- Museum number
- 1913,0415.163
- Title
- Object: India-Proofs of Wood-Engravings by The Brothers Dalziel
- Description
-
Album with hand-written title page: 'India-Proofs of Wood-Engravings by The Brothers Dalziel. General Work: Various: 1839-1847. This Book was made up at the time the engravings shown in it were done.' The album includes more than 1418 early wood-engraved proofs. There is a wide variety of book and magazine illustration, including of literature, history, botany, anatomy, animals, machinery, portraits, topography and travel. There are satirical cartoons, orientialising and imperialist prints. There are illustrations for children, several illustrated titles, ornamental letters, calendar months, ornamental borders and advertisements.
Many of the proofs are touched with pencil or with white, black or brown pigment. They often have brief pencil annotations, usually with dates, probably of production, delivery or publication. On at least one print, instructions for corrections have been trimmed off (see no. 60). Occasionally the engravers’ annotations give the name of the artist, and/or the title (nos. 179, 189). On one or two proofs there is additional sketching in pencil (see nos. 10, 919). Most of the proofs are cut around the edges of the design, and a large proportion also have pieces cut out of them, following the lines of the design. This indicates their status as very early proofs, made before large white areas were cut away. The volume also includes examples of large format illustrations made by joining several blocks together (see e.g. no. 990).
Throughout this volume there are numerous illustrations made for ‘Punch’ magazine. These are signed by Ebenezer Landells, rather than by Dalziel, since they were made when George and Edward Dalziel were working for Landells’s firm.
Attributions of individual designs to specific artists are listed as producers below, with their relevant print numbers. Print numbers can be identified by the pencilled numbers on the album page.
Individual prints include the following illustrations, and many more that could be identified with further research:
No. 1: Illustration of island castaway (?) and arriving sailors, perhaps inspired by Alexander Selkirk or Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.
Nos. 124, 153, 160, 184, 185, 198-9, 201, 219-220, 226, 230-231, 233-234, 244, 249, 251, 253, 268, 278, 288, 298, 303, 310, 373, 376 : Dalziel Brothers & Ebenezer Landells after Phiz (Hablot K Browne) and George Cattermole (?), illustrations for Charles Dickens’ periodical ‘Master Humphrey’s Clock’ (1840-1) including an illustration of Gog and Magog (no. 124), and many contributions to ‘The Old Curiosity Shop’ and ‘Barnaby Rudge’, both of which novels were first published in that periodical. The illustrations included here represent a substantial number from this publication; others were done by other engravers. All of the signed illustrations in this group are after Phiz.
No. 292: A particularly striking portrait of an unidentified sitter: perhaps an African woman smoking a pipe (the pipe is partially trimmed).
No. 324: Dalziel and Ebenezer Landells, ‘Animal Magnetism: Sir Rhubarb Pill Mesmerising the British Lion’, ‘Punch’s Pencillings No. VI’. From this point in the album there are numerous ‘Punch’ cartoons and satires, including the full page series ‘Punch’s Pencillings’, illustrated title pages and many small illustrations.
No. 347: Sporting illustration of a swimming race (very damaged).
No. 481: Advertisement for Thomas Bannerman & Company.
No. 563: Dalziel Brothers & Ebenezer Landells after John Gilbert, illustrated title page to 'Punch' 3 (1842)
No. 569: Dalziel Brothers, illustrated title page to Edward West, 'Chronicles of the Careworn' (dated 1843, volume and issue not identified)
No. 571: Dalziel Brothers, apparently an illustrated title or half-title page to William Shakespeare, 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' (dated 1842, publication information not yet identified).
No. 577: George Dalziel, delineated by William Dickes after a painting by William Allan. Apparently 'Charles Mackay as Bailie Nicol Jarvie in Walter Scott's "Rob Roy"'. Illustration in Walter Scott, 'Rob Roy' (probably the Abbotsford edition published by Robert Cadell, but publication information not confirmed).
No. 598: Partial illustrated title-page to William Shakespeare’s ‘King Henry IV part I’ (unidentified edition).
No. 625: Sporting illustration representing a horse race.
Nos. 636, 638, 640, 642, 643, 646, 653, 662, 670, 693, 716(?), 718(?), 720(?): Illustrations after John Franklin for S C Hall’s ‘The Book of British Ballads’ (London: Henry G Bohn [1842]), including the Scottish ballads ‘Frennet Hall’, ‘Auld Robin Gray’, ‘Fair Helen’ and others.
No. 666: Pictorial initial ‘W’; image shows a bookbinder tooling the cover of a book. This clearly belongs with nos. 654, 656, 657 and 667, all illustrations about book binding and manufacture.
No. 773. Illustration after Richard Doyle for Charles Dickens, 'The Chimes' (London: Chapman and Hall, 1844).
No. 826: Title for a series of publications, 'Burns' Fireside Library', published by James Burns in London in 1845-6. Some of the surrounding illustrations are likely also to be for this project, certainly including no. 860.
Nos. 828, 833, 835, 837, 852, 859, 879, 886 etc.: Illustrations after Frederick Pickersgill, Kenny Meadows, Alfred Crowquill and others for George Hogarth, ‘How’s Book of British Song, illustrated by several distinguished artists’ (London: Jeremiah How, [1845]).
No. 860: Illustrated title page for 'The Caravan and other Tales from the German of Wilhelm Hauff', published by James Burns in London, c. 1845-6?
Nos. 920, 925, 1002, 1076: Illustrated title-page and pages for John Bunyan, 'The Pilgrim's Progress. Illuminated' (Glasgow: Mackenzie White & Co, [c. 1845]). Presumably these proofs are all from the same edition, but this has not been confirmed. The project may well have been for a complete works of Bunyan, since no. 1096 is his 'The Holy War. Illuminated', also published by Mackenzie White. Some of the surrounding illustrations are likely also to be for this project (see. e.g. 1103).
Nos. 964, 969-972, Illustrations after John Leech, Daniel Maclise and Richard Doyle for Charles Dickens, 'The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home' (London: Bradbury and Evans, 1845). These illustrations engraved by Dalziel; the book included others by other engravers, too.
No. 980: Illustrated title-page for 'The Fairy Ring: A Collection of Tales and Traditions Translated from the German by John Edward Taylor, and Illustrated by Richard Doyle' ([London: John Murray, 1846]). For information on this edition, with what is presumably its letterpress title, see David Blamires, 'The Early Reception of the Grimms' Kinder- und Hausmärchen in England', in Gillian Lathey (ed.), 'The Translation of Children's Literature: A Reader' (Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 2006), p. 172. Some of the surrounding illustrations may also to be for this project.
No. 1118: 'King Leir and His Three Daughters'.
No. 1134: Illustrated title-page for Hans Christian Andersen's 'Tales from Denmark', translated Charles Boner and illustrated by the Count Pocci (London: Joseph Cundall, [n.d.]).
No. 1168: Illustrated title-page after John Absolon for Camilla Toulmin [i.e. Camilla Crosland], 'Partners for Life: A Christmas Story' (London, 1847). Nos. 1170 and 1172 may also be related to this publication.
Nos. 1175-1177, 1182, 1185: Illustrations after John Leech and Richard Doyle for Charles Dickens, 'The Battle of Life' (London: Bradbury and Evans, 1846).
No. 1240: Illustrated title-page for 'The Schoolfellow: A Pleasant Companion for Spare Hours (London: Joseph Cundal, [c. 1847])
- Producer name
-
Print made by: Dalziel Brothers (All)
-
After: Andrew Nicholl (Nos. 189, 458, 462, 472 (no. 189 is lettered in pencil on the proof; the others are lettered on the block as usual).)
-
Print made by: Ebenezer Landells (Nos. 124, 412, 563. Print signed 'E Landells'. Made by the Dalziel Brothers as part of Landell's workshop, who often employed them in their early years.)
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After: Sir John Gilbert (No. 563, 734.)
-
Print made by: George Dalziel (No. 577, 847)
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Intermediary draughtsman: William Dickes (No. 577)
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After: Sir William Allan (No. 577)
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Published by: Robert Cadell (No. 577 ?)
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Published by: James Burns (No. 826)
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Published by: Mackenzie White & Co (Nos. 920, 925, 1002, 1076, 1096.)
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After: Richard Doyle (Nos. 773, 966, 970, 972, 980, 1125-6, 1174, 1182, 1185, 1192, 1375, 1400, 1410 (signed and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson or through bibliographic research).)
-
Published by: John Murray (No. 980)
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Print made by: Edward Dalziel (No. 1076)
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After: Count Franz von Pocci (Nos. 1018-9, 1022, 1028, 1035, 1134, 1137 (signed with name or monogram and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson).)
-
Published by: Joseph Cundall (No. 1134, 1137, 1240.)
-
After: John Absolon (Nos. 1080, 1168)
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After: T Barker (Nos. 1065, 1099, 1106. The first two are signed 'T Barker' (or J?). The third is signed 'TB' only, but all were identified as being by T Barker by Campbell Dodgson.)
-
After: Hablot Knight Browne (Phiz) (Nos. 124, 151,153, 160, 168, 185, 198-9, 201, 219-20, 230-1, 233-4, 244, 249, 251, 253, 268, 278, 288, 298, 302-3, 310, 356, 367, 373, 376, 427, 1095, 1100, 1300 (all signed 'Phiz' or 'HKB' and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson).)
-
After: Robert William Buss (No. 927)
-
After: Alexander Christie (Nos. 580, 587, 602 (signed with monogram, and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson).)
-
After: Edward Henry Corbould (Nos. 801, 816, 823, 841, 843, 847, 864, 866-7, 888.)
-
After: Alfred Crowquill (Nos. 560, 820, 837.)
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After: George Cruikshank (Nos. 809, 849, 873, 876, 905, 974, 1021 (some signed with monogram, and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
-
After: T Duncan (No. 547. Signed 'T Duncan del' in pencil on the proof.)
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After: Thomas Goldsworth Dutton (No. 589)
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After: Alfred Elmore (Nos. 1293B, 1330, 1351, 1357, 1361 (signed with name or monogram, and attributed by Campbell Dodgson. 1361 attributed by an unknown hand).)
-
After: Frederick William Fairholt (Nos. 487, 536.)
-
After: John Franklin (Nos. 634, 653, 662, 670, 693, 716-7, 719, 724-5, 728-9, 731, 767, 810, 830, 832, 870, 961-2, 1066-8, 1079, 1202, 1210 (signed and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson or through publication research))
-
After: Alexander Fussell (Nos. 352, 359, 363, 366.)
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After: Frederick Goodall (Nos. 1276, 1314, 1367 (signed with monogram and attributed by Campbell Dodgson).)
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After: F Goupil (No. 745)
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After: William Harvey (Nos. 33, 71, 97, 1280 (attributed by Campbell Dodgson))
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After: Henry George Hine (Nos. 457, 665, 1393.)
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After: John Callcott Horsley (No. 1159. Signed with monogram and attributed by Campbell Dodgson).)
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After: Frederick William Hulme (No. 1379)
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After: John Leech (Nos. 271, 275, 504, 787, 914M, 926, 929, 964, 969, 973, 979, 1109, 1175-7 (signed and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson or through bibliographic research).)
-
After: Fanny McIan (No. 817 (attributed to F. McIan by Campbell Dodgson).)
-
After: Robert Ronald McIan (Nos. 813, 982, 987, 994, 996, 999, 1011-14, 1019A, 1031-4, 1037, 1040, 1043, 1046, 1069, 1114 (signed and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson).)
-
After: Kenny Meadows (Nos. 520, 524, 558, 619, 852(?), 879, 886, 1197, 1201, 1263-4, 1320, 1336, 1343, 1369, 1382, 1395, 1404, 1413 (signed with monogram and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson or through publication research).)
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After: Frederick Richard Pickersgill (Nos. 833, 835, 1289-90, 1292, 1296, 1299, 1306, 1333, 1356, 1360.)
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After: George Frederick Sargent (Nos. 60, 66 (attributed by Campbell Dodgson).)
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After: William Bell Scott (Nos. 94, 807, 838, 860, 861, 872, 1061 (signed with monogram and/or attributed by Campbell Dodgson and, in the case of 860, by an unknown hand).)
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After: Henry Warren (Nos. 894, 896, 1016, 1122, 1151, 1166, 1282, 1371.)
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After: Edward Henry Wehnert (No. 1278)
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After: Charles Harvey Weigall (Nos. 993, 1050, 1186, 1260.)
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After: Harrison William Weir (Nos. 878, 914J, 1305, 1374 (signed with name or monogram and attributed by Campbell Dodgson).)
-
After: Daniel Maclise (Nos. 970, 972)
- Production date
- 1839-1847
- Dimensions
-
Height: 460 millimetres (size of bound album)
-
Thickness: 37 millimetres (size of bound album)
-
Width: 302 millimetres (size of bound album)
- Curator's comments
- Dalziel Archive. Catalogued for the Dalziel Project by Bethan Stevens (University of Sussex) in partnership with the British Museum and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC); digital photography by Sylph Editions, London (www.sylpheditions.com).
At the front of the volume is a handwritten list of artists linked to several of the prints. The handwriting has been identified as Campbell Dodgson's, after comparison with the bound volume 'Specimens of Handwriting', held in the British Museum Print Room. Where no comments are given after the names of producers, evidence is clear and has been verified (e.g. signed print, publication details, etc.). With many thanks to Robert Patten for his help with the Charles Dickens illustrations in this album. An overview of the album has been offered here, but it would be possible to identify more publications and artists on inspection and with further research.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated names
-
Illustration to: Edward West (No. 569)
-
Illustration to: William Shakespeare (Nos. 571, 1118 (spelled 'King Leir' rather than 'King Lear', so may not be Shakespeare's text))
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Illustration to: Sir Walter Scott (No. 577)
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Illustration to: Wilhelm Hauff (No. 860)
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Illustration to: John Bunyan (Nos. 920, 925, 1002, 1096.)
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Illustration to: Jacob Grimm (No. 980)
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Illustration to: John Edward Taylor (No. 980)
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Illustration to: Hans Christian Andersen (No. 1134, 1137.)
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Illustration to: Charles Dickens (Nos. 124, 153, 160, 184, 185, 198-9, 201, 219-220, 226, 230-231, 233-234, 244, 249, 251, 253, 268, 278, 288, 298, 303, 310, 373, 376)
- Acquisition date
- 1913
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1913,0415.163
