in
Literature
and Art.
421
Overton, probably as far back as the clofe of the feventeenth century.
On his death his buhnefs was purchafed by Robert Sayers, a mezzotinto
engraver of merit, whofe name appears as joint publifher of a print by
Hogarth in 1729. Overton is faid to have been a perfonal friend of
Hogarth. Sayers was fucceeded in the bufinefs by his pupil in mezzo-
tinto engraving, named Laurie, from whom it defcended to his fon,
Robert H. Laurie, known in city politics, and it became fubfequently the
firm of Laurie and Whittle. This buiinefs Hill exifts at 53, Fleet Street,
the oldeft eitabliihment in London for the publication of maps and prints.
During the reign of the fecond George, the number of publifhers of
caricatures increafed confiderably, and among others, we meet with the
names of J. Smith, " at Hogarth's Head, Cheapfide," attached to a
caricature publifhed Auguft, 1756; Edwards and Darly, " at the Golden
Acorn, facing Hungerford, Strand," who alfo publifhed caricatures during
the years 1756-7; caricatures and burlefque prints were publiihed by
G. Bickham, May's Buildings, Covent Garden, and one, directed againtt
the employment of foreign troops, and entitled "A Nurfe for the
I-IeHians," is ftated to have been " fold in May's Buildings, Covent
Garden, where is 50 more "The Raree Show," publithed in 1762, was
" fold at Sumpter's Political Print-ihop, Fleet Street," and many carica-
tures on contemporary cofiume, efpccially on the Macaronis, about the
year 1772, were "publifhed by T. Bowen, oppofite the Haymarket,
Piccadilly." Sledge, "printfeller, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden," is
alfo met with about the middle of the lait century. Among other
burlefque prints, Bickham, of May's Buildings, iffued a feries of figures
reprefenting the various trades, made up of the dilferent tools, 8zc., ufed
by each. The houfe of Carington Bowles, in St. Paul's Churchyard,
produced an immenfe number of caricatures, during the la1l' century and
the prefent, and of the molt varied character, but they confifted more of
comic fcenes of fociety than of political fubjects, and many of them were
engraved in mezzotinto, and rather highly coloured. Among them were
caricatures on the faihions and foibles of the day, amufing accidents and
incidents, common occurrences of life, characters, 8zc., and they are
frequently aimed at lawyers and prietts, and efpecially at monks and
friars,
J