La bonnèt-rouge, or, John Bull evading the hat tax / Js. Gy. inv. & fect.

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James Gillray
1756-1815
La bonnèt-rouge, or, John Bull evading the hat tax / Js. Gy. inv. & fect.
[London] : Pubd April 5th, 1797, by H Humphrey, New Bond & St James's Street, [1797]
Bequest of Gordon N. Ray, 1987.
1986.423
Published: 
[London] : Pubd. April 5th, 1797, by H. Humphrey, New Bond & St. James's Street, [1797]
Provenance: 
From the library of Gordon N. Ray.
Summary: 

Print shows John Bull standing outside a shop window, holding on his head a red cap trimmed with fur of quasi-military, quasi-libertarian shape. He wears wrinkled gaiters and a tattered great-coat held together by a military belt. In his left hand is a ragged hat. He says, with a broad grin: "Wounds, when Master Billy sees I in a Red-Cap, how he will stare! - egad; I thinks I shall cook em at last. - well if I could but once get a Cockade to my Red Cap, & a bit of a Gun - why, I thinks I should make a good stockey Soldier!" The shop is that of 'Billy-Black-Soul [Pitt], Hatter, & Sword-cutler Licenced to deal in Hats and Swords.' Above the door are the royal arms and 'Stamp-Office' (the tax on hats being levied by a stamp). Within the window are crossed swords and military cocked hats with a number of stamps bearing the royal arms. In the foreground is a pile of dead cats with a paper: 'List of Cats Killed for making skin caps 20000 Red 5000 Tabb . . .'

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