The Duke of Wellington's Relations

At first glance, this text from the August 14, 1847 issue of Punch seems to be making a basic point: that the Duke of Wellington remains so famous 30 years after the battle of Waterloo that people want to claim relation to him. More interestingly, I think, this article makes reference both to mustaches (much like the one that Jos grows before heading to Belgium) and to sales/business (a point that might be compared to the narrator's assessment of Englishmen as shopkeepers on p. 272). How do we read these seemingly small details? What are the connotations of facial hair? What about the idea of Englishmen as shopkeepers? Is Thackeray criticizing the English or praising them? How do you read the economic and financial language used in his article (coinage, Protectionist, tip, counterfeit, etc)?

The Westminster Hall Exhibition

This Punch article, written by Thackeray under the pseudonym of Professor Byles, appeared on July 10 (one month before the "Waterloo" issue of Vanity Fair). Focus on the paragraph beginning "With respect to the third prize." What is Thackeray criticizing? It this a satirical criticism? How do we read it in comparison with the depiction of the events leading up to the war in his novel? What significance did representations of the battle have for English readers/viewers over thirty years after the fact? How do you read the discussion of race in this article in light of our conversation on Tuesday? How might you analyze the image provided?