Caricature John Kay "Dedicated to the Royal Edinburgh Light Dragoons” Etching/Aquatint

Antique Aquatint etching by John Kay for “Kay's Edinburgh Portraits” Published Edinburgh 1797

John Kay (1742-1826) was an apprenticed barber at 13, in 1771 managed to obtained the freedom to the city of Edinburgh when he joined the corporation of the barber-surgeons. In 1784 he published his first caricature and in the following year he opened a small print shop in the Royal Mile. He flourished with his sketches, and eventually published caricatures of local characters and odd folk that emerged from the Scottish Age of Enlightenment.

John Adams, Master of the riding Menage, who is here represented in the uniform of the Royal Mid-Lothian Volunteer Cavalry. Originally he belonged to the 16^th Light Dragoons, of that regiment he was the Quarter-master. . In 1797 he was brought to Edinburgh for the purpose of drilling and organizing the Mid-Lothian Cavalry. He was to become Master of highly respectable Corps only to soon after die at age 46

Condition = Excellent.Printed on Flax/hemp wove paper. The slight corrugation is due to the paper being dampened , at the time of printing, to help stretch the paper over the copper plate, and facilitate the uptake of ink in the etched grooves.

Size of paper = 19.6cm x 25.8cm (7  2/3 x 10 1/4 inch) / Platemark = 11cm x 15.2cm (4 1/3 x 6 1/12 inch)