What-is-This-my-Son-Tom-1774

"What! Is this my son Tom?", a June 24th 1774 caricature on extreme "Macaroni" fashions of the 1770s (with a "big hair" hairstyle which echos women's aristocratic styles of the time).

Poem in caricature:

Our wise Forefathers would express

Ev'n Sensibility in Dress ;

The modern Race delight to Shew

What Folly in Excess can do.

The honest Farmer come to town, [i.e. to London]

Can scarce believe his Son his own.

If thus the Taste continues Here,

What will it be another Year?

Bibliographic information on LoC site:

TITLE: What is this my son Tom

CALL NUMBER: PC 3 - 1774 - What is this my son Tom (A size) [P&P]

REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-USZ62-115003 (b&w film copy neg.) No known restrictions on publication.

SUMMARY: "Honest farmer" with adult son who has large, elaborate hairstyle and stylish clothes.

MEDIUM: 1 print : mezzotint.

CREATED/PUBLISHED: London : published by R. Sayer & J. Bennett, 1774.

NOTES: British Cartoon Collection. Exhibited: Hair, The Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York, 2003-04.

SUBJECTS:

• Men--Clothing & dress--England--1770-1780.
• Hairstyles--England--1770-1780.

FORMAT: Satires British 1770-1780. Mezzotints British 1770-1780.

DIGITAL ID: (b&w film copy neg.) cph 3c15003 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c15003