These images, which are available for the first time for you to buy as superb quality prints, are taken from the original prints first seen in the foremost illustrated journals of the time. They bring back to life the world’s major historic events as pictured in ‘The Illustrated London News’, ‘The Sketch’, ‘The Sphere’, and ‘The Tatler’. They show world history in the making over the last 160 years. Foremost among these was The Illustrated London News; founded by Herbert Ingram and published for the first time in May 1842, it was the world’s first ever illustrated weekly newspaper. It had sixteen pages of world news and events, interspersed with images of daily events of the time. Launched at a time when Britain was embarking on an epoch of unprecedented expansion and prosperity, The Illustrated London News was to be the chief record of that age of achievement. It has become probably the most important and comprehensive single historical document ever compiled. Recognising the importance of images to convey news and to educate, Ingram brought the best artists, engravers and journalists to work on his paper. It was an instant hit – the first issue selling 26,000 copies and within a year, the circulation, at sixpence - 6d, had risen to 60,000 and by 1856 to 200,000; by the way ‘The Times’ had a circulation then of just 70,000. Ingram revolutionised the use of wood engravings for creating hard copy images to give the public up-to-the-minute depictions of the news; this led subsequently to the development of the photographic half-tone process. These developments led to the establishment of further titles in the group - ‘The Sketch’ (1893), ‘The Sphere’ (1900) and ‘The Tatler’ (1901). The publication’s groundbreaking reputation continued with the rotary photo-gravure process and the introduction of natural colour photography. Over the years, the ILN played host to a wide range of first class writers - Robert Louis Stevenson, Thomas Hardy, George Augustus Sala, J. M. Barrie, Wilkie Collins, Joseph Conrad, Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling, G. K. Chesterton and Agatha Christie. And of course, a stellar cast of artists - Melton Prior, Frederic Villiers., William Heath Robinson and his brother Charles, Edmund Blampied, Frank Reynolds, Mabel Lucie Atwell, Lawson Wood, G. E. Studdy, David Wright, H. M. Bateman, Louis Wain, Bruce Bairnsfather, C. E. Turner, R. Caton Woodville, A. Forestier, and F. Matania. The Illustrated London News was ground-breaking at its launch and continued to push the boundaries of journalism forward through its history. As an institution, The Illustrated London News occupies a special place in many peoples’ hearts and memories. As a record of the times, it is without equal. We hope you enjoy the site and owning a little piece of British and World history. For further information about the history of The Illustrated London News, please visit the picture library web site at www.ilnpictures.co.uk. Click here for information about Printree (the operator of this print site). |
