“A book makes a good staff, but a poor crutch.”
— Julia Ellen Rogers, “Trees” (Doubleday)
15 thoughts on “A Poor Crutch”
Comments are closed.
“A book makes a good staff, but a poor crutch.”
— Julia Ellen Rogers, “Trees” (Doubleday)
Comments are closed.
Totally off topic…but what the heck is that rat doing in the lower right hand corner?
…or is it a trained shop Macaque ?
Resist drinking and swearing and all manner of profaneness…
History of four Kings, or a child’s best guide to the Gallows…
History of Chaste Suzannah…
Almanach 1715…
But where’s the Pirelli Babe? Or would that be Suzannah there?
But all this reminds me of Billy O, who after confounding all the amateur bookmakers in my High School by graduating, decided to cap off an evening of drinking by decorating the entire brick wall of the school gym with all manner of profaneness. A couple of schoolmates parking nearby watched for a while and then the girl suggested jokingly that he sign his work. So he did and then stumbled off home. The principal later told me that when he showed up on Billy’s doorstep the next morning with the Juvy detective, Billy, in a sorry state, opened the conversation with the question “How did you know it was me?”
Looks like Jack there has stepped into it in a similar way. Love these old engravings.
Having known a lot of rats I’m pretty sure it’s a cat.
Yes the Rat’s a Cat and The Pirelli Babe was in the Old Testament as Suzan-nah, have a look at page 89, “Capital offenses: geographies of class and crime in Victorian London” – Google books).
Happy Christmas to All
No doubt young Jack is in for a stiff fine or perhaps a thumping from the Master. The workshop is in complete disarray (hmmm…looks like mine right now), glue hardening in the pot, tools strewn about and there he is engaging in idleness, caught red handed. And just what is that cat after? A scrap of Jack’s lunch perhaps?
Nice view of typical shop layout. Interesting vise. You could make a lot of furniture with just what’s in that cartoon. Notice the work baskets under the bench – we don’t see work baskets used these days but they’re cheap, light, tough, and practical. Good stack of deal against the wall – why is the gentleman behind it? Was it stacked it against the door?
It’s actually the much reviled Sam from “The Joiner & Cabinetmaker”.
He’s just trying to lay off his villiany on Jack.
That’s downright funny!
FWIW, Jack Shepphard was a famous English criminal of the 18th century, who was renowned for his daring escapes from prison. I’m not sure what the connection is supposed to be here, but I gather that the apprentice fancies himself as an imitator of the original Shepphard.
Hi Steve S,
“I’m not sure what the connection is supposed to be here” … It’s an illustration that was used for a book in the 19th Century, about John (‘Jack’) Sheppard. John Sheppard served most of his seven year apprenticeship as a carpenter, prior to taking up criminal activities for which he was hung on November 16th 1724! I think the scene is supposed to be his Master hiding behind boards trying to catch him out. – Regards
David
I think he was hanged.
Or, he has his jacknife in hand and is about to carve “Brooks was here” on the beam.
Any theories as to why the cut-out section at the end of the bench-top?
My first thought was someone combined a shoulder vise and a face vise on the front left corner of their bench. After thinking about it, I’ve decided I’d do it differently. I’d install a standard shoulder vise with a leg vise to its left. Since leg vises are easily removed, you could have an unobstructed shoulder vise when needed.
Aaargh. I meant place the leg vise to the right of the shoulder vise.