Top of page

Photo, Print, Drawing High life at midnight

[ b&w film copy neg. ]

About this Item

Title

  • High life at midnight

Summary

  • Print shows a street scene: five upper class men and women returning home after an evening of entertainment are attacked by a group of lower class men armed with staffs intent on robbery. One of the well dressed men has received a blow to the head and has fallen to the ground where he is attended to by one of the women. One of the rogues is stabbed in the chest with a sword by another of the well dressed men; during this commotion a pickpocket calmly helps himself to the contents of the man's pocket. In the background, a woman is climbing out a window into her lover's arms and receives an accidental dousing with the contents of a chamber pot from the window above by her husband, wearing the horns of cuckoldry, when his attention is diverted by the altercation taking place nearby in the street.

Created / Published

  • 1769.

Headings

  • -  Social classes--England--1760-1770
  • -  Robberies--England--1760-1770
  • -  Fighting--England--1760-1770
  • -  Adultery--England--1760-1770

Headings

  • Cartoons (Commentary)--British--1760-1770.
  • Intaglio prints--British--1760-1770.

Genre

  • Cartoons (Commentary)--British--1760-1770
  • Intaglio prints--British--1760-1770

Notes

  • -  Publish'd according to Act of Parliament, Sepr. 1st 1769.
  • -  Price 1s, but given Gratis to the Purchasers of the Court Miscellany.
  • -  Includes 8 lines of verse: With Joy and Satisfaction bless'd / The Innocent retire to rest, / ... / Not so the Sons of Riot live, / ... / Diseases, Quarrels, Death ensues.
  • -  Forms part of: British Cartoon Prints Collection (Library of Congress).

Medium

  • 1 print : engraving and etching.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • PC 3 - 1769 - High life at midnight (A size) [P&P]

Repository

  • Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Digital Id

  • cph 3c32012 //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c32012

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2002719533

Reproduction Number

  • LC-USZ62-132012 (b&w film copy neg.)

Rights Advisory

  • No known restrictions on publication.

Online Format

  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress believes that many of the papers in the British Cartoon Prints collection are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions and are free to use and reuse. Researchers should watch for documents that may be copyrighted (for example, published in the United States less than 95 years ago, or unpublished and the author died less than 70 years ago).

You are responsible for deciding whether your use of the items in this collection is legal. You will need written permission from the rightsholders to copy, distribute, or otherwise use copyrighted materials except as allowed by fair use or other statutory exemptions. Some materials may be protected under international law. You may also need permission from holders of other rights, such as publicity and/or privacy rights.

Credit Line: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Cartoon Prints, British.

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

  • Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.
  • Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-132012 (b&w film copy neg.)
  • Call Number: PC 3 - 1769 - High life at midnight (A size) [P&P]
  • Access Advisory: ---

Obtaining Copies

If an image is displaying, you can download it yourself. (Some images display only as thumbnails outside the Library of Congress because of rights considerations, but you have access to larger size images on site.)

Alternatively, you can purchase copies of various types through Library of Congress Duplication Services.

  1. If a digital image is displaying: The qualities of the digital image partially depend on whether it was made from the original or an intermediate such as a copy negative or transparency. If the Reproduction Number field above includes a reproduction number that starts with LC-DIG..., then there is a digital image that was made directly from the original and is of sufficient resolution for most publication purposes.
  2. If there is information listed in the Reproduction Number field above: You can use the reproduction number to purchase a copy from Duplication Services. It will be made from the source listed in the parentheses after the number.

    If only black-and-white ("b&w") sources are listed and you desire a copy showing color or tint (assuming the original has any), you can generally purchase a quality copy of the original in color by citing the Call Number listed above and including the catalog record ("About This Item") with your request.

  3. If there is no information listed in the Reproduction Number field above: You can generally purchase a quality copy through Duplication Services. Cite the Call Number listed above and include the catalog record ("About This Item") with your request.

Price lists, contact information, and order forms are available on the Duplication Services Web site.

Access to Originals

Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm.

  1. Is the item digitized? (A thumbnail (small) image will be visible on the left.)

    • Yes, the item is digitized. Please use the digital image in preference to requesting the original. All images can be viewed at a large size when you are in any reading room at the Library of Congress. In some cases, only thumbnail (small) images are available when you are outside the Library of Congress because the item is rights restricted or has not been evaluated for rights restrictions.
      As a preservation measure, we generally do not serve an original item when a digital image is available. If you have a compelling reason to see the original, consult with a reference librarian. (Sometimes, the original is simply too fragile to serve. For example, glass and film photographic negatives are particularly subject to damage. They are also easier to see online where they are presented as positive images.)
    • No, the item is not digitized. Please go to #2.
  2. Do the Access Advisory or Call Number fields above indicate that a non-digital surrogate exists, such as microfilm or copy prints?

    • Yes, another surrogate exists. Reference staff can direct you to this surrogate.
    • No, another surrogate does not exist. Please go to #3.
  3. If you do not see a thumbnail image or a reference to another surrogate, please fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room. In many cases, the originals can be served in a few minutes. Other materials require appointments for later the same day or in the future. Reference staff can advise you in both how to fill out a call slip and when the item can be served.

To contact Reference staff in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room, please use our Ask A Librarian service or call the reading room between 8:30 and 5:00 at 202-707-6394, and Press 3.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

High Life at Midnight. England, 1769. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002719533/.

APA citation style:

(1769) High Life at Midnight. England, 1769. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2002719533/.

MLA citation style:

High Life at Midnight. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2002719533/>.