The Regency's most popular character is on display at the Bowes Art and Architecture Library this Winter in a new exhibit curated by Dr. Ben Wiebracht!

The writers of the Regency (1811-20) created some of the most enduring characters in English literature – the sparkling Elizabeth Bennet of Pride and Prejudice, the brooding Conrad of Lord Byron’s Corsair, and the chivalrous Ivanhoe of Sir Walter Scott’s great historical romance, to name a few. But in their day, they were all eclipsed by Doctor Syntax.

The scrawny clergyman astride his rawboned nag, traipsing around the country in search of picturesque sights, delighted readers the country over. The Doctor originally appeared in a long comic poem called The Tour of Doctor Syntax in Search of the Picturesque. Written by William Combe and illustrated by the great caricaturist Thomas Rowlandson, the poem was such a success that, before long, spinoffs started to appear extending the Doctor’s adventures in one way or another. Fans of the Doc could stock up on Syntax merchandise as well, and Syntax figurines and chinaware remain a common sight in antique stores on both sides of the Atlantic.

Today, the most extensive collection of Doctor Syntax books in the world resides at the Bowes Library. At its core are ten Regency copies of The Tour of Doctor Syntax in Seach of the Picturesque (including one inscribed by the author) spanning eight editions. The library also holds copies of all three sequels, as well as several rare spinoffs. This exhibit uses these splendid materials to tell the story of Doctor Syntax—his creation, his adventures, and his explosive popularity in Regency England. 

These materials also allowed for publication a new critical edition of The Tour of Doctor Syntax in Search of the Picturesque (Pixelia Publishing, 2024). Sixteen students at Stanford Online High School and their instructor created the book together during a course on Jane Austen, using the Bowes Library's copies as their source texts. The book was honored with the 2023-4 Modern Language Association Prize for a Scholarly Edition. It can be downloaded for free at pixeliapublishing.org/doctor-syntax.