FROM "AN OVERLAND JOURNEY TO THE GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1851."
By Richard Doyle.
Published for the Brothers Dalziel by Messrs. Chapman & Hall.
It is greatly to be regretted that Doyle did not see his way to complete this work at the date agreed upon, and while the great excitement about the Exhibition was at fever heat, for the characteristic humour which is so peculiarly his own, and so cleverly depicted in the various Nationalities forming the Panorama, must have secured for the work a very extensive circulation, and thereby have added greatly to his reputation.
"Dear Sir,—With regard to the Exhibition procession, I would like to have your opinion as to whether, now the 'Glass House' being open and the public so much seriously occupied with the Exhibition, my drawings will be relished. I don't express any decided opinion now myself, but I put it to you and would like you to ask Mr. Chapman his opinion. I saw the 'procession' that came out a long time ago for the first time the other day to look over, and I really did not know before that the idea was so much the same as mine, and I greatly fear that mine will be thought stale, however original I can make it. It is, in fact, next to impossible to represent any of the countries by other types than those already done in publications already out.
"As far as I myself am concerned—much time as I have lost over this, to me, unfortunate subject—I would rather sacrifice it as lost time than bring out a failure. I cannot expect you, who have also spent some time upon the work, to feel the same.
"What occurred to me, however, was that perhaps the drawings of the 'procession' might be engrafted upon something else, of which it might form a part. I don't see my way, but I throw it out, and would like to have your notion on the subject.
"Very truly yours,
"Richard Doyle."
When Doyle retired from contributing to Punch, we gave him a commission to illustrate all the popular Children's Nursery Tales. He expressed himself delighted to undertake the work, and "Jack the Giant Killer" was to be the first. This was done, and published by Cundall and Addy of Bond Street. "The Sleeping Beauty" was the second, but the drawings for this book came so lingeringly to hand that the idea of a series was abandoned, and the blocks were put aside for some time. Those we had, however, were considered so beautiful, and so full of quaint fancy that we decided to enlist the co-operation of J. R. Planche to set new words to them, which he did very charmingly, and the book was published for us by Messrs. G. Routledge and Sons, under the title of "An Old Fairy Tale Told Anew." Those two stories were all Doyle ever did for the series; and their production extended over several years instead of a few months, as would have been the case in the hands of a more business-like artist.