"DAVY JONES'S LOCKER" Davy Jones: "Aha! So long as they stick to them old charts, no fear o' my locker bein' empty!!"
--Illustration of Davy Jones sitting on his locker, wearing a pirate captains’ uniform, while viewing a 1789 chart of Ferrol Harbor, Spain, belonging to HMS Howe. The ship had run aground at the mouth of the harbor on 2 November 1892, allegedly after using a poorly prepared naval chart to navigate its waters. A Royal Navy court-martial opened an inquiry into the conduct of Vice Admiral Henry Fairfax, who was charged with negligence for ordering a hazardous course when the ship entered harbor. On 7 January 1893 the court found that the charge against Fairfax was not proven.
--"Davy Jones' Locker" is an idiom for the bottom of the sea: the state of death among drowned sailors. It is used as a euphemism for death at sea (to be "sent to Davy Jones's Locker"), whereas the name Davy Jones is a nickname for what would be the devil, saint, or god of the seas. The origins of the name are unclear and many theories have been put forth, including incompetent sailors, a pub owner who kidnapped sailors, or that Davy Jones is another name for the devil—as in "Devil Jonah". This nautical superstition was popularized in the 19th century.
--HMS Howe was an Admiral-class ironclad battleship built for the Royal Navy during the 1880s. The ship was assigned to the Channel Fleet in mid-1890 and was badly damaged when she ran aground in late 1892. After repairs were completed, Howe was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in late 1893. She returned home in late 1896 and became a guardship in Ireland. Howe remained there until late 1901 when she was assigned to the Reserve Fleet. The ship was paid off in three years later and then sold for scrap in 1910
illustration by John Tenniel, from British Punch magazine, original, not a modern reproduction, pulled from the December 10, 1892 issue. Condition: excellent - minor toning, clean, the page has been humidified and flattened and shows no handling or storage wear, paper lays flat for easy framing, very light age toning, clean; the backside is blank.
Plus: Includes an additional page with associated text. Within this is a 1/2-page illustration by George du Maurier.
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WHAT IS PUNCH?
Punch, a magazine of humor and satire, ran from 1841-2002. A very British institution renowned internationally for its wit and irreverence, it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration. Punch was the world's most celebrated magazine of wit and satire. From its early years as a campaigner for social justice to its transformation into national icon, Punch played a central role in the formation of British identity -- and how the rest of the world saw the British nation. In its formative years Punch combined humors, illustration and political debate with a fresh and radical audacity. During its heyday in the late 1800s, it reflected the conservative views of the growing middle-classes and copies of it could be found in the libraries of diplomats, cabinet ministers and even royalty. In the Western world, Punch played a significant role in the development of satire. In the world of illustration, it practically revolutionized it. Over the decades as it charted the interests, concerns and frustrations of the country and today it stands as an invaluable source of cartoon art, satire, but as primary source material for historians.
Sir John Bernard Partridge (11 October 1861 – 9 August 1945) was an English illustrator. Born in London, for some years he was well known as an actor under the name of Bernard Gould. But he was most renowned for his association with Punch magazine. He joined the Punch staff in 1891 and became chief cartoonist in 1910, a position he held until his death in 1945. His cartoons usually featured one or two stately figures centre stage; as Price, Punch’s biographer, pointed out Partridge’s cartoons were ‘theatrical’ rather than ‘dramatic’. He was a master cartoon propagandist, amply shown in his many war-time cartoons published in Punch.