Distinctions Collection

Workman & Boss / Doffs Cap
A workman walking in the street with his wife puts his finger to his cap when his employer rides past

Society & Shop Girls
Two elegant, society ladies are attended to by a shop girl who sees to their every whim. Several pairs of discarded shoes lie about the floor for the assistant to pick up later

WW2 - R. A. F. Rank Distinctions
An illustrated educational disagram which displays the rank distinctions of the British Royal Air Force during WW2. Date: circa 1940s

Bible, New Testament: parable of Lazarus and the rich man
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man

Monte Carlo, saying farewell to the fishermen (colour litho)
5228849 Monte Carlo, saying farewell to the fishermen (colour litho) by Bonvoisin, Maurice Charles Mathieu (Mars) (1849-1912); Private Collection; (add.info.: Monte Carlo)

He Fell at Waterloo (colour litho)
3641587 He Fell at Waterloo (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: He Fell at Waterloo. Postcard, early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

The mistress of the house giving instructions to her maid (b / w photo)
3093546 The mistress of the house giving instructions to her maid (b/w photo) by French Photographer

Casting steel ingots at Messers Firth and Sons Factory
Front cover of The Illustrated London News, 28th August 1875, showing the Royal visit to Sheffield. Casting steel ingots at Messers Firth and Sons Factory. Date: 1875

You d never think I worked for my living if you could see me at Blackpool (colour litho)
3641780 You d never think I worked for my living if you could see me at Blackpool (colour litho) by English School

BLOOMSBURY COUNTY COURT
The Bloomsbury County Court. Date: 1861

SWEET ORANGE SELLER
Two well-dressed ladies buy sweet China oranges from a rather shabby-looking poor street vendor Date: 1794

Cartoon, The Grand Old Name of Gentleman
Cartoon, THE GRAND OLD NAME OF GENTLEMAN -- Me and another gentleman ere as just been avin a bet on the breed of yodog. Date: 1888

COURT OF FRANCOIS I
FRANCOIS I OF FRANCE depicted with his court, religious on his right, secular on his left, while the people work on the land farming, planting vines etc Date: 1494 - 1547

CRUIKSHANK - SOCIETY
An Outline of Society in Our Own Times Date: 1846

TOO MUCH PROSPERITY
The result of too much prosperity - conspicuous consumption by the rich, while the poor starve Date: 1906

VICTORIAS SUPPORTERS
Victoria depicted with her loyal lion - the workman with his clay pipe and side of beef - and her unicorn - the upper class with its cigars and champagne Date: 1887

FINISHING TOUCHES 1884
Servant puts the finishing touches to her mistresses dress. Date: 1884

THALBERG / CAROL SINGERS
Two poor children in the street sing outside the window of two rich childrens house who give them some money Date: Circa 1815

TENANT FARMER & LAWYER TENANT FARMER & LAWYER
Tenant farmer at the mercy landowners: awkward scene at lawyers office as farmer is refused renewal of his lease Date: 1865

Satire on womens pursuit of aristocratic status
A satire on womens pursuit of aristocratic status in marriage, showing women angling for fish wearing crowns of the peerage. Date: circa 1840

Satire on the way love worships ancestry
A satire on the way Love Worships Ancestry -- the inflated respect for ancestry and aristocratic status -- showing Cupid kneeling to an heraldic device with a crown on top. Date: 1890

Her Majesty Queen Mary visits an East End Garden
A marvellous photograph of Her Majesty Queen Mary (1867-1953) visits an East End Garden (and the owners of said residence) on 10th July 1935

Chateau de Veves, 1875
The Chateau de Veves, at Dinant, Belgium, viewed from the village. Date: 1875

Street Vendor selling Nuts to Gentleman with a Simian Visage
Street Vendor cheekily offering the sale of some nuts to a diminutive Gentleman with a distinctive Simian visage!! Date: 1899

Mark Twain meets Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, 1907
Mark Twain(1835-1910), humourist, meets with King Edward VII(1841-1910) and Queen Alexandra(1844 -1925) at a Windsor garden party in 1907

Class Distinctions / Coal
DIGNITY ATTACKED " I say Guv ner, jest guv us a lift up with these here coals" A rather ridiculously-attired posh gentleman is shocked by a coalboys impish request

Class / Capital and Labour
CAPITAL AND LABOUR Satire on the class system

The Winter Family on a Summers Day! Posing for a family group portrait on the back step of their home. Three generations pictured. Date: 1920s

Class Distinction 1934
Three workers laugh at a fat capitalist taking his dog for a walk. Date: 1934

Class distinction between two schoolboys, discussing another boy: I have heard today that his father keeps a store! Date: circa 1895

Gentleman talking to farmers with produce, c. 1800
A gentleman stops two farmers with baskets of produce on a donkey presumably on their way to market, c. 1800 Date: C.1800

Tango craze: learning to dance the tango, 1913
The humble Argentine origins of the tango are contrasted with the wealthy London set that have taken it up in 1913, as a result of the tango craze. Date: 1913

Two gardeners sweeping leaves, 1889
Two gardeners at work sweeping leaves in the grounds of a stately home. Date: 1889

Womens costume c. 1600
Costumes of Burgher-women and a country woman, in the time of the Merry Wives of Windsor. Date: c.1600

Panorama of a fashionable wedding, 1855
Panorama of a fashionable wedding in 1855-relations, clergy and hangers on depicted. Date: 1855

Elderly lady not overly generous with her tipping
" Have you got change for a threepenny-piece, Adolphus? I want to give the porter a gratuity." The porter appears to already be expecting the impending disappointment! Date: 1894

Country Tramp dismayed at only available activity being work
" Poor Man! And can t you find anything to do?" " Nothing but Work, Liddy." Date: 1898

Millionairess quizzes Lord on his wealth (and evident lack thereof, despite appearances!) American Millionairess - " And have you really got a Coronet

Wit of a toothless old soak when faced with Sally Army pair
The witty reposte of a toothless old soak when faced with a pair of Salvation Army women: Salvation Sal (to village toper) - " If thou doesn t mend thy ways, Ben Bosker

Street Urchin offers appraisal of passing pretty lady
The London Street Urchin (to companion over the way) - " Ow would that suit yer, Bill?"

Tramp asks a horrified lady for a hairpin to clean his pipe
A Tramp asks a horrified smart lady, seated on a park bench for a hairpin to clean his pipe

Edwin Ray Lankester (1847-1929), British zoologist who established clear morphological distinctions in different orders of invertebrates, demonstrating that they had different origins

The General Strike, 1926: volunteers
Are we downhearted? The answer is Negative

The Peace Illuminations - A Street Scene by G. Thomas, 1856
A crowd gathers in the street to marvel at the peace illuminations in celebration of the end of the Crimean war. Date: 1856

Napoleon and Josephine enjoy street musicians

A Professor of Languages A Language Student returns to his College, but his grasp of the vernacular of his cabby seems less that First Class as he appears to have underpaid his driver

Italian Pifferari, 1875
Italian pifferari elicits a donation from some wealthy music lovers beneath an awning. 1875

Edwardian Classes
An Edwardian aristocratic family, standing in the ornate entrance hallway of their country mansion, with their many servants lined up behind them. Date: early 1900s (re-enactment)

Working Class Mp- Satire
ELEVATION (Wife of newly-elected Working-man MP): " Ow D e Do, Mrs Fuzbush? Though I ham a Lady, won t change my manners Date: 1886

A Fool and his money is soon parted A bellboy and a lady are doing their best to remove the money from a gentlemans wallet!

Istanbul -
So near, but yet so far - satirical comment on class distinctions in early 20th century Turkey between wealthy Turk and a poor penniless Armenian beggar

Boy performing with small puppets
Undated coloured illustration of a boy performing with small puppets watched by a gentleman with two ladies, entitled " Les petites Marionettes". HPG/8/2/1 (xxx)"

Class System in China
A cartoon of the Chinese class sytem, with people at the base surmounted by Clergy, who are supporting the Army (Braves), below Mandarins, with The Emperor at the very peak

Lady and Ladys Maid
An Edwardian Lady gives her Ladys Maid a disdainful look for failing to tie her hat on properly

Upper Class Edwardians
An upper class family. The father wears a hat and overcoat, the mother wears a mauve overcoat and fetching hat and the son wears a pin- striped suit and bowler hat

Edwardian Class System
The Edwardian Country House, with the Lord and Lady of the manor and their family in the foreground and all of their various servants dutifully standing in the background

Frances Three Estates : - the clergy - the nobility - the people

Girl and Coronet
CONTEMPLATIONS UPON A CORONET - an actress at her dressing-table aspires to better her condition by marrying a peer. (Many did.)

Satire on class distinction
A satire on class distinction, showing the universal adoration of aristocratic status, based on a pile of fine clothes

Self-Preservation
The conservation of species - fashionably dressed animals make their way to the Ark : a satirical comment on society, each is bent on preserving his/her own

Chinese and Puppets
OMBRES FRANCAISES In this satire on race distinctions, the Chinese are entertained by the comic antics of Europeans

Grandville Great / Small
The great and the small

Middle Class Outweighs
Now the Middle Class outweighs all the others combined !

Rich Man in Car
Two workmen watch as a rich man drives past in his chauffeur-driven automobile, symbol of luxury at the time

Politics / Class
The four classes - the priest, the soldier, the peasant and the magistrate

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EDITORS COMMENTS

"Embracing Distinctions: From Workman & Boss to Society & Shop Girls" In the realm of social hierarchies, they have always played a significant role. Just like a workman doffs his cap in respect to his boss, society too has its own set of rules and customs. During World War II, R. A. F. Rank they were vital in maintaining order and discipline within the forces. These ranks symbolized courage, leadership, and dedication. Drawing inspiration from the Bible's New Testament parable of Lazarus and the rich man, we are reminded that even in death, there exist stark distinctions between heaven and hell. Transporting us back to 1875 at Chateau de Veves or bidding farewell to fishermen in Monte Carlo through vibrant lithographs reminds us of how different places can hold their own unique charm while also highlighting societal divisions. Captured forever in black-and-white photography is a young man kissing a maid - an image that speaks volumes about class boundaries being crossed or challenged. The color lithograph titled "He Fell at Waterloo" depicts the bravery displayed by soldiers on the battlefield while emphasizing the distinction between life and death during war times. Another colorful lithograph titled "Are You First Class?" prompts us to ponder our achievements and strive for excellence regardless of our circumstances or background. A glimpse into domestic life reveals yet another distinction as we witness the mistress giving instructions to her maid - a reminder that power dynamics often shape relationships within households. Stepping into Messers Firth and Sons Factory where steel ingots are cast showcases both technological advancements but also highlights disparities among workers based on skill sets or positions held within industries. Lastly, echoing wisdom from Proverbs 15:16 "Better is little with fear of the Lord, " we learn that true contentment lies not in material possessions but rather in embracing humility before God despite any worldly distinctions we may encounter along our journey.