The Wood Engravers' Self-Portrait: The Dalziel Archive and Victorian Illustration

The wood engravers self-portrait explores the image-making firm Dalziel Brothers, investigating and interpreting a unique archive from the British Museum. It outlines the achievements of the five siblings and the 36 unknown artisan employees who worked alongside them, creating works of global importance.

Format: Hardback
Length: 408 pages
Publication date: 14 June 2022
Publisher: Manchester University Press

The wood engravers' self-portrait delves into the captivating story of the image-making firm Dalziel Brothers, embarking on an insightful exploration and interpretation of a unique archive from the British Museum. This comprehensive study employs a creative-critical approach to illustration, coupled with a thorough examination of print techniques and historical contexts. Founded by five siblings—George, Edward, Margaret, John, and Thomas Dalziel—Dalziel Brothers experienced remarkable success over a span of five decades, emerging as the preeminent capitalist image makers of Victorian Britain. This captivating book, supported by AHRC funding, unveils the remarkable achievements of these extraordinary siblings and sheds light on the histories of some of the 36 unknown artisan employees who collaborated with them. Dalziel Brothers created a body of work that holds global significance, encompassing illustrations for Lewis Carroll's Alice books, novels by Charles Dickens, and landmark Pre-Raphaelite prints, alongside numerous other masterpieces that are presented here for the first time since their initial creation.

Weight: 1854g
Dimension: 223 x 288 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526156662