print; broadside

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Object Type: print; broadside
Museum number: K,64.186
Title: Object: A Tragicomical Dialogue Between My Lord Skaggs and his Broomstick
Description: A broadside on Matthew Skeggs, a publican who became famous for miming music-making with a broomstick while making matching vocal sounds; with a round mezzotint after a painting by Thomas King, showing Skeggs facing towards the right, next to the portrait an etched broomstick surmounted by a dancing hog, and a suspended horn; with engraved title and humorous verses of one poem and of one song text by Henry Howard in two columns. (London, Ryall: 1752) Mezzotint with etching and engraved lettering
Producer name: Print made by: Richard Houston; After: Thomas King; Published by: John Ryall
School/style: British
Production date: 1752
Production place: Published in: London (England)
Materials: paper
Technique: mezzotint; etching; engraving
Dimensions: Height: 284 millimetres; Width: 172 millimetres
$Inscriptions
Curator's comments: There is a mezzotint portrait by Richard Houston after King (see BM 1902-10-11-2715, 2716, and 2717).
Bibliographic references: BM Satires / Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum (3190); Chaloner Smith 1883 / British Mezzotinto portraits from the introduction of the art to the early part of the present century (112)
Location: Not on display
Subjects: performer
Associated names: Portrait of: Matthew Skeggs; Illustration to: Henry Howard
Acquisition name: Purchased from: Dr Charles Burney (estate of)
Acquisition date: 1818
Department: Prints and Drawings
Registration number: K,64.186

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