Night Watchman Collection

A Bellman
3330957 A Bellman; (add.info.: Engraving of a Bellman, also known as a night-watchman or Charley. Dated 17th Century.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

LINNAEUS, Carolus (1707-1778). Swedish naturalist. Engraving. ITALY. LOMBARDY. Milan
CUL4849754 LINNAEUS, Carolus (1707-1778). Swedish naturalist. Engraving. ITALY. LOMBARDY. Milan. Civica Raccolta delle Stampe " Achille Bertarelli" (Achille Bertarelli collection of prints)

The Bellman of London: Title page of ballad in the Bagford Collection (British Museum) Woodcut 1616
532662 The Bellman of London: Title page of ballad in the Bagford Collection (British Museum) Woodcut 1616 .; (add.info.: showing London night-watchman going on his rounds with bell)

"The Light of Other Days" - from a painting by J. T. Lucas, 1864. Creator: Mason Jackson
"The Light of Other Days" - from a painting by J. T. Lucas, 1864. 'Old Watchman, thou who watchest not, We smile on thy non-vigil now: Sleep on, nor dream, thou slumbrous sot

Illustration of Various Subjects, 1779. Creator: Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki
Illustration of Various Subjects, 1779

Payment of Salaries to the Night Watchmen in the Camera del Comune of Siena, 1440-1460. Creator: Anon
Payment of Salaries to the Night Watchmen in the Camera del Comune of Siena, 1440-1460

Serenos; A zigzag journey through Mexico, 1875. Creator: Thomas Mayne Reid
Serenos; A zigzag journey through Mexico, 1875. [Neighborhood night watchmen]. From, Illustrated Travels by H.W. Bates. [Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, c1880, London]

Payment of Salaries to the Night Watchmen in the Camera del Comune of Siena, 1440-60 (tempera on panel)
3545928 Payment of Salaries to the Night Watchmen in the Camera del Comune of Siena, 1440-60 (tempera on panel) by Italian School, (15th century); 28.5x25 cm; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Watchmans Rattle, c. 1940. Creator: Marius Hansen
Watchmans Rattle, c. 1940

The Belman of London, 1608 (woodcut)
XJF100255 The Belman of London, 1608 (woodcut) by English School, (17th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Title page of a tract by Thomas Dekker (c.1570-c.1641)

The Morning Herald, 1826 (etching)
GHL161592 The Morning Herald, 1826 (etching) by Lynch, James Henry (fl.1815-68); 15x? cm; London Metropolitan Archives, City of London; eLondon Metropolitan Archives; Irish, out of copyright

Egypt as it is, Street Sketches in Alexandria (engraving)
1624076 Egypt as it is, Street Sketches in Alexandria (engraving) by Loye, Charles Auguste (Montbard) (1841-1905); Private Collection; (add.info.: Egypt as it is, Street Sketches in Alexandria)

Johnny and other revellers arrested by the Night Watchman after a riotous dance party in Covent Garden Chambers
FLO4999963 Johnny and other revellers arrested by the Night Watchman after a riotous dance party in Covent Garden Chambers

Sketches in Madagascar (litho)
1596338 Sketches in Madagascar (litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sketches in Madagascar. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 14 December 1889)

O per se O, or A New Cryer of Lanthorne and Candle-Light, 1612 (woodcut)
XJF110523 O per se O, or A New Cryer of Lanthorne and Candle-Light, 1612 (woodcut) by English School, (17th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

A Brace of Public Guardians, July 10, 1800. Creator: Thomas Rowlandson
A Brace of Public Guardians, July 10, 1800

Night watchman with lantern, 1845. Creator: Unknown
Night watchman with lantern, 1845. I lament more particularly for the loss of one of our most ancient privileges - the comfortable families mild and amiable guardian of the night called the watchman

The Westminster Watchman, April 12, 1784. April 12, 1784. Creator: Thomas Rowlandson
The Westminster Watchman, April 12, 1784

A Midwife Going to a Labour, February 12, 1811. February 12, 1811
A Midwife Going to a Labour, February 12, 1811

Chow Kidar (Night Watch), c1910. Creator: Unknown
Chow Kidar (Night Watch), c1910. Indian man standing guard with a wooden club. Postcard. [Moorli Dhur & Sons, Ambala Cantonment, Haryana, India]

The Night-Watchman, c1908, (1909). Physicist Douglas Mawson on nightwatch in the hut at Cape Royds. Anglo-Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) made three expeditions to the Antarctic

London night-watchman going through the streets with his pike and lantern: 1569. Engraving
London night-watchman going through the streets with his pike and lantern:1569. Engraving

Madrid Night Watchman, 1873

The Pilot Keeps Watch, 1851 (oil on canvas)
XKH204837 The Pilot Keeps Watch, 1851 (oil on canvas) by Schlesinger, Karl (1825-93); 31x25.5 cm; Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany; German, out of copyright

The Bellman of London: Title page of ballad in the Bagford Collection (British Museum) showing London night-watchman going on his rounds with bell, lantern and pike, with his dog at his heels

Madrid Night Watchman, 1873

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"The Night Watchman: A Guardian of the Shadows" In the depths of night, when darkness blankets the world, a solitary figure emerges from obscurity. The night watchman, a timeless symbol of vigilance and protection, has long been woven into the fabric of history and art. From Thomas Mayne Reid's "Serenos; A zigzag journey through Mexico" to Marius Hansen's "Watchmans Rattle, " depictions of these nocturnal sentinels have captivated our imagination. In Siena's Camera del Comune, we witness the payment of salaries to these dedicated guardians in a mesmerizing tempera on panel painting from 1440-60. Woodcuts like "The Belman of London" and "O per se O, or A New Cryer of Lanthorne and Candle-Light" transport us back to an era where their piercing cries echoed through cobblestone streets. Their presence was immortalized in etchings such as "The Morning Herald, " capturing their importance in society during 1826. But it is not just their duty that fascinates us; it is also their encounters with revelers and mischief-makers alike. Johnny Quae Genus finds himself arrested by a diligent night watchman after a riotous dance party in Covent Garden Chambers, as depicted in William Combes' copperplate engraving from "The History of Johnny Quae Genus. " Even beyond European borders, they stand tall as seen in street sketches from Alexandria or lithographs portraying life in Madagascar. These brave souls navigate unknown territories with nothing but lanterns guiding their way. Thomas Rowlandson's satirical illustrations offer glimpses into both comical and poignant moments involving these tireless guardians. From his portrayal titled "A Brace of Public Guardians" highlighting their dedication during July 10th, 1800 to his depiction titled "Love in the Gutter, " reminding us that even amidst the darkness, love and compassion can flourish.