Dalziel

THE DALZIEL BROTHERS

The father of the celebrated Dalziel brothers, Alexander Dalziel of Wooler (1781-1832) was something of an artist himself, and seven of his eight sons by Elizabeth Hills became artists by profession. Margaret Dalziel (1819-94) was also a skilled wood-engraver and assisted her brothers from 1851.

George (1815-1902) the eldest brother, was educated in Newcastle and went to London in 1835 to be apprenticed. Later he set up on his own and was soon joined by brother Edward (1817-1905) who entered into partnership with him as the Brothers Dalziel. Thomas (1823-1906), the best illustrator of the family, joined his elder brothers in 1860. Between 1840 and 1850, the brothers obtained the engraving of the blocks for the early numbers of Punch and the Illustrated London News. Between 1839 and 1866 they also engraved many drawings by William Harvey, Thomas Bewick's pupil, and were employed for the Abbotsford edition of Sir Walter Scott's Waverley novels. The brothers cut the illustrations to Edward Lear's Book of Nonsense (1862) and Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (1866) and Through the Looking Glass (1872).

When the Cornhill Magazine was founded in 1859, the Brothers Dalziel were entrusted with the engraving of all the illustrations. For technical skill combined with initiative, there was no one to touch them. After 1880, however, photo-mechanical processes began to supersede the slower and more expensive methods of the wood-engraver, and the brothers turned more to the production of illustrated comic newspapers.

Myers Literary Guide:	The North-East
THE DALZIEL BROTHERS The father of the celebrated Dalziel brothers, Alexander Dalziel of Wooler (1781-1832) was something of an artist himself, and seven of his eight sons by Elizabeth Hills became artists by profession. Margaret Dalziel (1819-94) was also a skilled wood-engraver and assisted her brothers from 1851. George (1815-1902) the eldest brother, was educated in Newcastle and went to London in 1835 to be apprenticed. Later he set up on his own and was soon joined by brother Edward (1817-1905) who entered into partnership with him as the Brothers Dalziel. Thomas (1823-1906), the best illustrator of the family, joined his elder brothers in 1860. Between 1840 and 1850, the brothers obtained the engraving of the blocks for the early numbers of Punch and the Illustrated London News. Between 1839 and 1866 they also engraved many drawings by William Harvey, Thomas Bewick's pupil, and were employed for the Abbotsford edition of Sir Walter Scott's Waverley novels. The brothers cut the illustrations to Edward Lear's Book of Nonsense (1862) and Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (1866) and Through the Looking Glass (1872). When the Cornhill Magazine was founded in 1859, the Brothers Dalziel were entrusted with the engraving of all the illustrations. For technical skill combined with initiative, there was no one to touch them. After 1880, however, photo-mechanical processes began to supersede the slower and more expensive methods of the wood-engraver, and the brothers turned more to the production of illustrated comic newspapers.
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