COLLECTIONS and CRITIQUES

The Widener Memorial Room has an unusual display of illustrations and caricatures by George Cruikshank this week instead of the more customary books.

One of the most interesting works is a roll of pictures 13 feet long showing various scenes in the gathering of people to a prize fight. The roll is probably unique and is one of Cruikshank's early works. On display in the same case is a book complete with illustrations of the fight between Crib and Molineux and titled "The Battle" This was done about 1806.

The second case contains Cruikshank's "Omnibus" a series of illustrations and caricatures of various scenes in contemporary travelling conditions. This is in the form of a series of pamphlets making up the whole book and published at separate times. There are several original drawings used in the work.

"Lovers Panoramas" a small book on St. Valentine's day with many illustrations probably the most valuable book in the third display case it is chiefly composed of a series of pictures of the adversities suffered by lovers the pictures being tied together by a story. The original drawings for Park's "Twelfth Night" are of about equal value. This is a series of pictures for the Park's book of games to be played on the twelfth night after Christmas a day which is always celebrated in England as concluding the Christmas season. Washington Irving's "History of New York" with illustrations of typical scenes in the Manhattan of the parties and Cruikshank's drawings for the "Table Book" a monthly magazine complete the exhibition.