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Anna M. Rosner
Many authors of cartoons tried to use the distinct language and pronunciation
as another Jewish feature or as something that could be mocked. In “Jew-venal” it
is used to a lesser extent, while in “One of the Benefits of Jewish Emancipation” the
dialogue is as important as the rest of the picture. The most common changes in
the language which can nowadays be found in the caricatures are ones where “the”
is replaced by “de”, “there” by “dere,” and “one” by “von.” Most commonly the
changes were based on simply switching a few letters: “t” or “th” to “d,” “v” to “w,”
and “b” to “p,” and the silent “h” was often dropped.
A slightly different representation of the imperfect usage of English can be found
in a caricature entitled “Clo’ Clo’ Clo” (ill. 174),?° which was drawn in 1861 by an
unknown artist (Jewish Museum London catalog number AR 1233). Again, the
character's long beard, dark and curly hair, and the coat show clearly that he is of
Jewish origin. This picture comes from the second half of the nineteenth century
and shows the Jewish street seller as a stranger but at the same time one who does
not stand out much in the crowd. His clothes do not differ from the rest of society;
he does not look for acceptance because he is already a part of the community. This
is represented by the hat—a modern, fashionable top hat of a gentlemanly kind.
Although he is a street merchant, carrying his wares in a bag, he is good-looking.
The caption states: “The Jew Old-Clothes-Man” and underneath: “Clo’ Clo’ Clo’,”
the cry of the busker who is selling old clothes.
This picture stands in opposition to the earlier caricatures, showing evidence
for a changing trend. While the early pictures show people dressed in cheap, worn
garments, the ones originating from the second half of the century quite frequently
focus on decent-looking people who work hard to make a living and succeed in it.
It is still easy to recognize the “Jewishness” of those portrayed, but the general im¬
pression changes from a vagabond to a hard-working merchant. The change is vis¬
ible in another cartoon from 1861 entitled “A View in Rosemary Lane” (ill. 175),”!
(catalog number AR 1230).
This picture was an illustration for one of Henry Mayhew’s texts focusing on
the East End, either drawn by him or by one of the cartoonists he cooperated with.
Henry Mayhew was a journalist associated with the Morning Chronicle and the
author of a number of articles talking about the London poor. His work was com¬
plied into a series of books entitled London Labour and London Poor in the mid¬
nineteenth century.
The cartoon shows a scene outside the East London Bazaar. While the earlier
caricatures show men dressed in used and often dirty clothes, the man visible in the
picture looks like an ordinary lower-middle-class or middle-class trader. He is ply¬
20 heep://www.jewishmuseum.org.uk/search-our-collections-new?adlibid=7821&offset=0 (accessed 04.
07. 2012).
21 heep://www.jewishmuseum.org.uk/search-our-collections-new?adlibid=7824&offset=0 (accessed 04.
07. 2012).