S&W Collection

These humorous cartoons were hand-drawn by H.M. Betts of Nottingham at the beginning of the 20th century. The majority of the cartoons are after the influential caricaturist Phil May (1864–1903), and display May's characteristic economy of line, which played an important role in moving away from Victorian styles of illustration towards the creation of the modern humorous cartoon. Many of the cartoons play on stereotypes and class distinctions within late 19th-century society, such as the clergy, portly city gentlemen, country folk, drunkards, old matriarchs and young cads.