Item 43 - Comic photomontage of Cambridge personalities, with printed key

1 photograph, 127 x 191 mm; 1 printed sheet.

Assemblage of figures in which the faces of various Cambridge personalities are spliced into incongruous scenes. The accompanying printed key explains that, for example Neptune in his chariot has the face of John Couch Adams, since 'The learned Professor was the first to discover the above mentioned planet; the Vice-Chancellor [1874-1876], Samuel Phear, 'did his best to suppress the "wooden spoon"' so his face is superimposed upon one. A scene of three figures balancing on a beam in front of the fountain in Trinity Great Court is labelled 'The Pantomime', and the figures are identified as 'The Author of Supernatural Religion [W. R. Cassels], 'Prof. Lightfoot' and 'Prof, Westcott', with a brief account of the controversy following the anonymous publication of that work in 1874. A tug of war competition is labelled 'Classics v. Mathematics'; a coxed four are labelled 'Ye Antient Mariners'.

Hard to decipher pencil annotations on back, which includes 'Bradford, Camb.' [probably the seller, see O.6.6/47].