USEFUL NOSES

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 40, 15 August 1925, Page 16

USEFUL NOSES

POLITICS AND POLITICAL

CARTOONS,

When Mr. Baldwin stated at an exhibition of political cartoons that the caricaturists "evidently think a good deal of my nose," he was on the track of a great political truth, for the noses of politicians are of the first consequence to caricaturists. Indeed, much of the history, of political caricature" is associated with them. Gladstone puzzled his associates on one occasion by saying in a letter, "We must' remember the proposal made by Nosey." There was a hot discussion as to the identity of "Nosey," and one of the staff asked Gladstone whether Mundella was intended. "Oh, no," said he: "it was an old nickname of the King of the Belgians," whose, nose was a great asset to Continental cartoonists. But Mundella's nose was famous also, and Gladstone liked to tell the story of Lowe having been bothered by a long-winded deputation headed by Muiidella. A few days later he was stopped at Brighton by a man who said he was glad to meet him again—"l have seen so Tittle of you lately." Lowe looked at his nose and replied, "Indeed? I have heard a great deal too much of you." Sensation —for the man was not Mundella,- but the King of the' Belgians !

As a matter of fact, Mundella was really proud of his nose, which resembled that of the Duke of Wellington, the most famous but one of political noses. It was in allusion to this that a rude and angry opponent once said to Mundella,. "You'd never be a statesmen if you had twenty beaks." But the most famous of political noses was that of Brougham, immortalised on the cover of "Punch" and a fortune for any cartoonist. Still, Gilray made good use of William Pitt's sharp-pointed nose, which, With a little exaggeration, gave a conceited expression to the face; and that, in turn, suggests the excellent use which Gould made of Chamberlain's vulpine feature.