Set of Vanity Fair Golf Prints, Spy Prints.

Set of Vanity Fair Golf Prints, Spy Prints.

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Reference

23770

Vintage Vanity Fair Golf Pictures by Spy.
A set of 13 framed Golfers. All but one of the supplements is taken from 'Vanity Fair', the single one is from 'The World'. Although all of the prints are associated with golf, only the first nine listed here are shown in a golfing manner. They are 1) Mr. Horace G.Hutchinson. 2) Mr. John Ball, junior. 3) Mure Fergusson, "Muir". 4) Mr. Horace Harold Hilton, "Hoylake". 5) Mr. Robert Maxwell, "North Berwick". 6) John Henry Taylor, "John Henry". 7) James Braid, "Jimmy". 8) H. Mallaby-Deeley, "The Prince of Princes". 9) The Right Honorable D.Lloyd George. The others in the set are, 10) The Right Hon. A. J. Balfour, " the Irish Secretary". 11) The Right Hon. A. J. Balfour, "Dialectics". 12) Mr. George D. Rowe, "A celebrated oarsman who prefers cricket to rowing and golf to both". 13) Marshall Roberts, "Easton Hall".
When first published in the weekly additions of Vanity Fair each caricature would come with an amusing biography. Eight of these prints have the biography glued to the rear of the frame. 'Spy' is credited to all of the golfing caricatures except John Ball, who was drawn by 'Lib', the Italian Libero Prosperi.
Vanity Fair was published in London from 1869 to 1914, and each magazine would contain a loose print of a caricature painted by various artists. 'Spy' worked for Vanity Fair for 40 years until it ceased publication in 1914. 'Spy' was Sir Leslie Ward (1851 – 1922) and he was the grandson of the well-known horse-painter James Ward. Sir Leslie Ward is best known as an artist working in oil, water-colour and black-and-white, although he also studied architecture. 'Spy' achieved notoriety by his painting and cartoons of public figures in VF and his works all contain the signature 'SPY'. His works were also published in the supplements, the most well known being 'Men of the Day'. By 1890 the leading amateur golfing personalities were thought enough of to be included into this title. Eight golfers were subjects portrayed in the Vanity Fair series, the twice-Amateur Champion Horace Hutchinson being the first. Second in 1892 was John Ball, who that year won the third of his eight Amateur Championships. In 1903 there was "Muir" and "Hoylake". In 1906 saw another Amateur Champion in "North Berwick". Also in 1906 saw the inclusion of professional golfers as 'Men of the Day', with "John Henry" being the first and the following year "Jimmy". "The Prince of Princes'" was the final golfer in Vanity Fair in 1909 although 'Spy' was also to portray the future Prime Minister with a golf club in hand for The World magazine.

Period

1900-1949

Year

C. 1900

Medium

Paper

Country

England

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