"Map of England", Merry, Tom

This iconic satirical map was created by William Mecham under the pseudonym Tom Merry and published in the conservative political periodical, St. Stephen's Review. It illustrates the Irish Home Rule crisis of 1886 in which the leader of the Liberal Party, William Ewart Gladstone, introduced the First Home Rule Bill, which caused a rift in the Liberal Party and was defeated in a vote in the House of Commons. As a result, Conservatives gained power and Lord Salisbury won a second term as Prime Minister. This map of England and Wales portrays Lord Salisbury as St. George, slaying the dragon of Gladstone, whose lolling tongue is emblazoned with "Home Rule." Charles Stewart Parnell, the Leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, is the bearded figure depicted within the dragon's scales. The map was accompanied by an article on the subject that included political commentary based on the characters from the Mad Hatter's Tea Party in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Mecham includes below the map "acknowledgments to Lillie Tennant" (known as Lilian Lancaster prior to her marriage), who had published a series of 12 anthropomorphic maps of European countries in 1868 under the title Geographical Fun. Mecham and Lancaster are believed to have known one another as they were both stage performers and both used drawing and caricatures as part of their acts. Tennant published an image of England and Wales as St. George and the Dragon in Stories of Old in 1912, however it is believed that Tennant conceived of the concept many years prior and that Mecham therefore was giving her proper credit on his map.

References: Baynton-Williams (Curious Map Book) pp. 190-191; PJ Mode Collection #1100.

Condition: B+

A bright example with a few spots of foxing at top left and trimmed at top with loss of header title.