1800s Sporting Clerk Penny Dreadful Broadside Ballad Vinegar Valentine - Woodblock Engraving Comic Caricature Illustration Print - Hand Colored - Boxing Fight Event - Horse Racing - Professional Gambler - Sports Betting - Comedy Satire Poem

Antique Original 1800s Sporting Clerk Penny Dreadful Broadside Ballad Vinegar Valentine - Woodblock Engraving Comic Caricature Illustration Print - Hand Colored - Boxing Fight Event - Horse Racing - Professional Gambler - Sports Betting - Comedy Satire Poem

This Broadside Ballad Caricature Is Known As A Sporting Clerk, Which, In The Context Of The Period, Typically Referred To A Clerical Worker Or Office Clerk Who Was Involved In Gambling Activities, Such As Betting On Horse Races, Prizefights, And Other Sporting Events. The Verse Underneath The Illustration Criticizes The Sporting Clerk's Behavior, Suggesting That He Is Foolishly Risking And Possibly Embezzling Money For Gambling, A Habit That Is Implied To Lead To His Downfall.

This Form Of Broadside Ballad Was Intended To Mock Or Critique Social Behaviors And Personal Vices. In This Case, It's Aimed At A Clerk Who, Rather Than Being Diligent And Responsible, Is Portrayed As Reckless With Money And Overly Interested In Gambling—Traits That Would Have Been Seen As Negative And Deserving Of Social Scorn At The Time. The Character Is Smartly Dressed, Perhaps To Suggest A Contrast Between His Outward Appearance And His Irresponsible Behavior, A Common Trope In Satirical Illustrations Of This Nature.

"SPORTING CLERK.
All the money you can rake,
On wild chances do you stake,
At slugging-matches and horse-races,
In cock-pits and gambling-places—
So goes all cash you can get hold of,
Tho' your employer's you make bold of.
You think you're very fly, no doubt,
And fancy you'll not be found out,
But the end's the same in every case,
Detection, punishment, and disgrace."

Measures Approx. 7-1/8" Wide by 9-1/2" Tall - Ready For Framing

In Good Antique Condition - Newsprint Type Paper With Edge Wear / Tears, Staining, Paper Chipping, Hole In Center Of Print At Bottom Of Suit Jacket, Some Paper Toning Due To Age And History-Collectors Watermarked That Is Not On The Print

Product Photos Include a Logo Watermark and Possibly an Object for Scale / Photography Purposes Only. Also, Product Listings May Include Newspaper Images, Display Photos or Short Video Clips Relevant to the Item Which Are Not Included in the Purchase. The Product Title is for the Exact Item Available

What's a 1800's Sporting Clerk?

What's a 1800's Penny Dreadful?

What's a Vinegar Valentine?

What's A Broadside Ballad?