- Museum number
- 1913,0415.189
- 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. 1871. 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. XXVIII. Various Works. 1871'. The album includes approximately 1392 wood-engraved proofs, with many touched proofs. Following the title-page there is a contents page written by the Dalziels; this is useful, though by no means comprehensive, and not necessarily a reliable finding aid. It mostly refers to publishers, but occasionally to titles.
The album contains numerous book and periodical illustrations of all sorts, including many commercial images, and diagrams of all sorts including for engineering. There are numerous narrative and literary illustrations, for fiction and poetry. There are natural history illustrations, comic images, religious and historical images (many of them for children), and imperialist images. There are decorative wood engravings and titles, maps, portraits, and wood engravings relating to music. A large number of varied illustrations for children are present, including picture books and alphabets. Wood engravings for periodicals are included, for 'London Society', 'The Illustrated London News' and ‘Tom Hood’s Comic Annual’.
Individual prints include the following:
No. 21: a colour-printed image of two parrots, after Harrison Weir.
No. 28 ff: The section starting at no. 28 is headed ‘Illustrated London News’ in Dalziel’s hand, and clearly includes some illustrations for that publication, including large-scale, full-page images (e.g. no. 29, published in the ‘Illustrated London News’ on Saturday 24th June 1871). Following this, the section starting at no. 34 is headed ‘Offard’ and has an illustration after J J Offord. However, no. 35 seems to revert back to work for the ‘Illustrated London News’; or perhaps Offord’s contribution was also for that publication, to which he sometimes contributed?
Nos. 76-97: group headed ‘Rowney & Co’ in Dalziel’s hand. These include various illustrations, mostly topography and landscapes, and clearly intended as instruction for artists. They were presumably all for a publication (or publications) produced by Rowney.
No. 117 ff: group inscribed ‘Professor Pepper’s Book’ and ‘Implements of War’ in Dalziel’s hand, with images of cannon, guns and explosions.
Nos. 149 ff: group inscribed ‘Suez Canal’ in Dalziel’s hand.
Nos. 169-74: group inscribed ‘The Prairie Bird 6 Cuts’ in Dalziel’s hand. Images of imperialist adventure.
No. 190 ff: group inscribed ‘A & C Black’ in Dalziel’s hand, and including illustrations for various novels by Walter Scott.
Nos. 218-222: covers and spines for three titles published by Frederick Warne: ‘Wheat: Its History, Characteristics, Chemical Composition and Nutritive Properties’; ‘Rural Architecture: A Series of Designs for Rural and Other Dwellings’; and J. T. Burgess, ‘English Wild Flowers’.
Nos 268-175: group inscribed ‘The Lamplighter’ in Dalziel’s hand; presumably for an edition of the novel of that title by Maria Susanna Cummins.
No. 397: landscape illustration of factory buildings with signs reading ‘Autotype’.
No. 398: illustration of Winsor & Newton factory.
Nos. 570-613: illustrations after various artists for ‘Christmas Carols New and Old’ (London: Routledge & Novello, [1871]).
Nos. 623-678: illustrations after John Tenniel for Lewis Carroll [Campbell Dodgson], ‘Through the Looking glass, and what Alice Found There’ (London: Macmillan, [1871] 1872). These proofs offer evidence of numerous substantial alterations, and the series is inscribed ‘Behind the Looking Glass’ in Dalziel’s hand.
Nos. 715-719: five illustrations after J B Zwecker for an edition of A.L.O.E, ‘Rambes of a Rat’.
No. 985: illustrated cover or wrapper for Chapman & Hall’s series, ‘The Works of Charles Dickens’, Household Edition.
No. 986-1012: illustrations after J. Mahoney for Charles Dickens, ‘The Adventures of Oliver Twist’, Household Edition (London: Chapman & Hall, 1871). First issued in parts.
Nos. 1013-1060: illustrations after Frederick Barnard for Charles Dickens, ‘The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit’, Household Edition (London: Chapman & Hall, 1872). First issued in parts. The remainder of the series is in another of the Dalziel albums; see 1913,0415.191.
Nos. 1160-1281: illustrations after Arthur Hughes for Christina Rossetti, ‘Sing-Song’ (London: George Routledge & Sons, 1872).
- Producer name
-
Print made by: Dalziel Brothers (All)
-
Published by: Alexander Strahan (Nos. 417 ff)
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Published by: Novello, Ewer & Co (Nos. 36-43, 570-613)
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Published by: George Rowney & Co (Nos. 76-97)
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Published by: Routledge (Nos. 98 ff., 570-613, 1160-1281)
-
Published by: A & C Black (No. 190 ff)
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Published by: F Warne & Co (No. 208 ff)
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Published by: Smith, Elder & Co (Nos. 399-411)
-
Published by: James Blackwood (Nos. 412-416)
-
Published by: John Camden Hotten (Nos. 614-617)
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Published by: Macmillan & Co (Nos. 618-678)
-
Published by: T Nelson & Sons (No. 679 ff.)
-
Published by: Chapman & Hall (Nos. 943-1060)
-
Published by: Dalziel Brothers (No. 1061 ff.)
-
After: Frederick Barnard (Nos. 1013-1015(m), 1016-1017(s), 1018, 1019-1021(m), 1022-1024(s), 1025(m), 1026, 1027(m), 1028-1029(s), 1030-1039(m), 1040, 1041-1055(m), 1056-1057, 1058-1060(m))
-
After: Alfred Walter Bayes (Nos. 1119-1120(m), 1121?-1125?, 1126-1128(m), 1129? 1130(m), 1131?-1134?, 1135, 1136(m), 1137?-1141?, 1142(m), 1143?-1145?, 1146(m), 1147?-1159? (queried prints attributed on grounds of style and continuity))
-
After: Charles Henry Bennett (Nos. 50(m), 52(m), 54(m))
-
After: Georgina Bowers (Nos. 264-267(m))
-
After: William S Brunton (Nos. 346(m), 372(m), 386(m), 388(m))
-
After: William Rice Buckman (Nos. 47-48(m), 67(s), 412(m))
-
After: Edward Gurden Dalziel (Nos. 598(m), 600(m), 606(m), 1065(m), 1067-1069(m), 1107-1108(m))
-
After: George Dalziel (Nos. 1066(m), 1072(m))
-
After: Thomas Bolton Gilchrist Septimus Dalziel (Nos. 571, 573, 575, 591, 595, 597, 607, 611)
-
After: Francis Arthur Fraser (Nos. 68(m), 116(m), 198-199(m), 349(m), 574(m), 575, 580(m), 587, 593(m))
-
After: Henry French (Nos. 268-275(m), 278(m), 280(m), 290(m), 337-342(m))
-
After: Townley Green (Nos. 65(m))
-
After: Ernest Griset (Nos. 356(s), 357(m), 358(s), 359(m), 371(s), 373(s), 614-617(s))
-
After: Thomas Hood (No. 392(m))
-
After: Arthur Boyd Houghton (Nos. 206(m))
-
After: Arthur Hughes (Nos. 570(m), 579(m), 590(m), 1160-1173(m), 1174, 1175-1185(m), 1186, 1187-1196(m), 1197, 1198-1199(m), 1200, 1201-1206(m), 1207, 1208-1220(m), 1221, 1222-1226(m), 1227-1228, 1229-1231(m), 1232, 1233(m), 1234, 1235-1257(m), 1258, 1259-1260(m), 1261, 1262(m), 1263-1265, 1266-1273(m), 1274-1275, 1276-1281(m))
-
After: Philip Hundley (Nos. 583, 605)
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After: W Jones (Nos. 183(m), 185-189(m))
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After: John Leighton (Nos. 584(s))
-
After: J Mahoney (Nos. 207(m), 609-610(m), 986-994(m), 995, 996-998(m), 999, 1000-1008(m), 1009-1010, 1011(m), 1011a,-1012)
-
After: John Trivett Nettleship (Nos. 399-411 (attributed on stylistic grounds))
-
After: John William North (No. 1064?(m))
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After: John James Offord (Nos. 34(s))
-
After: George John Pinwell (Nos. 35(m))
-
After: Edward John Poynter (No. 343(m))
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After: Hugh Rowley (Nos. 1379(s), 1380, 1381-1382(m), 1383, 1384-1387(m), 1388, 1389-1392(m) (unsigned prints attributed on grounds of style and continuity))
-
After: Edward Linley Sambourne (Nos. 44(s))
-
After: H Sanderson (Nos. 366(m), 369(m))
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After: John Moyr Smith (No. 345?, 361-363?, 370(s) (unsigned prints attributed by Robin de Beaumont))
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After: Thomas Sulman (Nos. 45(s))
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After: Sir John Tenniel (Nos. 623-631(m), 632-633, 634(m), 635, 636-637(m), 638, 639-645(m), 646, 647(m), 648-649, 650-654(m), 655, 656-662(m), 663-664, 665-669(m), 670, 671(m), 672-676, 677-678(m) (note that some of the prints lack a monogram simply because this area of the block was obscured when printing that impression))
-
After: John Gordon Thomson (Nos. 46(m), 348(m), 350(m))
-
After: Harry Tuck (49(m), 57(m), 59-62(m), 63?(m?), 64(m), 69(m), 74(m), 360(m), 374(m), 377(m), 389-390(m), 391(m), 985(m))
-
After: Francis S Walker (Nos. 28-29(m), 578, 589, 592(m), 604(m))
-
After: John Dawson Watson (Nos. 110-115(m))
-
After: W J Wiegand (Nos. 71-72(m), 75(s), 382(m), 384(m), 572(m), 577(m), 581-582(m), 585-586(m), 588(m), 596(m), 599(m), 601(m), 602, 603(m), 608, 612(m))
-
After: Harrison William Weir (Nos. 21(s),)
-
After: Johann Baptist Zwecker (Nos. 169-177(m), 594(m), 715(m), 716, 717-719 (no. 716 attributed on grounds of style and continuity))
- Production date
- 1871
- Dimensions
-
Height: 437 millimetres (size of bound album)
-
Thickness: 48 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).
This is one in a series of 49 albums in the British Museum with proof impressions of wood-engravings by the Brothers Dalziel.
An overview of the album has been offered here, but it would be possible to identify more writers, publications and artists on inspection and with further research.
In many cases, designers have been listed for the wood-engravings. 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 do not. The presence/absence of the Dalziel signature has not been catalogued, since it is known that all these prints are by them.
The album includes some hand-written annotation, including brief notes written at the Dalziel office, and some designers and publication details added more recently by Robin de Beaumont.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
2021 22 May-31 Dec, London,V&A, Alice, Curioser and Curioser
2022 17 May - 4 Sept BM, 90A Woodpecking Factory: Dalziel
- Acquisition date
- 1913
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1913,0415.189
