Election of the Mayor of Garratt
Ink and wash drawing by Valentine Green depicting the Election of the Mayor of Garratt . After 1781
This drawing depicts the procession of the "Mayor of Garratt". These were satirical mock elections held in Garratt Green opposite the Leather Bottle between 1747 and 1804, normally coinciding with actual parliamentary elections, to elect one or two "Mayors of Garratt". The custom originated as a protest by local residents against the loss of access rights to their small common. The elections were riotous, drunken affairs, sponsored by local publicans. The candidates were local tradesmen adopting fictitious names. On the day of the election, they would set out from Southwark and then parade through Wandsworth, often in fancy dress, with their supporters, before delivering their speeches from a hustings built on Garratt Green.
Artist Biography
Valentine Green (1739–1813) British mezzotint engraver and print publisher, Green trained under Robert Hancock before establishing himself in London. He became mezzotint engraver to the King in 1773 and was elected associate engraver of the Royal Academy. Renowned for his rich tonal portraits and reproductions of works by Reynolds, Romney, and Old Masters, Green produced over 400 plates. Despite early success, financial setbacks led him to become keeper of the British Institution in 1805, a post he held until his death.
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