Notable illustrators, engravers, artists & publishers of 19th century illustrated prints

Henry Alken (1785-1851) 
Best known as an illustrator of sporting subjects & coaching scenes and as a caricaturist, he drew some of the finest sporting & hunting prints of his generation. He was most productive between 1816-1831. Noteably, he created the racing, hunting, steeplechasing & coaching plates for “The National Sports of Great Britain” (1821)
 
Thomas Allom (1804-1872)
An architect and illustrator. He was a founder member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, but he was mainly known for his topographical illustrations of travel books. He travelled extensively in Europe & Asia producing a large number of fine topographical views. His works are noteably represented in “Constantinople and the Scenery of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor” (1838), “Character and Costume in Turkey and Italy” by Emily Reeve (1840), “China Illustrated” (1845) and Brayley's "A topographical history of Surrey" (1850).
 
Thomas Barber
Noted for his "Picturesque illustrations of the Isle of Wight", published c.1834. He flourished between 1820-1840.
 
William Henry Bartlett (1809-1854)
Well known for his fine steel engravings. One of the foremost & most widely travelled topographical illustrators of his generation. His illustrations graced books such as “American Scenery” (c1837), “Canadian Scenery” (1842), "Syria, The Holy Land & Asia Minor illustrated", "Beauties of the Bosphorus" (c1838), "The Scenery & Antiquities of Ireland" (c1842), "Switzerland Illustrated" (1836), "The Danube" (c1845), "The Waldenses or Protestant Valleys of Piedmont and Dauphiny, and the Ban de La Roche" (1838), "The Nile Boat, or Glimpses of the Land of Egypt" (1851).
 
William Beattie (1793-1875)
A Scottish Physician who commissioned the publication of many books of a topographical nature. He himself was very well travelled and he employed skilled illustrators, for example his friend and fellow traveler William Henry Bartlett ("Switzerland Illustrated", "Scotland", "The Waldenses"), Thomas Allom and James Duffield Harding. The books served as advertisement, guidebooks and mementoes of the countries depicted at a time when knowledge of the world abroad was still limited but overseas travel was becoming increasingly commonplace.  
 
WA Blakston
Together with W Swaysland & August Wiener he illustrated “The illustrated book of Canaries and Cage Birds, British and Foreign”, published by Cassell & Co; very attractive chromolithographs including parakeets, canary species, song and wild birds.

GH Buek & Co., New York (1894)
Published “Flowers of every State in the American Union, by a corps of special artists and Botanists. Approved by the leading artists of America and Europe and endorsed by University Botanists of both continents”. A fine series of botanical lithographs originally published in weekly parts. The Subscription price was $ 30 per annum, a considerable sum in the 19th century.

Cassell & Co.
Was a British book publishing house, founded in 1848 by John Cassell (1817-1865). In the late 19^th century it produced a large number of travel books which were profusely illustrated with wood engravings. From John Cassell’s bankruptcy in 1855 until 1858 it operated as Petter and Galpin, then as Cassell, Petter & Galpin (adding “& Company” in 1878), before resuming its original name of Cassell & Co in 1888.
 
George Cattermole (1800-1868)
An English Artist, the youngest son of a Norfolk squire. He was related by marriage to Charles Dickens and they were firm friends.

Paul Gustave Doré (1832-1883)
A French artist, notable for his literary illustrations. Working mainly as an engraver of often large wood engravings he was commissioned to depict scenes from books by Rabelais, Balzac, Milton (“Paradise Lost”) and Dante’s “Inferno” and "Vision of purgatory & paradise". Having come to the attention of British publishers, he illustrated the works of Lord Byron (1853), and a new illustrated English Bible. Other notable works include illustrations for Cervantes's “Don Quixote”, and Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven". He also contributed to "The Illustrated London News".

Thomas Dugdale (fl 1838-1860)
Well know for his topographical illustrations with the extensive work "Curiosities of Great Britain, or England & Wales delineated", published in various editions between 1838-1860.

Edward and William Finden (1787-1852)
English brothers who worked together on many publications as line engravings. Notable publications included “Finden's views of the ports, harbours & watering places of Great Britain” (c1837), and ”Finden's illustrations of the life and works of Lord Byron” (c1833).
 
Myles Birket Foster (1825-1899)
An English Victorian illustrator, watercolour artist and engraver. An important contributor of wood engraving to the “Illustrated London News”

Henry Gastineau (1791–1876)
An English engraver and water-colourist of Huguenot descent. Best known for his views within “Wales illustrated".

Sir John Gilbert (1817-1897)
An English artist, illustrator and engraver, whose works included a prolific number of wood engravings for the “Illustrated London News”
 
Kate Greenaway (1846-1901)
A well know English illustrator of children's books.
 
James Duffield Harding (1798-1863)
English topographical artist.
 
Sir William Jardine (1800-1874)
An eminent naturalist who commissioned experts to produce “The Naturalist’s Library”, a 40 volume work containing  1300 small individually hand-coloured prints of animals including mammals, birds, fish & insects.
 
Edward Jesse (1780-1868)
An English writer on natural history; his publications included a series of fine canine prints in “Anecdotes of Dogs” (1846)
 
John Leech (1817-1864)
Illustrated the Surtees novels, contributed to the periodical 'Punch', and the weekly newspaper "The Illustrated London News" and similar publications
 
John Le Keux (1783–1846)
An engraver, born in Bishopsgate, London of a Huguenot family. His engravings contributed very largely to the success of the architectural publications of John Britton, A. W. Pugin, J. P. Neale, and similar works. He engraved the plates to Ingram's “Memorials of Oxford” and published himself two volumes of engravings, “Memorials of Cambridge”.
 
William Philip May (1864-1903)
A leading illustrator and cartoonist of his generation.

The Reverend Francis Orpen Morris (1810-1893)
An Irish clergyman, well know as an ornithologist and entomologist. Perhaps best known for the popular “A History of British Birds” published in monthly parts over a period of some seven years from 1850. This was followed by “A Natural History of the Nests and Eggs of British Birds”, “A History of British Butterflies” and “A History of British Moths”.  His colour woodblock prints also graced “The County Seats of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of Great Britain and Ireland”.

Carlo Pellegrini (1839-1889)
An Italian caricaturist, who between 1869 to 1889 worked as an artist for Vanity Fair magazine, a weekly journal of London Society, producing their famous lithographic cartoons of eminent Victorians which he signed as “Ape”. Along with Leslie Ward (aka “Spy”), he was Vanity Fair’s most influential artist.

Anne Pratt (1806-1893)
One of the best known 19^th century botanical and ornithological illustrators who helped to popularize the subject of botany during the Victorian era. She produced more than 20 books, illustrated by chromolithographs in collaboration with William Dickes. Her noteable works include  “The Flowering Plants of Great Britain” (1855–1866 & 1873), and “Our Native Songsters” (1850), both promoted by The Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK).

John Skinner Prout (1806-1876)
An architectural illustrator and painter. Born in Plymouth and nephew of Samuel Prout (Topographical illustrator, drawing master and water colourist). John specialised in similar subjects to his uncle but was practically self-taught. Travelled to Australia, where he visited Sydney and Hobart. Settled in Bristol after 1849, later moving to London where he died in Camden Town in 1876. His illustrations covered not only major cities and smaller towns, but also farming, agriculture, farm animals, horses, cattle, sheep, and mining of gold and other natural resources, along with fascinating portraits of aborigines.  Contributed to “Australia Illustrated”, by Edwin Carton Booth, which was one of the last books to include steel engravings.

Augustus Charles Pugin (1762–1832)
An Anglo-French illustrator and architect, he was born in Paris of Swiss parents, but he spent most of his life in England. He left France in 1798, and later studied at Royal Academy in London. He worked as a draughtsman for the architect John Nash, before become a book illustrator. He is perhaps best known for his illustrations in “Paris and its Environs" (1829-1831). His other works covered London, Oxford & Cambridge universities, Winchester College, and a furniture designs. His illustrations were published within “Specimens of Gothic Architecture” (1821–23), “The Royal Pavilion at Brighton” (1826), “Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain” (1826), “Specimens of the Architectural Antiquities of Normandy” (1827), “Illustrations of the Public Buildings of London” (1825-1828) and “Examples of Gothic Architecture” (1831).
 
Thomas Hosmer Shepherd (c1817-c1842)
A talented topographical illustrator who produced works of outstanding beauty and skill. Frederick Crace employed him to illustrate views of London in c.1829. He also draughted mid 19^th century views of Edinburgh, Bath and Bristol. Shepherd's work can be found in “Excursions in the County of Kent” - 1822; “Metropolitan Improvements” - 1827; “London and its Environs in the Nineteenth Century” - 1829; “Modern Athens Displayed (or Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century)” - 1829; “Bath and Bristol” - 1829-30 and “London Interiors” - 1841.
 
William Tombleson (c1795-1835)
English Topographical Artist. His decorative illustrations included views on the Thames, Medway & Rhine.
 
Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851)
In addition to the paintings for which he was best-known, he was also a skilled printmaker.   
 
Sir Leslie Matthew Ward, aka "Spy" (1851-1922)
A British portrait artist & caricaturist who drew and painted many portraits of eminent Victorians which were published in the weekly Vanity Fair magazine, under the pseudonyms "Spy" and "Drawl".
 
William Westall (1781-1850)
Although he traveled extensively to Australia, China and India, his most noteable works appeared in “Great Britain Illustrated” published by Thomas Moule in c1830. This contained some 121 fine steel engraved views. A shortened version was also published under the title “The Landscape Album”, in 1832. It contained 60 views of the original views. Westall also contributed to Ackermann's Repository and Picturesque Tour of the River Thames.
 
Henry & Benjamin Winkles (1801–1860)
An English architectural illustrator, engraver & printer, who in partnership with Karl Ludwig Frommel formed the first studio for steel engraving in Germany.  In 1836 (together with Benjamin Winkles), he produced and contributed to "Winkles's architectural and picturesque illustrations of the cathedral churches of England and Wales". These books helped inspire the 19th century Gothic revival in Britain.