Hogarth's House

29 April - I visited Hogarth's House a small museum based in William Hogarth’s house in Hogarth Lane, Chiswick. They have got a number of Hogarth’s plates hung on the Walls including A Rake’s Progress, Marriage a la Mode, Gin Lane and Beer Street, Four Stages of Cruelty and Calais Gate. They all nicely hung and are accompanied by a description of the plate and where applicable series. There are also reproductions of some items of furniture which would have been in the house and some interesting displays of artefacts including his palate, etching tools and a copper plate for one of his Hudibris prints.

If you are interested in caricature of eighteenth century history it is well worth a visit, if only to see where the “Father of English Caricature” once lived.

Kensington Palace

28 April - Visited Kensington Palace - I was very pleased to see the displays in the Queen's state Rooms and King's State Rooms linking together so well and providing an informative insight into the Palace’s role in the early eighteenth-century, telling the story of the Act of Settlement and the first two Georges. A family tree would have been helpful to the interpretation but the displays were both informative and interesting combining artefacts and portraits well with mocked up newspapers moving the story on in each room, along with room attendants in the role of courtiers. The lack of clear labelling of items was a little disappointing, with educated guess work required at times to match up the objects to their discription on the information sheets in the room, which were not always obvious for what they were.

The Victoria Revealed exhibition was also interesting, but the placing of text around the room, on the walls, mirrors and furniture seemed a little odd at times and was not always easy to read owing to the lighting.

Definitely worth a visit.

'Cradled in Caricature'

Friday 27 April 2012: Attended 'Cradled in Caricature', a one day conference held at the University of Kent, Canterbury - http://cradledincaricature.wordpress.com/cic-event-27-april-2012/
Chaired Panel 2: 'Cradled in Contrast: The application of national stereotypes in eighteenth century caricature' and heard a number of excellent papers on aspects of the history of caricature.