Phil May - part 13

1902-03c Phil May with his dog, Mr Blathers
matte bromide postcard print
© National Portrait Gallery, London

Philip William May was a caricaturist. He was born near Leeds and was the son of an engineer who died when May was nine years old. May worked in a variety of jobs before moving to London, and shortly afterward to Australia, when he was seventeen. In Australia he found work with the Sydney Bulletin, and in just three years produced over 800 drawings for the Bulletin. On his return to London in 1892 May drew for the St Stephen's Review; his studies of the London guttersnipes and coster-girls rapidly made him famous. He became a regular member of the staff of Punch in 1896, and in his later years his services were retained exclusively for Punch and The Graphic.

For full biographical notes on Phil May see part 1, and for earlier works, see parts 1 - 12 also.

This is part 13 of a 22-part series on the works of Phil May:

1902 Joe Chamberlain
watercolour and pencil on board 20.3 x 14.6 cm

1902 Loafer: Any chance of a job o' work 'ere mister?...
pen and ink 26.7 x 21.6 cm

1902 Nothing if not Classical.
Free Kirk grocer. "An' hoo mony o' the apples have ye eaten on the road, Sandy?"
Sandy ( a youth of promise in Standard VI ). "Et Two Brute!"
Punch magazine

1902 Ptomaine in the Pie
pen on paper 19.2 x 14.2 cm

1902 Rest for the Weary
pen and black ink with blue pencil on ivory wove paper
36.6 x 28.6 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, IL

1902 Sir William Allan
pen, ink and watercolour on paper 22.2 x 23.7 cm

1902 Sketched in Oxford Street
Punch magazine

1902 Volemdam ( Holland )
watercolour

c1902 “Well, Dearie…”
pen and ink on board 30.4 x 25.4 cm

1903 Unpublished sketch

n.d. A Coster Woman
pen and black ink over traces of graphite
on cream wove paper 28.5 x 18.2 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, IL

n.d. A day with the Medicine Man: The opening harangue
pen and brown ink over traces of graphite
on ivory wove card 22.3 x 23.2 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, IL

n.d. A modern troubadour
black crayon and graphite on grey wove paper 19 x 14.1 cm
Art Institute of Chicago, IL

n.d. Aretas Akers-Douglas, 1st Viscount Chilston
watercolour 21.6 x 9.7 cm
© National Portrait Gallery, London

n.d. Bismarck
pen and ink 27.9 x 22.9 cm

n.d. Cockney Carnival in ‘Appy ‘Ampstead

1902 Phil May's Illustrated Annual:

What our Artist has to endure.

A Reminiscence of Australia.

Alderman Blogs.- "Yes, Mrs, Snef, you can depend upon it, everybody's got their little skeleton in the cupboard !"

"How did your Billie get runned over ?"
"'E were picking up a 'orseshoe for luck !"

Old Actor ( laying down the law to Journalist ).-
"And let me tell you that when I speak, I know what I'm talking about,- I've seen the world - Peckham - everywhere !"

"How is it that you are always out when I
call at your house?"
"Just luck, dear boy, just luck !"

Untitled ( Dutchman )

Kittens.

"Eh, Meenester, what 'ud the congregation think if I wos to tell them I saw you in this condeeshun?"
"Mon" ( Hic ). "They'd no believe ye."

"Do you like them big pianners better than the likkle uns, Aurelia?"...

"Good morning, Miss Voss."
"My name id not Voss. It never voss and never vill be !"

Untitled

Youngster.- "Father, teacher says I've gotten ter bring a penny wi' me to school termorrer 'ter buy a slate pencil wi' !"...

"The Upper Ten."

A Duet.

Little Girl.- "A pound of steak, please and cut it tough,
will yer?"
Butcher ( amazed ).- "Why ?"
Little Girl.- "'caus' if it's tender, father eats it all !"

He.- "Awfully generous fellow. I believe he would give the head off his shoulders if he could."
She. "Well, I shouldn't call that very generous."

Brother Brushes
Jack Longstaffe

"Where's yer father, Billy ?"
'E's doin' fourteen days."
"Wot for ?"
"Bein' drunk and usin' profound language."

Baliff ( who has been very well treated and settled with ).- "Well, good-bye, sir. See you again soon, sir, I 'ope !"

Overheard on a Cab Rank.

"Here, come away, it'll bite you. It's a greyhound."
'Get out. It won't, it's one of them Confoundland dogs."

1903 Phil May's Illustrated Annual:

"Here's a Health unto His Majesty."

"Hullo, Old chap, you look as if you'd had sport!
In at the kill ?"
"Well, no. I was in at the ditch and in at the river. We can't expect to be in everywhere."

Lodging-House Keeper ( to Professional Lady ).-
"Which my 'usband, miss, is one of the Virgins
at the Cathedral !"

A Fact.

Bill Snooks ( reading from a Fashion paper ).-
"'To be really well dressed a man's clothes should always have the appearance of having been worn once or twice.' What 'O !"

Young Actor.- "Hello! Guv'nor. Doing anything ?...

Condoling Friend ( to recently Bereaved Widower ).-
It must be awfully hard to lose one's wife !"
The Bereaved.- "Yes -. it's almost impossible !"

"Do you know it's very wrong for little boys to
smoke tobacco ?"
"Oo are yer callin' a little boy? Besides, it ain't terbakker at all, it's a cigar !"

H.M.S. "Furious."

Bridget.- "Shure, Mum, is thot the tortoise as ye've lost all these toimes? Saints preserve us. Oi've been breakin' coke wid-ut all the winter !"

Solomon ( who has had a terrific bang on the nose
from his friend ).-
Do it again. Do it again. I can see diamonds !!!"

Brown.- "Hullo ! Old man. what are you doing in town ?"
Little Snooks.- "Oh, just looking round, dear boy, just looking round !"

Bank Holiday.
" Just like 'er. Been an' copied my 'at !"

( A Jovial Monk am I. )

Sauce Hollandaize.

"Brother Brushes."
To my Friend, Widhopff.
Note: David Ossipovitch Widhopff ( 1867-1933 ) was a Russian and French painter, caricaturist and poster artist.