Bow Street Office

Rudolph Ackermann, London|Auguste Charles Pugin|John Hill|Thomas Rowlandson

March 1, 1808 · Hand-colored etching and aquatint · Drawings and Prints

Londoners crowd the Bow Street courtroom, waiting to appear before a Westminster magistrate who sits on a podium in the left background. Established in the 1740s, the court addressed minor crimes such as drunkenness, fighting and prostitution, and helped relieve pressure on higher courts such as the Old Bailey. By focussing on the waiting crowd, instead of those who adminster justice, the print conveys the city's popular energy.

Artist

Rudolph Ackermann, London|Auguste Charles Pugin|John Hill|Thomas Rowlandson

Date

March 1, 1808

Medium

Hand-colored etching and aquatint

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917