The World of "Vanity Fair" by Bertram Fletcher Robinson

During 1868, Thomas Gibson Bowles founded an influential British periodical entitled "Vanity Fair". It was published weekly and included both serial fiction and articles on fashion, current affairs, theatre, books and social events. Bowles also used "Vanity Fair" to expose what he perceived to be the contemporary vanities of Victorian high-society. This led him to introduce cartoon caricatures of famous people, drawn by artists such as Ape (Carlo Pellegrini, 1838-1889) and most famously, Spy (Leslie Ward, 1851-1922). Each cartoon was accompanied by a short, entertaining and often cutting biography. It has been suggested that Bowles scribed over two-thousand biographies during the forty-six years that "Vanity Fair" was in existence (1868-1914) under the pseudonym of Jehu Junior (named partially after a Biblical King who vanquished his enemies with extreme vigour). This is improbable, as Bowles sold the magazine during 1889 and thereafter became an extremely active Politician. It is far more probable that many of the Jehu Juniors were written by subsequent editors that included Bertram Fletcher Robinson. Bertram Fletcher Robinson edited "Vanity Fair" between 1904 and 1907. During his editorship, he began advertising widely and also swapped publishing house from Arthur Evans to Harmsworth. These actions coupled with the recruitment of writers such as PG Wodehouse saw an increase in the readership of "Vanity Fair". Between December 1905 and February 1907, Robinson also had a series of fifteen articles entitled "Chronicles in Cartoon" published in "The Windsor Magazine". Within these articles, Robinson reviews the most prominent caricatures and accompanying Jehu Juniors to appear in "Vanity Fair" between 1868 and 1907. Collectively, these articles provide a fascinating insight into every aspect of late Victorian-life and they will interest both collectors of the famous caricatures and historians. During January 1907, Bertram Fletcher Robinson died aged just 36 years. His untimely death occurred just two months after he relinquished the editorship of "Vanity Fair" and just one month before the conclusion of his serialization, "Chronicles in Cartoon". It is very likely that had he lived, he would have sought to have the fifteen items that were published in "The Windsor Magazine" compiled and republished in book form. Moreover, it is probable that he would have considered this work to be his magnum opus given that he was a graduate of History from Cambridge University. This book affords Robinson that posthumous opportunity.