The Ghost of Lancaster Bewitched. Cartoon map. The county of Lancashire as a portrait of...

Lancashire bewitched !!: the county of Lancaster bewitched / by Lilian Lancaster, designer of Geographical Fun. Author: Lancaster, Lilian / Illustrator: Lancaster, Lilian England Language: English Source/Shelfmark: Maps cc.5.a.231 'Cartoon maps by Lilian Lancaster'. Here the artist Lilian Lancaster includes a pun on her own surname by using a portrait of herself on a map of Lancashire. Her first maps were apparently drawn to amuse her young brother; they were published in Geographical fun (also displayed here) in 1869, when she was only 14. The book does not identify her by name and they have sometimes been attributed to William Harvey, who wrote the text. A newspaper report of 1880 identifies Lancaster as the artist responsible for the drawings, and describes her already considerable acting achievements. She was a successful actress from the age of 16. Lancaster produced several versions of this map using the theme of Red Riding Hood; she often played in pantomimes and the depiction of herself in this one may have been a form of advertising. She continued to produce maps of this type for many years; the later ones are signed with her married name, Tennant.