R.B. Peake

R.B. Peake made prints in early 1800s London, turning current events into quick, shareable images. One early run shows the lively crowd at “H Beard Print Collection (1st December 1818),” capturing hats, coats, and newsboys in scratchy lines. These sheets weren’t fancy oil paintings; they were the 19th-century version of viral memes, sold on street corners so anyone could pocket a slice of the day’s drama. Want to see what Londoners read and argued about that winter? Tap the print still titled “H Beard Print Collection (1st December 1818).”