Silly Collection

His Masters Breath - Satire
His Masters Breath Satirical play on the dog/gramophone logo for His Masters Voice, substituting the music player for a whiskey jar and funnel

Pea Apparatus by William Heath Robinson
An interesting and elegant apparatus designed to overcome once for all the difficulties of conveying green peas to the mouth

A Decided Catch by William Heath Robinson
The Whitebait cycle, an ingenious contraption necessitated by the exorbitant charges for hire of boats at the seaside this season

Bound to Draw by William Heath Robinson
Another well-thought-out experiment in dentistry from Heath Robinson, the Gadget King and mastermind behind endless convoluted contraptions and silly ideas. Date: 1927

A cunning stroke by William Heath Robinson
A clever but unsportsmanlike contrivance to increase buoyance and prevent fatigue among Channel swimmers

Mixing treated asbestos fibre, Heath Robinson machine
Efficient plant for the successful mixing of treated asbestos fibre with cement

Patent double action grinder for asbestos by Heath Robinson
A patent double-action grinder for mashing asbestos fibre - a drawing done for Turners Asbestos Cement Co by William Heath Robinson, renowned for his machines and convoluted contraptions. Date: c.1925

Self-Help in War Time by Heath Robinson Building a Bungalow
No III - Building a bungalow: Now, having made a good start with your music-room, place your piano in position

Rejected by the inventions board
" Rejected by the inventions board

Great Snoring
A signpost pointing to the village of Great Snoring, North Norfolk, England, has clearly effected the man beneath it!

Manila Carnival, The Philippines - Miss Ilocos Sur
Illustration after Walter Dendy Sadler (18541923) of his painting Thursday (Tomorrow will be Friday) of 1880, showing a group of jovial monks out fishing. Date: 1880

The Last train from Bangor, Northern Ireland Date: circa 1906

Bermuda - Humorous Greetings Postcard - Onion
Blessed is the man who comes to Bermuda (The modern paradise) And is tempted to eat a sweet onion instead of a forbidden apple

Mr Popple Drunk 1898
After a convivial hunt breakfast at Hopham Hall, Mr Popple is found drunk and disorderly in charge of a horse

In the support trench by Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon
" Old Bill has practically decided to try to get Private Shinio (the ex-comedy-juggler-and-hand-balancer)

Jacks Saloon, Happy Hollow, Hot Springs, Arkansas
Jacks Sallon Bar at Happy Hollow

Classic Tight Scotsman Joke - Lured by six beauties
Classic Tight Scotsman Joke - A stereotype Jock doesn t hang on long to his tight purse strings as six pretty girls required a drink! " It wasn t long here till bang went saxpence

When Germany Surrenders her U-Boats by Heath Robinson, WW1
Why not use the enemy craft for peaceful sport? Ramming rabbits in the Balearic Islands

Drunken man staggering home - about to hit lampost
Racing Illustrated - " Some delay at the post!" - a gentleman who has had a serious session at the Old Blue Bell (see 10909661) endeavours to make his way home

Irish Drunk Pat and his drinking logic
Tourist - " I say Pat, why do you always take beer and whiskey Mixed

Funny Saucy Wedding Postcard
Bawdy humourin this saucy postcard, depicting a bride and grrom in front of their vicar. The bride has her hand full... "...to have and to hold - until death us do part..." Date: circa 1910s

(The Morning After of a Faun) Le Lendemain d un Faune (or, What an Afternoon ) - The Great success of the new ballet L Apres-Midi d un Faune in which the faun, failing to abduct the nymph herself

Good Egg by H. M. Bateman
An un-ovoid-able Easter Spheroddity by H. M. Bateman. Date: 1923

Two women in fancy dress with tankards
Two women in fancy dress costumes comprising of knickerbockers, shirts and waistcoats, raise a tankard of beer each - presumably they re meant to be some kind of 17th century roisterers? c.1928

A very early type of railway signal by W Heath Robinson
A very early type of railway signal now rarely to be seen - an example from Railway Ribaldry, drawn by William Heath Robinson and commissioned by the Great Western Railway to mark their centenary

Blasting Limpets by William Heath Robinson
Heath Robinsons Encyclopaedia of Sport - X. Blasting limpets on the Barbary Coast. Another unusual sport suggested by William Heath Robinson. Date: 1914

Mine and Countermine by Heath Robinson
A tunnelling stand off between a British and German soldier with the German soldier eventually burrowing so deeply he falls out of the other side of the world. Date: 1915

A Lincolnshire Handicap by Heath Robinson
A race between cranes at the test ground of excavation specialists, Ruston-Bucyrus, who commissioned the ingenious Heath Robinson to draw a number of comical engineering drawings for a booklet

A Welsh Rabbit (Rarebit?) complete with traditional costume
A Welsh Rabbit (Rarebit?) complete with traditional Welsh costume. Date: 1904

A Texans eye view of the USA, with a certain state having slightly more georgraphical significance than the physical reality....!! Date: circa 1930s

Crabbing Their Style by William Heath Robinson
Cartoon, Crabbing their style. Toeing for crabs at and seaside resort during the holiday months. Men crab fishing using feet as bait

Cartoon - Swallowing a yarn
A little blackbird fails to consume a length of twine: " I can t swallow that yarn." Date: circa 1915

Girl saying Grace but pet dog unwilling
" Fold Your hands Bob!" A pretty young girl says Grace, but is slightly affronted that her pet dog Bob is unwilling to join in and fold his paws together respectfully.... Date: circa 1910

Some Difficult Camping Grounds by Heath Robinson
A variety of impractical and in some cases, downright ridiculous locations to pitch a tent, including on stilts in a lake, across a stream, in a field of angry bulls and on a steep rocky pinnacle

The Lost Ball - Heath Robinson Cartoon
The Lost Ball. Golfers try in vain to retrieve a lost ball in a lake on a golf course. It appears that a passing fish has swallowed it!

Misfitz - Spoony. early 20th century

A Top Notcher
Cartoon, A Top Notcher. One of the silly mistakes one makes when paying golf when it snows in Scotland. A short sighted golfer mistakes a bobble hat for the ball

Misfitz - Qua-Qua. early 20th century

I could do with a new photograph of you girlie
Bonzo outside his tent with a photograph of his girl covered in kisses. Date: circa 1940

Tattooing - Drunk Tattooist has got carried away
Tattooing - Drunk Tattooist (Professor Smith) has got carried away... " Its taking you a long time to write I love Annie !" Date: circa 1920s

Comic postcard - A Sore Point - Label your Trunk, Sir? - a younf porter uses a slightly ill-advised phrase whe addressing a Gentleman with a rather pronounced and protrusing proboscis !! Date: 1911

Comedy - The Hoffnung Interplanetary Music Festival
Musicians Temperament - Hilarity during The Hoffnung Interplanetary Music Festival at the Royal Festival Hall, London

Labour Saving by Heath Robinson. No. 2 - The Morning Starter

Comic Postcard - Where is that Aviator? Two female aircraft passenefers rather alarmed that their pilot is not visible, he's hanging on for dear life! Date: 1911

Long queues for the toilets at Mondorf-les-Bains Spa
The Spa ('cure') at Mondorf-les-Bains between 6 and 7 a.m

Flying Tips: Keep your machine well in hand, and get up good speed along the ground before attempting to rise. Date: 1911

Three Dutch girls bemoaning the lack of male companionship
Three Dutch girls complain about the lack of male companionship: When there isn't a boy about you do feel lonely'! Date: 1911

Comic postcard - plump man on the beach - I Can t See My Little Charlie Date: circa 1949

Comic postcard - plump woman on beach - I Can t See My Little Charlie Date: circa 1949

Weather Report - Illustrated - Breezy

Skegness is SO bracing - McGill parody of Hassall poster
Skegness is SO bracing - A Donald McGill parody of the famous Jolly Fisherman poster created by artist John Hassall in 1908 for the Great Northern Railway (GNR)

Comic Seaside Postcard - I Can t See My Little Johnny
I Can t See My Little Johnny - Humorous saucy seaside postcard design by Donald McGill (1875-1962). Date: circa 1949

Bonzo the Policeman - George E. Studdy - Clacton-on-Sea
circa 1920s

Rinking - Roller Skating fun for all ages - When Awkwardness is useful!. Date
Rinking - Roller Skating fun for all ages - " When Awkwardness is useful!". Date: circa 1905

Heres a lad a-being naught - saying things he never ought! A young scamp of a country lad whispers something rather cheeky into his young girl friends ear! Date: 1950

Kitty in London - Glamorous girl with two cats and HUGE hat
Kitty in London - Glamorous girl with two cats and a HUGE green hat with feathers. Date: circa late 1904

Hop Scotch Maggie - Frae Bonnie Scotland. Comic postcard - satire on the penchant for women to wear large and enveloping hats during this period

Clown Uncle Jolliboy - holding up a fake chicken Date: circa 1920s

A postman wishes a Merry Christmas to a Miserly Old Man! Date: circa 1910s

Four Peculiar properties of the Isle of Wight, Hampshire
Four Peculiar Properties of the Isle of Wight, Hampshire. New-port (You cannot bottle) - Freshwater (you cannot drink) - Cowes (you cannot milk) - Needles (You cannot thread) Date: 1909

Fifty Weeks Labour and Fourteen Days Swank!
Comic postcard - Fifty Weeks Labour... and Fourteen Days Swank! Date: 1930

Drunk young man unable to find the right (real!) keyhole
Italian comic postcard - a young man (rather worse for wear) returns home after a posh (yet boozy) night out only to be befuddled by his less-than-pleased (but pretty cunning) wife

Three little boys go for a ride on the back of a bullock. Free Rides - Hurry up now for a ride, room for just two more outside. Date: circa 1909

A bare-faced steal! A large bear takes a fancy to the contents of a large metal drum on the bacl of a country wagon. Date: 1906

Gran pop the orangutan monkey riding a Kangaroo
Jump to it! - Humorous illustration on a Valentine's postcard by Lawson Wood (1878-1957) showing Gran pop the orangutan monkey riding a Kangaroo! Date: circa 1930

At the Barber - hirsute monkeys popping in for a trim... Date: 1905

Comic Postcard - Surprise at return of sober husband
Comic Postcard - A housewife explaining her surprise to a Policeman that her husband has returned home sober - there MUST be something suspicious...!!! Date: circa 1910

Comic postcard - Train Held up - in broad daylight!
A young paper boy winks at a passing gent, who is paying close attention to the pretty young lady wearing a glamorous pink dress (which she is holding up) and enormous hat

My Word! We caught THIS wandering here. Two young women mock a rather daft-looking young man, possibly trying to use his facial dexterity to gain their attention/affection?! Date: 1910

Ten Jolly English male students go camping (2/2)
Ten Jolly English male students have fun during their summer holidays by heading off on a jaunt camping in the countryside. Lots of fun is being had, possibly fuelled by a few beverages

Ten Jolly English male students go camping (1/2)
Ten Jolly English male students have fun during their summer holidays by heading off on a jaunt camping in the countryside. Lots of fun is being had, possibly fuelled by a few beverages

As the magazine itself describes it: " The smile on the face of a tiger would warn off the least wary but the smile on the face of a chorister is plainly to be trusted

Canoe-dling
A spot of Canoe-dling! Date: 1906

Comic Postcard - The differences between Love and Marriage... LOVE is the wine of life, but MARRIAGE is the morning after!! Date: 1931

Foot-shaped comic postcard, mother and five daughters
A mother (the life and sole of the family) and her five little toe daughters - a brilliant Edwardian comic postcard, open to multiple interpretations! Date: 1907

A jolly group of holidaymakers pose for a photograph with prop beer bottle, various modes of transport and hats at a Blackpool studio. Date: 1933

A band, most of whom are wearing disguise of heavy eyebrows and moustaches, presumably a gimmick during a performance, or just for the hell of it

Six delightful young ladies - actually men dressed up as women. They do look rather fetching though. Date: 1920s

Page from The Tatler reporting on a comedy cricket match which took place at the Oval

Ethel and her young brother in fancy dress
Ethel and her younger brother in fine fancy dress costume - this scene is in part a satire on the penchant for women to wear large and enveloping hats during this period. Date: 1913

Man in a rather unusual fancy dress costume, probably as United Dairies as U Dees seems to be slang for the company but the bottles on his sleeves give the game away. Date: c.1910

Ebury waterproof shooting and fishing garment
1931 advert for the Ebury Ideal Waterproof Shooting and Fishing Garment, consisting of cape and overalls, and a waterproof bag for carrying the outfit

Cartoon, A Parcel of Old ------ Frightened at a... Bill
Cartoon, A Parcel of Old ------ Frightened at a Nasty! Great! Ugly! Jew Bill

Cartoon, A Silly Trick -- Farmer John Bull can t be fooled by a trickster with a turnip head, pretending to be an invading French soldier. Date: 1848

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