- Museum number
- 1913,0415.198
- 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: 1878. 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. XXXVII. Various Works. 1878'. The album includes approximately 727 wood-engraved proofs, with many touched proofs. Following the title-page there is a contents page written by the Dalziels; this provides an extremely useful reference for publishers and titles in the albums, although it is not necessarily a reliable finding aid. There are minimal notes in Dalziel's hand that give information such as delivery dates, the creation of electrotypes, and other notes about engraving.
The volume includes book and periodical illustrations of all sort, as well as many commercial designs, and decoration and lettering. There are numerous images for fiction and poetry, and many children's illustrations. There are nursery rhymes, topography, maps, natural history, travel, exploration and astronomy. There are covers and illustrations for several ‘railway tourist guides’. Periodicals represented in the album include 'Peep-Show', 'Day of Rest', 'Good Words', 'Judy' and 'Hood's Annual'.
Individual prints include:
Nos. 1-34: Miscellaneous illustrations including many commercial images, such as advertisements for indigestion remedies, coffee, parcels office, stationers and Cope Brothers’ tobacco.
Nos. 8-13: three wood engravings each of a single eye, printed first in monochrome, and then in black with a red border. Presumably for a commercial publication in a Spanish speaking country, since the colour-printed versions are inscribed ‘Marca Registrada’.
No. 23: illustration of a balloon, trade marked logo for ‘Fun’ magazine, tipped in.
Nos. 35-42: illustrations for St Pancras Ironwork Company. The first of these is colour-printed.
Nos. 83-88: illustrations after Ernest Griset for E. H. Knatchbull-Hugessen, ‘Uncle Joe’s Stories’ (London: Routledge, 1879).
Nos. 96-110: illustrations after John McL Ralston for Charles Dickens, ‘A Child’s History of England’, The Household Edition (London: Chapman & Hall, [1878]). First issued in parts. These are all of the fifteen illustrations Ralston designed for the novel.
Nos. 111-128: illustrations after Arthur B Frost and J Gordon Thomson for Charles Dickens, ‘American Notes and Pictures from Italy’ (London: Chapman & Hall, [1878]). First issued in parts. These are all of the ten illustrations Frost designed for ‘American Notes’, and all of the eight illustrations Thomson designed for ‘Pictures from Italy’.
Nos. 129-146: illustrations after Edward G Dalziel and Frederick Barnard for Charles Dickens, ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Reprinted Pieces and Other Stories’ (London: Chapmand & Hall, [1879]). These are all of the nine illustrations Dalziel designed for this collection of stories, and all of the eight illustrations Barnard contributed. S Luke Fildes also made designs for this publication, not present here.
Nos. 147-150: four frontispieces after Francis A Fraser for Anthony Trollope, ‘The Chronicles of Barsetshire’, 8 vols (London: Chapman & Hall, 1878-1879). These frontispieces are for the first four titles in this set.
No. 161: facsimile of the engraved 1653 title-page of [Izaak Walton], ‘The Compleat Angler: or the Contemplative Man’s Recreation’ (London: Rich. Marriot, 1653). This edition published by Frederick Warne in 1878. Nos. 155-156 and 159 are illustrations of fishing equipment, almost certainly for the same volume.
Nos. 163-168, 173-174: pictorial covers, mostly after Harry Tuck, for eight titles in the ‘Notable Novels’ series published by Frederick Warne: Frederick Marryat, ‘The Pirate and The Three Cutters’, ‘Japhet in Search of a Father’ and ‘The Pacha of Many Tales’; C. P. R. James, ‘John Marston Hall’ and ‘Henry Masterton’; William Godwin, ‘Caleb Williams’; [Thomas Dick Lauder], ‘The Wolfe of Badenoch’; and Oliver Goldsmith, ‘The Vicar of Wakefield’. The final title is printed on yellow paper; the others are all proofed on white.
No. 175: advertisement for ‘The Holborn Restaurant / The Grand Salon / 218, High Holborn’.
No. 260: pictorial cover after Harry Tuck for W J Chadwick, ‘The Magic Lantern Manual’ (London: Frederick Warne, [1878-1879]). Printed on creamish yellow paper.
No. 300: decorative header(?) for the ‘Sheffield Board Schools’.
Nos. 319-324: illustrations after John McL Ralston for the first two installments of Dinah Mulock Craik’s novel ‘Young Mrs Jardine’, serialised in the periodical ‘Good Words’ January – December 1879. The first illustration was used as the frontispiece for that volume of ‘Good Words’
Nos. 325-357: illustrations for Albert Hastings Markham, ‘The Great Frozen Sea: A Personal Narrative of the Voyage of the “Alert” during the Arctic Expedition of 1875-1876’ (London: Daldy, Isbister & Co, 1878). An earlier painted version of no. 327, after Richard Brydges Beechey and entitled ‘Captain Markham's most northerly encampment’ is in the collection of the National Maritime Museum, London.
Nos. 358-381: wood engravings after Val C Prinsep for his book, ‘Imperial India: An Artist’s Journals: Illustrated by Numerous Sketches Taken at the Courts of the Principal Chiefs in India’ (London: Chapman & Hall, [1879]). Printed by Dalziel at the Camden Press.
Nos. 382-429: large-scale wood engravings after various artists for John Bunyan, ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ (London: Alexander Strahan, 1880). This was a big project that took several years to complete. Dalziel notes that the price of the publication was five guineas (‘A Record’, 1901). See also reg. no. 1913,0415.197.
No. 490: decorated covers or title-pages for ‘Day of Rest’ and ‘Peep-Show’, magazines published by Alexander Strahan.
Nos. 592-654: numerous comic illustrations for ‘Judy’, a magazine published by Dalziel. Includes artistic parodies, e.g. one of James McNeil Whistler’s paintings (see no. 649). In 1878 Whistler was made famous by his lawsuit against the critic John Ruskin.
Nos. 655-727: numerous comic illustrations for the magazine ‘Hood’s Annual’, which was published by Dalziel.
- Producer name
-
Print made by: Dalziel Brothers (All)
-
Published by: Alexander Strahan (Nos. 382-429, 490 and others)
-
Published by: Chapman & Hall (Nos. 96-150, 358-381 and others)
-
Published by: F Warne & Co (Nos. 161ff)
-
Published by: Routledge (Nos. 83-88 and others)
-
After: Frederick Barnard (Nos. 33, 138, 139-140(m), 141(s), 142-146(m), 383(s), 388?, 394(s), 395-397(m), 398(s), 400(m), 402(m), 404(s), 405(m), 408(m), 409(s), 416(m), 419(s), 420(m), 422(m), 424(m), 426(m), 428(s), 488-489(m), 579-585(m), 586?, 587(s), 659(s), 660(m) (queried print attributed on stylistic and contextual grounds))
-
After: Richard Brydges Beechey (No. 327(m))
-
After: Edward Frederick Brewtnall (Nos. 384(s), 386(m), 407(m), 410(m), 413(s), 418(s), 421(s), 425(s), 429(m))
-
After: Hablot Knight Browne (Phiz) (No. 597(s) (signed 'Phiz'))
-
After: Archibald Chasemore (Nos. 593(m), 617-618(m), 620(m), 623-624(m), 626(m), 639(m), 641-644(m), 647(m), 653(m))
-
After: Adelaide Claxton (Nos. 4(s), 261-264(s), 596(s), 609(s))
-
After: Edward Gurden Dalziel (Nos. 129-137(m), 301-302(m), 387(m), 391-392(m), 401(m), 403(m), 406(m), 698-700, 701(m) (unsigned printed attributed on grounds of style and continuity))
-
After: Alfred Thomas Elwes (Nos. 65-67(s))
-
After: Francis Arthur Fraser (Nos. 63-64(m), 76-79(m), 81(m), 237-238(m), 244-249(m), 250?-251?, 252(m), 255(m), 256?, 257(m), 258?, 266-268(m), 294(m), 721(m) (queried prints attributed by Robin de Beaumont and on grounds of style and continuity))
-
After: Henry French (Nos. 270-271(m), 272(s), 273(m), 274(s), 279(m), 280(s), 281(m), 285(m), 286(s), 287-288(m), 309(m), 313(s), 314-316(m), 433-436(m), 442-443(m), 465-468(m))
-
After: Arthur Burdett Frost (Nos. 111-112(s), 113, 114-116(s), 117(m), 118-119(s), 120)
-
After: Townley Green (Nos. 385(m), 393(m), 399(m), 431-432(m), 437-439(m), 444-446(m), 469(m), 470, 471(m) (unsigned prints attributed on grounds of style and continuity))
-
After: Ernest Griset (Nos. 68(s), 69(m), 70(s), 71(monogram obscured), 83-90(s), 91, 532-537(m), 696-697(m), 720(m))
-
After: Henry Holland (Nos. 599(s), 606-607(s))
-
After: Arthur Hughes (Nos. 430(m))
-
After: Colin Hunter (No. 275(s))
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After: C E Johnson (No. 295(s))
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After: George Goodwin Kilburne (Nos. 303(m), 305-308(m), 310(m), 312(m), 317-318(m))
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After: James Dromgole Linton (Nos. 412(m), 415(m), 423(m), 427(m))
-
After: William Quiller Orchardson (No. 276(m))
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After: J H Powell (No. 297? (signed, initial letter unclear))
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After: P R Rowse (Nos. 600(s), 610(s))
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After: John Mc L Ralston (Nos. 96-108(m), 109-110, 319-324(m), 389-390(m), 411(m), 504-505(m))
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After: Warwick Reynolds (No. 598(s))
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After: H Sanderson (No. 689(m))
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After: Thomas Dewell Scott (Nos. 44(m))
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After: Thomas S Seccombe (Nos. 59-62(m), 72(m))
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After: William Small (Nos. 382(m), 494-497(m))
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After: Matt Stretch (Nos. 674-675, 676(s))
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After: James Frank Sullivan (Nos. 657(m), 663, 664(m), 706-707, 708(m), 709-710, 711(m), 712, 719(m))
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After: Thomas Sulman (Nos. 278(s), 284(s), 575-576(s))
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After: Sir John Tenniel (Nos. 57-58(m))
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After: John Gordon Thomson (Nos. 121-128(m), 655(m), 668(m), 672(m) (NB nos 121-128 are erroneously attributed to Towneley Green in the album))
-
After: Harry Tuck (Nos. 45(m), 164-168(m), 194-195(m), 196?-197?, 198(m), 199?-200?, 201(m), 202?, 203-204(m), 205?-207?, 208(m), 209?-212?, 213(m), 214?-215?, 216(m), 217?, 218-219(m), 220?, 221(m), 222?, 223-225(m), 226?, 227(m), 228?, 229-236(m), 265(s), 282-283(m), 290(m), 673(m), 693-694, 695(m), 713-714(m), 716(m), 725(m) (queried prints attributed by Robin de Beaumont and on grounds of style and continuity))
-
After: W J Wiegand (Nos. 80(m), 677, 678-679(m), 680 (unsigned prints attributed on grounds of style and continuity))
-
After: Dower Wilson (Nos. 592(s), 603(s), 635-637(m))
-
After: Joseph Wolf (No. 417(s))
- Production date
- 1878
- Dimensions
-
Height: 449 millimetres (size of bound album)
-
Thickness: 55 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, titles, artists and publishers 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, e.g. by Robin de Beaumont.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1913
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1913,0415.198
