The Miser's Daughter: 11/20, The Masquerade in Ranelagh Gardens

This print shows a scene at the Ranelagh Pleasure Gardens, a place of great entertainmnet in the eighteenth century. It was considered more fashionable than Vauxhall Gardens which are also illustrated in this series. Ranelagh Gardens were opened to the public in 1741and introduced the masquerade to a wider audience. In the centre of the Gardens was a large Rococo Rotunda in which concerts were held which can be seen in the background to the print.

The Miser's Daughter is a novel by William Harrison Ainsworth published in 1842.Set in the eighteenth century it is a historical romance which tells the story of Randulph Crew's attempts to marry the daughter of a miser called Scarve. It was illustrated by the prolific caricature artist George Cruikshank (1792-1878). Intertwined with the main plot are various strands which deal with aspects of London society at that time, for instance settlement of estates and wills.