Happy New Year, from 1825! This etching, discovered on eBay, is based on a drawing by M. Egerton, his first name unknown (although he has been called ‘Michael’), and since he signed with only his initials ME, even the identification as ‘Egerton’ is dubious, as it seems to rest on tradition with no authority.

M. Egerton was actively supplying drawings to London print shops between 1820 and 1829. The engraver here was George Hunt, who published it in partnership with Henry Pyall, who were in partnership for only two years, from 1824 to 1825.

The full name of this double etching is “A Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year in London… The Same To You Sir, & Many Of ‘em”. It depicts two people greeting each other on a cold and blustery winter’s day in 19th century London. Note the characters in the background, particularly those on the roof, shoveling snow onto the poor passers-by!

Have a Happy New Year, and thank you for reading downthetubes in 2024. See you on the other side!

• Check out the print here on eBay

• The British Museum – M. Egerton Profile

• The Engravings of Charles and George Hunt by John Hickman (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)

Charles and George Hunt, two of the most skilled and prolific engravers of their day, flourished during the boom period of the English Sporting Print (1820-1870). The British public’s enthusiasm for horse racing, hunting and coaching grew rapidly during the early years of the nineteenth century, and the aspirational middle classes wanted colourful images of these scenes to decorate their walls. So the Hunts were kept busy reproducing the oil paintings and watercolours of, among others, Henry Alken, J. F. Herring, F. C. Turner and James Pollard, capturing the essence and atmosphere of this particularly English art.

This is a useful reference work for dealers and collectors of nineteenth-century engravings and aquatints featuring horse racing, coaching, hunting, other sporting scenes, and caricatures. It also provides an introduction to the development of British sporting art from the late seventeenth century, and the boom in print making from circa 1820.

• About the Author
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John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.

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Categories: Art and Illustration, downthetubes News, Events, Other Worlds

Tags: downthetubes News, Events, George Hunt, Happy New Year, M. Egerton