The Lion’s Head and the Long Shadow of Button’s Coffee-House
This succinct edition surveys the famous Lion’s Head, a relic tied to Addison and Steele’s Guardian era and the satirical world of early 18th‑century London. It traces how a coffee‑house joke turned into a cultural icon, and what the tale reveals about publishing, wit, and public taste in the Augustan Age.
The book presents the idea and later reality of the Lion’s Head, explains its literary and social context, and compiles stories and notes about its reception. It offers a clear, accessible look at how a humorous device became a focal point for epistolary exchange, satire, and literary memory.
- Learn how a satirical newspaper and a coffee‑house customs shaped a popular symbol.
- See how readers and writers of the time engaged with fame, reputation, and public dialogue.
- Discover notes on Addison, Steele, and their circle, and how they influenced literary culture.
- Explore how a relic can illuminate broader themes in English literature of the era.
Ideal for readers of literary history, satire, and the early Republic of Letters, who want a grounded, illustration‑rich look at a famous cultural moment.