The Tamworth Examiner and Working Men's Journal. — 1875-07-10 (Tamworth, Staffordshire, England)

THE EXAMINER, JULV 91, 1875.  GEORGE CRUIESIUNIt.  In closing a long and eulogistic article on the career of the above veteran artist, the London Telegraph says How can his long services and - brave cared' be properly acknowledged? There would be no dial culty, we should say, in satisfactorily answering the query thus propounded if the Executive Committee of the 'Genre Cruikshank Collection Fund ' are enabled by the liberality of the public to carry out their enterprise. It is understood that with a•view to doing honour to Mr. Cruikshank two committees were lately formed. By one it was proposed to present him with a testimonial in recognition of his services as an artist and as a social reformer ; while the other contemplated the purchase of his collected works for the national use. To secure combined action, the two bodies coalesced, and it was then ascertained that the only testimonial the artist would accept was the acquisition of his collection for the nation. It was found that an assemblage of George Cruikshank's most remarkable • productions, eleven hundred in number, could be bought for three thousand pounds, and to raise the necessary sum the committee have now invited the co-operation of all lovers of art and of the public generally. Nearly double the amount required to secure the ehr,l's crerrres of George Cruikshank for the national benefit was, if we remember aright, obtained by the sale of the drawings and sketches of the late John Leech ; but Mr. Leech's works were unfortunately disposed of by public auction, and were dispersed far and wide in the hands of private bidders. By purchasing the Cruikshank collection en bloc no private end will be served ; but the scattering of the collection will be prevented, and a considerable boon will be conferred on the priblic, by placing within their reach a gallery of works which are not only highly interesting from an art point of view, but which will possess features of remarkable interest and utility, forming, as many of them do, a social history of England from the commencement of the present century. Some idea of the characteristics of the collection may be gained when we remark that its first entry is of "early attempts " in drawing, ranging between the year 1799 and the year 1804- -lmn just after the Irish rebellion to just before the coronation of Napoleon that it comprises contemporary illustrations of the 'OP.' riots, of the funeral of Lord Nelson, of the arrest and conveyance to the Tower of Sir Francis Burdett, and of the affray between the Bow street officers—in which Saddlers was murdered—and the Cato street conspirators. Many of the etchings are of the extremest rarity, and the drawings are necessarily unique. The entire and curiously varied collection contains, moreover, the proof illustrations to nearly all the books whose authors availed themselves of the use of George's graphi!,p, uielcil, together :with the. Id' Bhi,stt,lie;abhle s Boar7k • f:liast,eos it;omliibisuso pounds for such a cabinet of works may be esteemed a very moderate price. Carefully treasured in the print roots, say, of the British Museum, they Would form a most valuable accession to the magnificent assortment of engravings in the national possession."  AN