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Bad Business or Wasted Efforts: PD.140-1994

An image of Drawing
View image details Mirador icon - view image Mirador deep zoom IIIF Manifest IIIF Manifest Slow looking

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Alternative views

An image of Drawing
An image of Drawing
Awaiting location update

Titles

Bad Business or Wasted Efforts

Maker(s)

Draughtsman: May, Philip William

Entities

Categories

Notes

History note: P & D Colnaghi, from whom acquired, 1956

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1994) by Batchelor, Ivor, Sir and Lady

Dating

1890s
Production date: AD 1895

Note

An illustration from 'Punch', 25 May 1895.

School or Style

British

Materials used in production

Black ink

Components of the work

Support composed of card
Image Size Height 178 mm
Sheet Size Height 202 mm Width 286 mm

Techniques used in production

Drawing : Pen and black ink on card

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: PHIL MAY
  • Location: Lower right
  • Method of creation: Black ink
  • Type: Signature
  • Text: 95
  • Location: Lower right, below the above
  • Method of creation: Black ink
  • Type: Date
  • Text: Half Page
  • Location: Top right
  • Method of creation: Graphite
  • Text: New Assistant (after Hair Cutting, to Jones who has been out of town for a few weeks):- Your hair is very thin behind sir, try / singeing?" / Jones:- "Yes, I think I will" / Assistant (after a pause):- Shampoo Sir? good for the 'air." / Jones:- "Thank you, yes." / Assistant:- "Your moustache curled, Sir?" / Jones:- "Please." / Assistant:- "May I give you a friction, Sir?" / Jones:- "Thank you!" / The Proprieter (sotto voce):- "Shut up, you fool, 'e 's a Member of the Toilet Club!!"
  • Location: Under image, re-transcribed onto blue card stuck to mount
  • Method of creation: Graphite

Identification numbers

Accession number: PD.140-1994
Primary reference Number: 12081

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Wednesday 15 October 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Bad Business or Wasted Efforts" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/12081 Accessed: 2025-12-07 09:09:17

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/12081 |title=Bad Business or Wasted Efforts |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-07 09:09:17|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-12081

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<div class="text-center">
    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/pdp/pdp13/PD_140_1994.jpg"
        alt="Bad Business or Wasted Efforts"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Bad Business or Wasted Efforts</figcaption>
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