Nearly a year ago, we showed a number of cartoons of the Victorian Age cartoon character Mr. GoLightly, who some people out there contend was a real person (Charles Golightly), who in 1841 filed a patent for his riding rocket. We at SuperITCH contended his first, undated cartoon (below) was published circa 1830, and whoever filed the patent in 1841, did so as a joke. The fact that no GoLightly cartoon had been found with a pre-1841 date definitively printed on it, enabled the debate to continue.

To those who maintain that Mr. GoLightly’s invention & its patenting were real, I say sorry. The definitive proof that the joke preceded 1841, is in. (Not of course, that facts have ever ended debates.)

I found the above cartoon — clearly based upon the original cartoon version — printed on Page 53 of the Philadelphia published book, Every Body’s Album, Volume 1 (not to be confused with the earlier British publication of the same name). The date of that book’s publication — printed on its title page — was 1836. Interestingly, this American copy of the still earlier original British cartoon, refers to writers of patents (mayhaps inspiring the later prank filing).

Also of note, is that the Gold Rush-era American cartoon, Mr. Golightly Bound to California, appears to have incorporated several of the elements original to the 1836 American variation (i.e. the cigarette, and the smoke patterns emerging from the rear of the rocket, and out of its steam pressure cooker), while retaining the lost, flying hat of the original.

Click on the above & below pictures, to view the cartoons in detail, and read their captions.

To find previous postings of Tigwissel Tuesdays, click here. Next week — for posting #50 — we’ll return with an as-yet shown episode involving our namesake, Prof. Tigwissel himself!

Doug Wheeler

— Doug