W. C. W.
Pickwick.—Twelve woodcut portraits of "Pickwick" characters, first published in "Sam Weller's Jest Book," issued in penny numbers, and afterwards in Nos. 48, 51, 52 of a weekly paper called The Casket (Dec. 2, 23, 30, 1837) in twopenny numbers. London: Berger & Co., Holywell Street, and Piggott & Co., Fleet Street, 1837.
Anonymous.
"Original Illustrations to the Pickwick Papers."—Four parts, each containing four designs. Price 2d. each part. Small 8vo. Green illustrated wrapper, depicting portraits of fourteen Pickwickian characters. London: W. Strange, Paternoster Row, N.D. [1847]. These woodcuts were intended for binding in the first Cheap Edition. On the wrapper of Part I. it is announced that the work would be completed in eight parts, and that four engravings would be issued monthly; but it is believed that the fourth part was the final one.
In 1838, a number of woodcut portraits of Dickens Characters were published in The Penny Satirist and in Cleave's Penny Gazette of Variety (Late the London Satirist), afterwards called Cleave's Gazette of Varieties. These woodcuts consist of a series of twelve "Portraits of Oliver Twist" and twelve "Characters from 'Nicholas Nickleby,'" with descriptive quotations, &c., and were enlarged copies of the figures in the original etchings by Cruikshank and "Phiz." They were afterwards re-issued on a broad sheet, with the title, "Cleave's Twelfth-Night Characters," and sold by J. Cleave, 1 Shoe Lane, Fleet Street.
In 1841, Cleave issued a work called "Parley's Penny Library," in which were introduced selections (in the form of dialogues) from "The Old Curiosity Shop" and "Barnaby Rudge," then in course of publication. They were illustrated by means of wood-engravings, the majority of those in "Barnaby Rudge" being enlarged copies from "Phiz's" original designs. These woodcuts (twelve in number) were also reprinted, with the title, "Cleave's Gallery of Comicalities—Recollections of Barnaby Rudge."
On the wrapper of the fourth weekly number of "Master Humphrey's Clock" (April 25, 1840) appears the following announcement: "Cheap illustrations of Boz. Now publishing, on a broad-sheet, nearly as large as The Times, price 2d. 'The Twist and Nickleby Scrap Sheet,' with twenty-four engraved portraits. Also, price 2d., 'Sam Weller's Scrap Sheet,' containing forty portraits of all the Pickwick characters. The above sheets are enriched with poetic effusions by A. Snodgrass, Esq., M.P.C., and will be found worthy the attention of all who desire 'to laugh and grow fat;' they are alike fit for the scrap-book of the mansion or the walls of the cottage." These scarce sheets were issued by Cleave, having doubtless first been published in his Gazette.
Certain dramatised versions of Dickens's stories, by E. Stirling and others (published by John Duncombe & Co., 10 Middle Row, Holborn), contain frontispieces etched by Findlay, which are worthy of the Collector's attention. Besides these, innumerable Dickens illustrations have appeared from time to time, embracing every form of reproductive art. Calendars, relief scraps, booklets, &c., &c., both in colour and in black-and-white, are brought out by enterprising firms year by year, and merely to catalogue them would now be practically impossible.
NOTES ON SOME OF THE ARTISTS.
"Alfred Crowquill."—The actual name of the artist who favoured this pseudonym was Alfred Henry Forrester. Born in 1804, he began his career as a draughtsman when eighteen years of age, distinguishing himself rather by his correctness than by serious forms of illustration. At the death of Seymour in 1836, he competed with "Phiz," Thackeray, Leech, and others for the vacant post as illustrator of "Pickwick," but without success. For a time he belonged to the staff of Bentley's Miscellany, and many of his etchings appeared in that journal during 1840-43. He was able to use his pen and pencil with equal facility and ability; in addition to this he was an admirable vocalist, and we are told that most of the Christmas pantomimes of his day were indebted to him for clever designs, devices, and effects. Forrester was also a member of the Punch staff, where, owing to his happy and genial disposition, he was highly popular. Besides his "Pickwick Pictures," there are other designs by him possessing a Dickensian interest, viz., the illustrations which he supplied to a curious production entitled "Pickwick Abroad; or, The Tour in France," which was launched by G. W. M. Reynolds in 1839. "Alfred Crowquill" died in 1872, aged sixty-eight.
Kenny Meadows.—This clever draughtsman (who abandoned the use of his first Christian name, Joseph), was the son of a retired naval officer, and was born at Cardigan in 1790. He has been described as "the Nestor of Punch's staff," and not only did he contribute many humorous designs to the pages of the Fleet Street journal during the 'forties, but he frequently prepared elaborate drawings for the Illustrated London News, in the early volumes of which may be found his most successful delineations. His representations of fairy subjects, although marked by mannerisms, were in great request. His work is hardly remembered in this generation, but to speak of Kenny Meadows "is to recall the typical art of the illustrator and (such as it was) of the comic draughtsman of the first half of the century."
During his last years Kenny Meadows's services as an illustrator of books were rewarded by a pension from the Civil List of £80 per annum. He was a boon companion, a delightful raconteur when at the club, and a jovial, roystering Bohemian when he left it. This generous and kind-hearted man died in 1874, when he had almost completed his eighty-fifth year.
It is worth recording that a highly-finished drawing, in pen and ink and sepia, of Ralph Nickleby, designed by Kenny Meadows as an illustration for his series of "Heads from 'Nicholas Nickleby,'" realised £7, 10s. at Sotheby's in 1893, the drawing being about twice the size of the engraving.
T. Onwhyn.—This artist, best known perhaps by his Extra Illustrations to "Pickwick" and "Nicholas Nickleby," was the son of a bookseller in Catherine Street, Strand. He signed his Dickens etchings with a pseudonym, adopting in the one instance that of "Sam Weller, Junr.," and in the other that of "Peter Palette." Onwhyn also prepared several plates for "Valentine Vox" and other novels by Cockton. He occasionally contributed to Punch, but was more accustomed to the etching-needle than the pencil, his drawing on wood being hard and unsympathetic. This popular book-illustrator died in 1886, having then relinquished drawing for a period of sixteen years.
The twelve plates etched by Onwhyn in 1847 to illustrate the first Cheap Edition of "Pickwick" were intended for independent publication, to compete with the series of extra engravings by Gilbert; but before there was time to complete the necessary arrangements the set of etchings produced by him in 1837 were re-issued. This took the artist by surprise, and he therefore abandoned the idea of circulating the new designs. The plates were put aside, and their existence forgotten until 1893, when they were unearthed by the Onwhyn family, and subsequently purchased by Mr. Albert Jackson, of Great Portland Street, who published them in 1894.
"Jacob Parallel."—The etched illustrations by this artist for "Master Humphrey's Clock" are decidedly crude, contemporary criticisms notwithstanding. Their publication was announced in a somewhat original manner on the wrappers of Dickens's work, when the latter was launched in weekly numbers. One of these advertisements begins thus: "A clock is of no use without hands! Then, buy 'Hands to Master Humphrey's Clock.'" Concerning these curious illustrations a contemporary critic punningly observed: "These 'Hands' are, upon the face of them, a very striking matter, and no clock ought to be wound up without them.... They give the finish that was wanted to the 'Clock,' and the public will, we have no doubt, keep them going."
In 1840, a book was published in parts (by G. Berger, Holywell Street), entitled " Charley Chalk; or, The Career of an Artist," with illustrations by "Parallel." These designs were declared to be "superior to many in 'Nickleby,'" while the volume itself was described by reviewers as "another 'Pickwick,'" and as "the only work fit to stand by the side of 'Boz.'"
F. W. Pailthorpe.—This essentially humorous artist and etcher, who is still living, may be correctly designated the only survivor of the "old school" of book-illustrators, as represented by Cruikshank and "Phiz." Mr. Pailthorpe was a personal friend of the former, to whom he sometimes alludes as "dear old George Cruikshank," and doubtless this association with the famous designer considerably influenced the style and manner of Mr. Pailthorpe's work. Indeed, this seems obvious to any one who compares the many Dickens plates drawn and etched by him with similar designs by the illustrator of "Sketches by Boz" and "Oliver Twist." A noteworthy feature of Mr. Pailthorpe's illustrations for Dickens's works is that a limited number of impressions have been coloured by his own hand, and the designs so treated are, in that respect, reminiscent of John Leech's plates for "A Christmas Carol."
Mr. Pailthorpe, by reason of his unique position as the sole representative of the "old school" of book-illustrators, has received commissions from publishers to copy the etched designs by other artists, in cases where the original plates have been lost or are otherwise inaccessible. He has thus reproduced "Crowquill's" "Pickwick" illustrations, the two cancelled designs by Buss for the same work, two of Onwhyn's illustrations for "Nickleby," and, quite recently, the two etchings by Cruikshank for the Mudfog Papers; these replicas have just appeared in the Gadshill Edition now being issued by Chapman & Hall.
Charles Dana Gibson.—This young American artist, who has frequently contributed to a New York journal called Life, recently essayed to illustrate Dickens by means of a series of cleverly-executed drawings representing some of the principal characters and incidents. The most satisfactory is his picture of the Pickwick Club, the portrait of Mr. Pickwick himself being capitally depicted. There is a distinct individuality of style in Mr. Gibson's work, rendered for the most part in pen-and-ink, and marked by a simplicity of treatment which is eminently attractive and effective. Although great ability in draughtsmanship distinguishes all his drawings, it may be contended that he is not invariably fortunate in realising the novelist's conceptions. Mr. Gibson's drawings of Dickens subjects have been excellently reproduced on both sides of the Atlantic.