Oldal 403 [403]
OCR
400 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 impression changes from a vagabond to a hard-working merchant. The change is visible 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 complied into a series of books entitled London Labour and London Poor in the midnineteenth 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).
