The General Post Office, One Minute to Six

Maker:

Hicks, George Elgar

ID:

90.276

Production date:

1860

Location:

In Store

In 1840 a universal penny post was introduced in the United Kingdom. This, along with the removal of a stamp tax on newspapers, resulted in a huge increase in the number of items going by mail - so much so that the daily spectacle of people rushing to catch the six o'clock last post became something of a spectator sport. This is the scene George Hicks depicts here.  < ...Read more

In 1840 a universal penny post was introduced in the United Kingdom. This, along with the removal of a stamp tax on newspapers, resulted in a huge increase in the number of items going by mail - so much so that the daily spectacle of people rushing to catch the six o'clock last post became something of a spectator sport. This is the scene George Hicks depicts here.

On the left of the painting stands a crowd on onlookers; in the centre, people rush forward carrying stamped letters and packages; and on the right newspapers, both loose and bundled, are being flung into the post room.
The painting was based on William MacConnell's sketch in George Sala's Twice Around the Clock, 1859. < Hide

Measurements

H 1080 mm; W 1540 mm; D 80 mm (framed)

Materials

oil; canvas; wood

Last Updated

2024-03-14