled "No Supper".

 

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