"W. Y.," a pupil whose name for obvious reasons we will not give, came to us when about nineteen years of age. He was a member of a good county family—a younger son; he had good taste for art and some skill as a draughtsman. By the wish of his elder brother, he was put with us to learn engraving. His development in our art was simply wonderful, his manipulative power was quite extraordinary; it was the one case in our experience where it seemed as if the pupil had come to teach the masters. He was steady, punctual to his long day's work, and in every way exemplary, a gentleman in manner, and a great favourite with all the assistants and other pupils; but it was known to his fellow-workers that at a certain date he was to come into a considerable sum of money, and he had often said that when he got it, "then farewell to industry, to art, and to respectability." His words were: "When I get it I will let fly." And, sad to relate, he did "let fly." He had been working out of our studio for some two or three months, when he suddenly disappeared, and the last we heard of him was that he was spending his time, and his money chiefly in the immediate vicinity of the Surrey Theatre, and that in an adjacent public-house bar he was seen lighting his pipe with a five pound note. Poor fellow! It was the old, old story—the drink—the drink that did it.
Alexander Aitcheson Dalziel and John Sanderson Dalziel, the two sons of our brother Robert, also, on leaving school, became pupils to learn wood engraving. The elder brother, Alexander, shortly after completing his term, married and went out to South Africa, where for a time he coupled scholastic work with his engraving; but after a bit he gave up art altogether and went on with his teaching only—while John emigrated to America, and settled down in Philadelphia for many years, where he executed a large number of elaborate, highly-finished works, chiefly of a scientific character, much of which has been reproduced in this country. At the time we write he is turning his attention to fruit culture in Colorado.
A. W. Bayes was introduced to us by H. Stacy Marks, R.A., as a young man who had been engaged as a draughtsman at some manufacturing works in the country, and had shown a wonderful capacity for design. We could not say he came to us as a pupil; but whatever progress he made in our studio was the result of the practice derived from the subjects given to him, and owing to the advantage of his seeing a great variety of drawings by the leading artists of the time. He was very industrious and very rapid. He worked with us for many years, until, for the further development in painting and other branches of his art, he found it an advantage to have a place of his own. With us he had illustrated a number of children's books, the most important being the works of Hans Christian Andersen, for which he made a very large number of drawings. These books went through many editions. He also made a set of drawings from Bible history, and another set from the New Testament, all of which were published for us by Messrs. Routledge, Warne & Co., with a fair amount of success. Bayes for some years has devoted himself almost entirely to painting in oil, and has produced many important works—chiefly of a historical order.
Phil Ebbutt came to us on the recommendation of our friend George R. Sims. He had a natural taste for drawing, and was quick at design. He worked much on our publication, Jack and Jill, including political cartoons, and romances strictly historical. He also made many drawings for Fun, which were mostly of a social character. In all he was an industrious, willing worker, but his progress was hindered by an affection of the eyes, which now and again demanded complete rest; though that, for a time, was got over and he went to work again. He also made many drawings as book illustrations, and was one of the original artists on the Daily Graphic, working for the first number of that journal. But the eye trouble again caused him to terminate so close a connection, and he continued as an occasional contributor only. He still holds a prominent place as a journalistic artist, doing much good work.
Hal Ludlow as a boy showed great taste and skill in drawing. His friends wished him to be a wood engraver and placed him with us as an apprentice for that purpose; but he made little or no progress in that branch and was soon put to drawing entirely, and very quickly developed as a clever designer. He made hundreds of drawings for children's and other books; some of the former were carried out in colours—what are generally known as "Toy Books." He soon became an expert in pure pen and ink work, and when the Pictorial World was under our control, made a large number of careful drawings of social life—many of every-day events, notably river and race scenes. He also made many important drawings of theatrical representations—new plays, opera and music hall subjects. His work had become so popular that Mason Jackson came to us on behalf of the Illustrated London News, to know if we would allow Ludlow to make drawings on wood for that journal, saying, "it was a pity that such clever drawings should all be reproduced by process," which he regarded as an inferior manner of rendering them. What a change has come since that period! How completely has the then-thought "superior" manner had to stand aside for the "inferior"! We may here state that, in the long past, we always thought that some automatic process would be perfected for the proper reproduction of point work, or what was always known as "facsimile" drawing. Of Ludlow's work as a popular designer and painter, it is not necessary to speak further than to say that his smaller water colours rival in grace and minute finish the work of Jan Van Beers.