London: Office of The Tomahawk, 1867-1868.
Price: $1,500.00
Hardcover. Issues Vol. 1 No. 1 to Vol. 3 No. 86 (missing Vol. 3 No. 84) bound in a single volume with supplemental material for each volume including indexes. Quarto. Approximately 900 pages. Illustrated with monochrome drawings; each issue has either a full-page illustration, a two-page spread illustration, or a two-page fold-out illustration. Half burgundy morocco marbled paperboards, with raised bands creating six compartments, the second compartment from the top has "Tomahawk" stamped in gilt, the fourth from the top has "1867-68" in gilt. Boards and spine show some wear, particularly along the edges, pages age toned and with some minor edgewear, a few of the fold-out illustrations are splitting along the creases, one is repaired with tape, overall very good. As the title states, *The Tomahawk* was a satirical journal, the Preface to Volume One gives an idea of the editorial vision:
"Through the land of Shams, by the shores of the Dishonest, by the Wigwams of the Heartless and the Faithless. Never swerving from the main course; never turning aside from the arrows of the enemy – from the attacks of the wicked. Always the same. True to himself, just to his fellow creatures, TOMAHAWK, during the First Year of his Mission, has pursued his way fearlessly and honestly. … The coming year will merely reflect the past. Regardless of the taunts of fools, liars, or snobs, he will continue to use his Hatchet as a weapon for the protection of the weak, not (as the enemies would have the world believe) as a knife for the slaughter of the innocent. Proud of his English birth, and loving the precepts of the great Master to whom he owes his name - large-hearted - THACKERAY - with more than a disciple's devotion, TOMAHAWK once again follows the thread of his destiny. He regards the Past with satisfaction, the Present with pleasure, the Future with confidence."
*Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition* (hosted by King's College London) provides some background on the writers of *Tomahawk* stating, "Given the range of competition, it was important that the upstart *Tomahawk* defined itself well, and one way of doing this was to enlist a small group of likeminded writers who would broadly agree on the nature of the attacks. As with the cultural formation of many periodicals, the young Arthur à Beckett (only 21 years old when he founded the title) and co-editor Matt Morgan (who also cartooned for *Fun*) came to rely on a coterie of writers and illustrators, in this case, bohemian figures on the literary scene, men much like themselves."
The cartoons by Morgan are quite striking, most are overlaid with a single color, adding a sense of atmosphere that would have otherwise been absent if it was merely black and white. Each issue includes a cartoon, essays, and poetry, one even includes a snippet of sheet music. The material deals with the news and events of the time and each volume includes a preface, Volumes Two and Three include the supplemental "Tomahawk Almanack" which includes illustrated calendars, cartoons, and writing on "The Literary Year," "The Political Year," "The Moral Influences of the Season" and more.
A nicely bound collection of the first 86 issues (save for issue No. 84) of a short-lived English satirical journal.
Item #627836
