Corporal Punishment Gallery Four

Some illustrations from 19th century books

The novelist Thackeray, of 'Vanity Fair' fame, was also a talented artist. Here we see a Victorian schoolmaster wielding his trusty birch, whilst the intended recipient prays for mercy.

The more sensitive Victorian schoolboy must have found the humiliation involved in wearing a dunce's cap in front of the class almost as bad as the pain of a beating.

Another Victorian schoolmaster hard at work (click to see full-sized image)