Cynicus (Martin Anderson); Symbols and Metaphors, 1892, hardback

Cynicus, the pen name of Martin Anderson, was a Scottish artist, political and satirical cartoonist, postcard illustrator and publisher. Born in 1854, the son a a railway station master from Leuchars in Fife, Scotland, he died in 1932.

In the 1890s he enjoyed considerable success from his shop in Drury Lane, from which he published his works. His business, The Cynicus Publishing Company, also enjoyed popularity during the boom in picture postcard sales after the British Post Office allowed their use in the mail.

He moved to Edinburgh in 1915 where he ran a shop which was later destroyed by fire in 1924. He then retired to 'Castle Cynicus' in Balmullo in Fife. His work often highlighted the grotesque disparity between the lives of the wealthy and the ordinary citizen.

We have acquired a small collection of a number of Cynicus publications which we offer for sale here.

Here we have Symbols and Metaphors, published by The Cynicus Publishing Co, Drury Lane, London, and Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co. Undated.

A very good taupe cloth hardback with gilt decoration and titles. Bevelled edges. With light bumping and shelf wear. Endpapers intact at gutters. Pictorial patterned endpapers. Some light spotting and offsetting to first and last few pages.

Text is very good with occasional finger mark . Gilt edges to text block. Previous owner's stamp (from St. Andrews) to first free blank endpaper.

Text in English.

Weight approximately 292g (unpacked). 

Unnumbered pages.

Approx Dimensions: 

Approximately 190mm high x 144mm wide 13mm deep.