A rare acquisition to the royal menagerie, a present from Waterloo by Marshalls Wellington & Blucher

An angry mob crowds around a large birdcage in which Napoleon is perched. A limp eagle lies dead on the top of the cage over Napoleon's head. Heralded by a newsboy blowing a horn, the large cage is pulled through the street by two donkeys. No longer "boney," in this representation Napoleon is a short, pudgy man who wears a fool's cap and donkey ears in place of his hallmark cocked hat. In this satire he has been turned into the focus of the popular spectacle and is here a curiosity put on display for an audience made up of common English citizens. As the newsboy declares, one can have a peep at this oddity for a mere "Two Pence a Piece." (Strikingly, colored caricatures by artists such as Rowlandson sold for one shilling or more.) Alarmed by the violent behavior of the crowd, Napoleon raises his hands in protest and expresses concern that he will be skinned and boned like a fowl. Of the figures in the grotesqued crowd, a sailor and a woman brandishing shears take prominence. Both are concerned with meting out an appropriate punishment for Napoleon. While the Sailor suggests that he be brought to Dock Head, the woman offers, "I'll cut off his ears and I'll cut off his ___. I'll make a singing bird of him." On the left of the image, a menacing figure, identified through an inscription in his cap as "Doctor Leake," directs a large cylster pipe towards Napoleon's backside. His wide grin and bony face are mirrored in the appearance of a skeleton who leers at Napoleon from the opposite side of the cage. Young children also participate in the celebration. Echoing the behavior of the adults, the children jeer and throw objects at Napoleon. A bull dog has even joined to bark and bare its teeth. An angry mob crowds around a large birdcage in which Napoleon is perched. A limp eagle lies dead on the top of the cage over Napoleon's head. Heralded by a newsboy blowing a horn, the large cage is pulled through the street by two donkeys. No longer "boney," in this representation Napoleon is a short, pudgy man who wears a fool's cap and donkey ears in place of his hallmark cocked hat. In this satire he has been turned into the focus of the popular spectacle and is here a curiosity put on display for an audience made up of common English citizens. As the newsboy declares, one can have a peep at this oddity for a mere "Two Pence a Piece." (Strikingly, colored caricatures by artists such as Rowlandson sold for one shilling or more.) Alarmed by the violent behavior of the crowd, Napoleon raises his hands in protest and expresses concern that he will be skinned and boned like a fowl. Of the figures in the grotesqued crowd, a sailor and a woman brandishing shears take prominence. Both are concerned with meting out an appropriate punishment for Napoleon. While the Sailor suggests that he be brought to Dock Head, the woman offers, "I'll cut off his ears and I'll cut off his ___. I'll make a singing bird of him." On the left of the image, a menacing figure, identified through an inscription in his cap as "Doctor Leake," directs a large cylster pipe towards Napoleon's backside. His wide grin and bony face are mirrored in the appearance of a skeleton who leers at Napoleon from the opposite side of the cage. Young children also participate in the celebration. Echoing the behavior of the adults, the children jeer and throw objects at Napoleon. A bull dog has even joined to bark and bare its teeth. Published by R. Ackermann The sheet has been trimmed around the title. 1815-07-28 Caption: Pubd July 28th 1815 by R. Ackermann No 101 Strand Dialogue: Newsboy: "Just Caught a Ferocious Animal never Exhibited before in this Country commonly called the Corsican tyger or man destroyer to be seen for a short time for Two Pence a Piece." Dialogue: Napoleon: "Mort de ma vie-Dat be one Cossack in Petticoats she will soon skin and bone me." Dialogue: Sailor: "Once more my Dear Megg of Wapping We have got him under the Hatches and shiver my Timbers the only way to secure him is to send him to Dock Head." Dialogue: Magg: "I'll Dock Head and Dock Tail him. I'll cutt of his Ears I'll cut off his ___. I'll make a Singing Bird of him." Annotation: 251 [?] Annotation: 230 [struck through and circled] Annotation: NS/4 [?], TH264 [upside down] Annotation: 1409 [circled] , 30 [circled and struck through], 750 Collector's Mark: A Collector's Mark: [a triangle]