CHAPTER IV.

DRAWING FOR "THE DAILY GRAPHIC."

Some idea of the work on which Caldecott was engaged in 1873 and 1874, may be gathered from extracts from his diary in those years. They are interesting if only to show that at that early period his art studies were varied, and that his experience was not confined to book illustration as has generally been supposed.

In January, 1873, he made six illustrations for _Frank Mildmay_ by "Florence Marryatt," and on January 22nd, an "Initial for _Punch_."

In February--

"Began wax-modelling for practice, hearing that my hunting frieze (white on brown paper) had been successful in Manchester, and that I should perhaps be asked to model some animals for a chimney-piece."

24th April.--"A. came to see my wax models; liked them, said I must do something further."

Several hunting subjects were also in progress at this time. Next are two letters to a friend in Manchester.

"46, GREAT RUSSELL STREET, LONDON, W.C.,

"_March 28, 1873_.

"MY DEAR ----,--The ancient Romans said, or ought to have said, that ingratitude was the greatest of human crimes. But, my dear fellow, I am not an ingrate. I have not forgotten you--unless, as the poet sings, 'if to think of thee by day and dream of thee by night, be forgetting thee, thou art indeed forgot.' I did receive your last collected joke, and a very good joke it was--for a Manchester joke. I'm sorry that I have not power to use it, but it will keep, although it will tread on some people's feelings when used. The fact is that this same joke nearly brought me to an untimely end. I went out hunting on the day I received it, and at one fence and ditch I had quite enough to do to avoid a rabbit-hole on the taking-off side and some barked boughs of fallen timber on the landing side--not to mention some low-hanging oak trees. Well, just when I was in the air I thought of your joke and smiled all down one side; my hunter--by King Tom, out of Blazeaway's dam, by Boanerges--took the opportunity of stumbling, and, before an adult with all his teeth could get as far as the third syllable in 'Jack Robinson,' my nose was engaged in cutting a furrow all across a fine grass field, some eight acres and a half in extent, laid down after fine crops of seeds and roots, and well boned last winter. However, in less than half a minute (having retained possession of the reins), I was again chasing the flying hounds.

"About the middle of February I went down into the country to make some studies and sketches, and remained more than a month. Had several smart attacks on my heart, a little wounded once, causing that machine to go up and down like a lamb's tail when its owner is partaking of the nourishment provided by a bounteous Nature. Further particulars in our next--no more paper now. I hope you and ---- are well, and with kind regards, remain yours faithfully,

"R. C."

"46, GREAT RUSSELL STREET, LONDON, W.C.,

"_April 27, 1873_.

"MY DEAR ----,--I was delighted to receive your letter--quite a long one for you. I hope that you had a fine time of it at the ball. Dancing is not absolutely necessary to a man's welfare temporally or spiritually; so if you be a 'Wobbler,' wobble away and fear not, but see that thou wobblest with all thy might, then shall thy zeal compensate for lack of skill. I've nearly given up gymnastics. I only danced twenty-one times at the last ball.

* * * * *

"I now find that during quadrilles my mind wanders away from the subject before it, and I am continually reminded that I ought to be idiotically squaring away at some one instead of cogitating with my noble back leaning against the wall. 'Sed tempora new potater,' &c. I hope you are all well, and with kind regards, remain yours faithfully,

"R. C."

In May he is "working in clay in low relief."

6th June.--"Began modelling mare and foal in round."

In the latter part of June, and in July, he is "at Vienna with Mr. Blackburn," engaged on various illustrations for the _Daily Graphic_.

It was in the summer of 1873 that it occurred to the proprietors of the _Daily Graphic_ (the American illustrated newspaper referred to) that the Gulf Stream, and the strong prevailing current of wind easterly from the continent of America in that latitude, might be turned to profitable account for advertising purposes. They constructed a large balloon which hung high above the houses in Broadway for some weeks, and announced that on a certain day the _Daily Graphic_ balloon would sail for Europe. The start was telegraphed to London and gravely announced in the _Times_ and other London papers, and every one was on the _qui vive_ for this new arrival in the air.

The humour and absurdity of the situation was seized at once by the comic journals, but probably nothing that appeared at the time was more telling than the drawing made by Caldecott at Farnham Royal for the _Daily Graphic_, and published in New York as a page of that newspaper.

Other drawings followed, descriptive of various scenes in London and England, such as a special service by Cardinal Manning at the Pro-Cathedral in Kensington; an address by Bradlaugh at the east end of London; a London picture exhibition; hunting in a northern county, &c., and Caldecott, to whom all this was a new experience, was pleased to work for the American newspaper as "London artistic correspondent."

In this capacity Caldecott went with the writer to Vienna to the International Exhibition of 1873, and there were sent to America various satirical sketches, accompanying letters, notably one of the banquet held on the 4th of July, with portraits of some well-known American citizens. One of the most successful and life-like of the smaller sketches was a Vienna horse-car entitled--"Off to the Exhibition," reproduced here.

The experience gained in various excursions during Caldecott's engagement with the _Daily Graphic_, was most valuable to him in after years; although as we have elsewhere said, illustrated journalism properly so-called, was never sympathetic to him, nor would his health have been equal to the strain of so trying an occupation. As _occasional_ contributor to an illustrated newspaper he was destined to be without a rival, as the columns of the London _Graphic_ for many years have testified.

The humour and vivacity, the _abandon_, so to speak, exhibited in some of these early drawings, form a delightful episode in his early art career, and many will wonder, looking at the variety of movement and expression (in the drawing of the overloaded car, for instance), that the artist should have been amongst us so long without more recognition. It is true that his drawings were uncertain, and that the results of want of training were sometimes too palpable; that the accusation made in 1872 that the editor of _London Society_ had chosen "an artist who could not draw a lady," could hardly be gainsaid in 1873.

The artistic interest in these drawings is great, if only from the fact that they are amongst the few of his works drawn in pen and ink for direct reproduction without the intervention of the wood-engraver. Caldecott was one of the first to try, and to avail himself of, the various methods of reproduction for the newspaper press; and in the pages of the _Daily Graphic_, his facile touch and play of line was made to appear with startling emphasis on the printed page.[6]

But after all, the humour and drollery of Caldecott's nature appears with more unrestrained effect in the sketches on his letters to friends, such as are scattered through this volume; the natural awe of publication in any form having a restraining effect.

In July and August he is working "in the loose box at Farnham Royal," the country cottage sketched on page 90 and referred to in the following and other letters.

"Dear ----,--The poet sings, 'Oh! have you seen her lately?' to which I answer, 'Yes.' But, whether or no, I returned to-day from a fortnight's sojourn in Buckinghamshire, and the first thing I was going to do was to write to you and say that I have no acquaintance with the happy medium who resides in my very old rooms in Great Russell Street. I have left those rooms, and am a wanderer and an Ishmaelite. I dare not take those rooms when she leaves. I called at the house just now and found another note from you. I had a good look at Europe during my Vienna expedition. I was away a month and saw many towns, and conversed with many peoples and tongues. I could say much, but will defer till we meet over the flowing bowl. Since I came back I have been staying with a friend at Holborn Circus, and also with some friends at Farnham Royal, near Slough, a lovely country place. There I have been working off some sketches of Vienna and England for the use of the neighbouring country of America. But I could not help being interrupted. Fancy a being like this bobbing about! Howsomedever, I am again in town at Bank Chambers, Holborn Circus, E.C., where I may be consulted daily. Please observe signature on the box, without which none others are genuine, post free for thirteen stamps. So you see that I have had a seven weeks' delightful mixture of toil and pleasure, and ought now to have a bout of toil only. There is a book waiting to be illustrated.

"R. C."

In the same month (August 1873), he went with a letter of introduction to Dalou, the French sculptor, then living in Chelsea. Of this interview he writes, "M. Dalou very kind in hints, showing me clay, &c." A friendship followed, cemented in the first instance by a bargain that Caldecott should come and work at the studio and teach the sculptor to talk English, whilst Dalou helped him in his modelling! Caldecott profited by the arrangement, and often spoke in after years of the value of Dalou's practical teaching. Many visits were paid to the sculptor's studio in the year 1873.

In the intervals of work Caldecott also made life studies at the Zoological Gardens in London, and anatomical studies of birds.

In September he made a drawing of Mark Twain lecturing in London, for the _Daily Graphic_, and in October records the purchase by Mr. G. Aitchison, the architect, of a cast of his "first bas relief," a hunting subject; also of "two brown paper pelican drawings," one reproduced on the last page.

In November he writes the following to a friend in Manchester:--

"46, GREAT RUSSELL STREET, W.C.,

"_November 16, 1873_.

"Dear ----,--I have nothing to say to you--nothing at all. Therefore I write. I don't like writing when I have aught to say, because I never feel quite eloquent enough to put the business in the proper light for all parties. Having a love and yearning for Bowdon and Dunham, and the 'publics' which there adjacent lie, I think of you on these calm Sunday evenings about the hour when my errant legs used to repose beneath the deal of the sequestered inn at Bollington. How are you? I was pleased to see that the _Athenæum_ gave a long space to your book, although I presume you did not care for the way they reviewed it. That is nothing. I have been very busy--not coining money, oh no!--but occupied, or I should say have descended into the country, during last month. 'Graced with some merit, and with more effrontery; his country's pride, he went down to the country.' My summer rambles shall be talked of, and the wonderful works in the regions of art shall be described when next I see you. Till then, farewell! This short letter is like a call.--Yours, R. C."

The last entry of interest in his diary in 1873, is on December 3rd.

"To _Graphic_ office, saw Mr. Thomas. Fixed that I should go down to Leicestershire next week for hunting subjects."