A collection of fifteen pen and ink and watercolour caricature drawings by Amos Robert Ramsbottom, each depicting a Manchester United player, comprising: Harry Moger, George Wall, Jimmy Turnbull, Richard Holden, Harold Halse, Billy Meredith, Herbert Burgess, Robert Bonthron, Jimmy Bannister, Sandy Turnbull, Richard Duckworth, Alex Bell, Jack Peddie, George Stacey and Vince Hayes, (the reverse depicting Albert Shepherd, Newcastle United) mostly signed with monogram and dated 1907-09, the majority 4¼ x 2¼in. (11 x 15.5cm); two similar pen and ink caricature drawings depicting Charlie Sagar and Jimmy Turnbull; two others, dated 23 January 1909 and 6th February 1909, the first entitled Fate: English Cup Draw, inscribed Manchester United & Everton have been drawn together in the second round of the English Cup Competition, the second entitled Marooned: Suspension Island, depicting Billy Meredith and inscribed William Meredith, Manchester United's famous International, having been suspended by the Football Association, was cut off from today's Cup Tie between United & Everton, both with similar caricature drawings to the reverse referring to Rugby Union, each 6¾ x 9in. (17.5 x 23cm); a caricature drawing entitled A Football Referree by Matt; and a pen and crayon caricature drawing of Joe Spence attributed to Shinwell, circa 1930 (21)

Details

A collection of fifteen pen and ink and watercolour caricature drawings by Amos Robert Ramsbottom, each depicting a Manchester United player, comprising: Harry Moger, George Wall, Jimmy Turnbull, Richard Holden, Harold Halse, Billy Meredith, Herbert Burgess, Robert Bonthron, Jimmy Bannister, Sandy Turnbull, Richard Duckworth, Alex Bell, Jack Peddie, George Stacey and Vince Hayes, (the reverse depicting Albert Shepherd, Newcastle United) mostly signed with monogram and dated 1907-09, the majority 4¼ x 2¼in. (11 x 15.5cm); two similar pen and ink caricature drawings depicting Charlie Sagar and Jimmy Turnbull; two others, dated 23 January 1909 and 6th February 1909, the first entitled Fate: English Cup Draw, inscribed Manchester United & Everton have been drawn together in the second round of the English Cup Competition, the second entitled Marooned: Suspension Island, depicting Billy Meredith and inscribed William Meredith, Manchester United's famous International, having been suspended by the Football Association, was cut off from today's Cup Tie between United & Everton, both with similar caricature drawings to the reverse referring to Rugby Union, each 6¾ x 9in. (17.5 x 23cm); a caricature drawing entitled A Football Referree by Matt; and a pen and crayon caricature drawing of Joe Spence attributed to Shinwell, circa 1930 (21)

Lot Essay

Amos Robert Ramsbottom was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1889. His family returned to Manchester and as a small child he lived at 19 Rumford Street, Manchester, which is now the site of the Manchester University Halls of Residence. Ramsbottom worked as an office clerk but became unemployed in the 1930s, apparently never working again until his death in May 1967. He is buried in Southern Cemetery, Manchester.

His caricature work apparently covered many different fields, including political figures, theatrical characters and sportsmen. However, it appears that he had a great passion for Manchester United and the above caricature drawings cover the first great period in United's history when they won the League Championship in 1908 and the F.A. Cup in 1909, after their formation in 1902 from the ashes of Newton Heath F.C.

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