- Museum number
- 1913,0415.184
- 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. 1867. This Book was made up at the time the engravings shown in it were done.' Half-bound in brown leather and gilt; lettering on spine reads 'Wood-Engravings by the Brothers Dalziel. XXIII. Various Works. 1867'. The album includes approximately 1155 wood-engraved proofs. Following the title-page there is a contents page written by the Dalziels (with a recent transcription in the hand of Robin de Beaumont). The contents page is useful though by no means comprehensive; it mostly refers to publishers, as well as writers and periodical and book titles.
The album contains numerous book and periodical illustrations of all sorts, including many aimed at children. There are many literary, religious and historical images. There is natural history, travel and exploration, and orientalist work. There are illustrations of sports and games, and comic images. There are maps, titles, pictorial initials, and decorative work, as well as logos and other commercial designs. A large number of wood engravings for periodicals are included, for titles such as: 'London Society', 'The Cornhill Magazine', 'The Broadway Annual', 'The Broadway Magazine', 'The Argosy', 'The Sunday Magazine' and 'Good Words'.
Individual prints include the following:
No. 25: illustration after Bab (perhaps an illustrated half-title?) to 'Robinson Crusoe', edition unidentified.
Nos. 121-123: illustrations after John Leighton and Ford Madox Brown for the 1868 edition of Catherine Winkworth (trans.), 'Lyra Germanica: The Christian Life' (London: Longmans, 1868), pp. 45, 68 & 167. For a copy of the published book see 1992,0406.403. For illustrations from the 1861 edition, see reg. no. 1913,0415.174.
Nos. 124-126: three unidentified illustrations of a bearded adventurer: clashing with an animal, crossing a fierce river, and arriving home. The page is inscribed 'G Routledge & Sons' in Dalziel's hand. From comparison of the content with other Dalziel volumes, the images are likely to be from 'Routledge's Boys' Magazine'. The designer signed all three 'MR', suggesting that these are by Matthew Ridley, who is known to have contributed to this periodical in 1867.
Nos. 135-142: illustrations after Arthur Boyd Houghton for Elizabeth Eiloart, 'The Boys of Beechwood' (London: George Routledge and Sons, 1868). While only 7 of the 8 illustrations are signed by Houghton, and the book's title-page does not specify the illustrator, it is clear that all the illustrations are after his designs, both for continuity within the publication, and on stylistic grounds.
Nos. 150-157: illustrations after J. B. Zwecker for Anne Bowman, 'The Young Nile Voyagers' (London: George Routledge and Sons, 1868).
Nos. 184-206: illustrations after various artists for Andrew Halliday (ed.), 'The Savage Club Papers' (London: Tinsley Brothers, 1868).
Nos. 207-210: illustrated wrapper and illustrations after various artists, including Walter Crane, for the periodical 'The Argosy', vol. 5, 1867-1868, edited by Ellen Wood ('Mrs Henry Wood') and published by Charles Wood. The wrapper is proofed in blue ink. There are also some odd illustrations later in the album for vols. 3 & 4 of 'The Argosy' (e.g. nos. 396, 404, 447 and others).
No. 258: frontispiece after Arthur B. Houghton for Charles Dickens, 'Our Mutual Friend' (London: Chapman and Hall, 1868). The cheap edition. For illustrations after Marcus Stone for the first edition, see reg nos. 1913,0415.180 and 1913,0415.181.
No. 524: decorative wrapper for 'The Sunday Magazine', edited by Thomas Guthrie. It is printed on pale, grey-green paper and colour proofed on the same sheet from two blocks, in black and red. Space has been left for the contents to be added in letterpress. An unidentified monogram is incorporated into the design, 'IL'.
Nos. 597-668: illustrations after various artists for R. Valentine (ed.), 'The Home Book of Pleasure and Instruction' (London: Frederick Warne, 1867). The book includes 250 illustrations engraved by the Brothers Dalziel on a huge range of subjects, from games, to wood engraving, doll-making, domestic scenes, heraldry, natural history, etc. Here may be found 72 illustrations for the book; the remaining images may be found elsewhere in the Dalziel albums, including in reg. no. 1913,0415.182.
Nos. 727-733: book covers and two spines for various publications by Frederick Warne, all undated but published in by Warne in 1867 or 1868; titles include M C Cooke's 'A Fern Book for Everybody', Albert Smith's 'Paris and London', and an edition of Harriet Beecher Stowe's 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'.
Nos. 944-955: illustrations after various artists for Walter Scott, 'Poetical Works' (London: Frederick Warne, 1868). The Chandos Poets Series. For a copy of the published book, see reg. no. 1996,1104.44.
Nos. 1008-1083: illustrations to writing by Hans Christian Andersen. Specific publication not yet identified.
- Producer name
-
Block cut by: Dalziel Brothers (All)
-
After: William S Brunton (Nos. 10(m), 56, 66(m), 73, 89(m), 92(m), 101, 192(m), 198(m), 201(m), 910-911(m) (unsigned prints have clear stylistic similarities and are attributed by Arthur Aspitall; monogram on no. 66 is barely legible))
-
After: Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (Nos. 25(s), 74-79(s), 82-87(s), 95-96, 97(s), 98-100, 103-104, 105-106(s), 107-110, 147-147(s) (signatures read 'Bab'; unsigned prints have clear stylistic similarities and are attributed by Arthur Aspitall))
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After: Hablot Knight Browne (Phiz) (Nos. 29(s), 30(m), 65(s) (signed 'Phiz' or with monogram 'PZ'))
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After: Alfred Walter Bayes (Nos. 31(m), 487(m), 806(m), 819(m))
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After: E Smith (Nos. 32(m) (attributed to E Smith, since it is a natural history illustration and Smith designed other similar images for the Dalziels in 1863; however, the monogram is different in style))
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After: Sir John Tenniel (No. 33(m))
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After: Andrew Reid (Nos. 34, 35-37(m) (whole page attributed to Reid by the Dalziels))
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After: Nathaniel Everett Green (Nos. 38(m), 39(s))
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After: Thomas W Wood (Nos. 41(s), 638(m), 642a-661(m))
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After: Georgina Bowers (Nos. 42-43(m), 52(m))
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After: Marshall C Claxton (No. 47(m) (monogram identified by comparison with 'Copies of Monograms' list held in British Museum))
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After: Fane Wood (Nos. 48, 49, 51 (all attributed by Arthur Aspitall, but these include some contradicatory or inconclusive signatures/monograms))
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After: Paul Gray (Nos. 50(m))
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After: John Gordon Thomson (Nos. 53-55(m), 58-59(m), 71(m), 143-146(m), 158(m), 195(m), 347-353(m), 476-477(m), 518-519(m), 551-552(m), 587-588(m))
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After: Alfred W Cooper (Nos. 57, 601(m), 603(m), 606(m), 726(m) (unsigned print attributed by Arthur Aspitall))
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After: Florence Anne Claxton (Nos. 60-61(m))
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After: Adelaide Claxton (No. 62(m))
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After: Sartor (No. 63(s))
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After: Arthur Boyd Houghton (Nos. 64(s), 68(s), 115(s), 135-136(m), 137(s), 138, 139-140(s), 141-142(m), 160, 255(s), 399-400(s), 409(s), 415(s), 418(s), 420(s), 427(s), 435(m), 448(s), 458(s), 466-467(s), 478-479(s), 505-507(m), 516-517(s), 550(s), 564(s), 573(s), 575(m), 577, 580(s), 581(m), 582(s), 832(m), 833(s), 951(m), 969(s), 971(s) (unsigned prints attributed by Arthur Aspitall, and see object description))
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After: George John Pinwell (Nos. 69(m), 80(m), 398(m), 402(m), 414, 419(m), 423-424(m), 436(m), 438(m), 444(m), 455(m), 468(m), 473(m), 522(m), 556-557(m), 578-579(m), 970(m), 974-975(m) (unsigned print attributed by Arthur Aspitall))
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After: Ernest Griset (Nos. 90-91(m), 127(s), 128-134(m))
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After: John Dawson Watson (Nos. 94(m), 102(m), 411(m))
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After: Sir Frederick William Burton (No. 111(m))
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After: John Lawson (No. 116(s))
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After: John Leighton (Nos. 121(m), 123(m), 571(m), 956(s), 957-960(m))
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After: Ford Madox Brown (No. 122(s))
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After: Matthew White Ridley (Nos. 124-126(m) (attributed here; see object description))
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Published by: Routledge (Nos. 124-126, 135-142, 150-157)
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Published by: Longman (Nos. 1294-1326)
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After: Johann Baptist Zwecker (Nos. 150-157(m), 170-172(m), 173(m?), 174-175(m), 261-267(m), 293-295(m), 303-308(m), 474(m), 572(m), 574(m), 576(m), 985(m) (one possibly unsigned print attributed by Arthur Aspitall and on grounds of style and continuity))
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After: E Draper (No. 185(m) (attributed by Arthur Aspitall))
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After: John Palmer (Nos. 187(m), 197 (unsigned print attributed by Arthur Aspitall))
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After: Edward Charles Barnes (Nos. 188(m), 193-194(m))
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After: Gustave Doré (No. 189(s))
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After: John O'Connor (No. 190 (attributed by Arthur Aspitall))
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After: C Morgan (No. 191(m))
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After: Alfred Slader (No. 196 (attributed by Arthur Aspitall))
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After: George Stanfield Walters (No. 199(m))
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After: Harrison William Weir (No. 200(s))
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After: Isaac Brown (No. 202(s))
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After: D T White (No. 203(m))
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After: George Cruikshank (No. 204(m))
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After: Frederick Barnard (No. 205(m))
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After: Edward Hull (No. 206(s))
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After: Walter Crane (Nos. 207, 210(m) (unsigned print attributed by Paul Goldman))
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Published by: Chapman & Hall (No. 1337 (ff?))
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After: William Small (Nos. 309-312(m), 401(s), 403(s), 408(m), 412(m), 417(m), 421(m?), 428(m), 433(m), 443(m), 447(m), 463(m), 465(m), 472(m), 501(m), 553(m), 561-563(m), 961(s), 965(m) (one possibly unsigned print, attributed by Arthur Aspitall))
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After: Thomas Dewell Scott (Nos. 406(m), 413(m), 454(m), 484(m), 596(m))
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After: Francis Wilfred Lawson (Nos. 44-46(m), 67(m), 70(m), 72(m), 81(m), 93(m), 410(m), 426(m), 437, 445, 457, 608(m) (unsigned prints attributed by Arthur Aspitall))
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After: Joseph Wolf (Nos. 422(m), 589(m))
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After: IL (No. 524)
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After: John William North (Nos. 425(m), 434(m))
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After: Lionel Charles Henley (Nos. 449(s), 459(s), 835-836(s))
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After: J Mahoney (Nos. 480(m), 503(m), 504, 512(m), 514-515(m), 540-541(m), 592-595(m), 944(m), 947(m), 949(m), 962-963(m) (unsigned print attributed by Arthur Aspitall))
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After: Richard Principal Leitch (No. 520(s))
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After: John Pettie (Nos. 526(s), 528 (unsigned print attributed by Robin de Beaumont))
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After: William Simpson (Nos. 535-539 (attributed by Arthur Aspitall))
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After: Thomas Bolton Gilchrist Septimus Dalziel (Nos. 554, 972-973 (all attributed by Arthur Aspitall))
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After: James Abbott Pasquier (Nos. 555(m), 849-853(m), 948(m), 952(m), 954(m))
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After: Thomas Alexander Ferguson Graham (No. 565(s), 967(s), 968 (unsigned print attributed by Arthur Aspitall))
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Published by: F Warne & Co (Nos. 329-763, 768-770, 777-780, 787-792, 799-1229)
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After: W Jones (Nos. 604-605(m), 770(m), 804-805(m), 808(m), 810-811(m), 814-815(m), 838(m), 840-841(m), 937-939(m), 942-943(m))
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After: W J B (Nos. 816-817(m))
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After: BR (Nos. 978-981(m))
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After: W (Nos. 988-991(m))
- Production date
- 1867
- Dimensions
-
Height: 461 millimetres (size of bound album)
-
Thickness: 53 millimetres (size of bound album)
-
Width: 301 millimetres (size of bound album)
- Curator's comments
- Catalogued 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).
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.
In many cases, designers have been listed for the wood engravings. Sometimes this has been done on the basis of annotations to the albums, which have been sporadically annotated by various hands, both by people from the Dalziel office and also later within the British Museum (in the case of this album, particularly by Arthur Aspitall, Paul Goldman and Robin de Beaumont). When handwritten annotations have contributed to an attribution, this has been indicated after the producer's name. Such attributions were usually informed either by direct knowledge, in the case of the Dalziels, or from primary research into Victorian publications, in the case of the later annotators. Where no attribution comments are given, evidence is clear and has been verified (e.g. through publication details, etc.). Further, some indication has also been given throughout when a designer's work is signed with signature or monogram. After the producer's name and the print number or range, the letter 's' in parentheses indicates a signature, the letter 'm' a monogram, and neither letter indicates a print that is unsigned by the draughtsman or draughtswoman. In addition, most of the proofs have the Dalziels' signature, although some don't, particularly the diagrams, decoration, lettering and simpler commercial images. The presence/absence of the Dalziel signature has not been catalogued, since it is known that all these prints are by them.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1913
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1913,0415.184
