The Arts In Berwick -- Visual Arts -- Engraving
The Wood-engravers of Wooler

The Dalziel brothers were the leading wood-engravers of the Victorian age. Wooler artist Alexander Dalziel had twelve sons of which four George, Edward, Thomas and John, all born in Wooler, went into the family firm.This was a established in London in 1839.

The brothers created the actual blocks from which illustrations were printed, using both their own drawings or, more often, work by major artists. Lord Leighton, William Holman Hunt, Millais and Rossetti all had their work engraved by the Dalziels. Eventually they were the most prolific book illustrators of their day, producing over 50,000 plates.

Thomas was perhaps the most talented of the brothers, particularly in landscape illustrations, for example in the Dalziel's "Arabian Nights" (1865). The brothers considered their most important commission by far was the production and entire control of the illustrations for the 'Household Edition' of the Works of Charles Dickens, which was commenced in serial form in 1871 and completed in 1879.

Click here to return to the Engraving page