Forms part of a collection of 20 drawings by Cruikshank to illustrate William Harrison Ainsworth's novel, The miser's daughter.
Drawing for the etched frontispiece plate of The miser's daughter, first published in book 1, chapter 1, of Ainsworth's novel as it appeared in Ainsworth's Magazine, Volume I, 1842.
Drawing is signed by the artist and inscribed with a title below image in pen and brown ink; at head of drawing, number "1" in graphite and, "The miser's daughter" in ink; marginal sketch at right with graphite inscription "Make wig too small for his head ... [illegible]"; on verso of mount: Vol. I Frontispiece.
Drawing shows Mr. Scarve seated at a table at left, a young woman standing behind his chair, another woman seated in a chair at far left, and a servant with a candle behind the table to his right; at far right, Randulph Crew approaches the table, holding his hat in one hand and the packet of the illustration's caption in the other; with a graphite sketch of a seated woman with a book in her lap in the margin at right.
Morgan, J. P. (John Pierpont), 1867-1943, former owner.