By Bewick and Pupils, from Ludlow, all used at Banbury.
Close copy of Bewick, by a pupil.
Bewick playing the Northumbrian Pipes, a very early J. Bewick.
Drunken Barnaby.
To Banbury came I,
Prophane one,
Where I saw a Puritan
Hanging of his cat on Monday
For killing of a mouse on Sunday.
Jack and the Giants, from the early York edition.
Raree, or Peep Show, R. Cruikshank’s design, engraved by Sears.
Chapman, or Running Stationer, designed by Cruikshank and engraved by Branston.(Used in York Cries).
page 59 picture 1
Banbury Old Church.
A Gentleman wrote to one of the newspapers some time ago, detailing a curious incident that happened to himself, showing how these very interesting prints and blocks are being scattered and destroyed. He says “In the old days when Catnach was King of the ballad world, boys used to steal the woodblocks of Mr. Bewick the wood-cutter, and sell them to the great song singer. Yesterday, for a halfpenny, I picked up in a bye street in London one of the prints of a very beautiful block of this kind heading a song called ‘The Wealthy Farmer’s Son.’ I wonder whether anybody has ever thought it worth while to collect these pictures.” This interesting pursuit of collecting and illustrating with extra cuts, pages of child book literature of the 17th, 18th, and early 19th century, would indeed be a charming recreation. On this subject there appeared a long article in the Graphic, where the writer says, under the initials ‘C. H.,’ “There are few more agreeable occupations for anyone who has sufficient leisure at his disposal, than that of embellishing a favourite book with illustrations appropriate to the subject, and thereby endowing it with additional interest and value. To those who cultivate this fascinating pursuit with taste and intelligence,there are two indispensible conditions of success. The task of collecting the materials is a labour of love, and every fresh discovery in some out-of-the-way corner, of a long-sought desideratum, a delight which the patience and industrious enthusiast alone can appreciate.” Then follows much genial advice on tasteful and judicious collecting, and how to illustrate. In the present case the interest and value could only be realized or conceived on the completion of a choice collection of extra cuts, and cuttings of articles, portraits, views, autograph letters, etc., carefully mounted on cartridge paper, paged to correspond with the text, and then handed to a judicious binder—this is a very important item—who would carefully encase it, and make it form a select and an exceptionibly valuable addition to the library.
Tradesmen’Shops in Banbury, used on their bill-heads.
Used in various tradesmen’s Billheads, etc., printed at Rusher’s Press, Banbury.
That this interesting idea may not be considered unworthy of adoption—whichby the way the few large paper copies of this book are admirablyadopted—we give a short list of those who have collected and treasured with care these little brochures. In the South Kensington Museum on exhibition, is a collection of Horn Books and Battledores, exhibited by Kenneth, R. H. Mackenzie, Esq.,F.S.A.,who read a paper on this subject before the Society of Antiquaries. There is another collection which includes many curious Horn Books or Battledores, from circa 1750, 1784, 1800 to 1810, including photo and facsimiles of one of the Middleton Horn Books now in the Bateman Museum. There is also a curious poem on the Horn Book by a Gent. suffering from the gout, printed at Dublin by T. Cowan, 1728, small 4to, only a few leaves. Another very neat Horn Book with the Horn in front, hence its name, is also on view. The scarcity of these quaint early educational books may be understood from the fact that Mr. Hone, author of the Every Day Book, etc., sought for an original Horn Book for years without success. Mr. Coleridge had one or two cases onexhibition, with numerous examples of Newbury and Marshall’s little books, but we believe these are withdrawn. There is also a selection of early educational books; but the largest collection formed is still on exhibition. In conclusion, it may be said that the present volume contains many precious relics of the Bewick, Newbury, Goldsmith, Newcastle York, Banbury, Coventry, and Catnach presses, and a representative collection of the stock of workable woodcuts of a provincial printer in the latter part of the 18th century, and to those who would like to inspect the rentable copies of those valuable and interesting little books, and some of the original Horn Books, etc., let them see the Coleridge, Kenneth Mackenzie, and Pearson collections in the South Kensington Museum.
Rustic Cottages near Banbury.
Since writing the above, there appeared in the catalogue of books belonging to William Bell Scott, Esq., recently sold at Messrs. Sotheby, a small 4to Album containing a collection of wood engravings by Bewick, Clennell, and others, which with some newspaper cuttings made quite a dainty extra illustrated volume.
If so eminent an artist could find pleasure and recreation in this pursuit, others may certainly rely upon finding it equally attractive, but he would have found his task much easier if he had had a large paper copy of this work interleaved. This is recommended to any person desiring to take up this charming recreation.
Illustrations of Children’s Books, used by Rusher at Banbury.
All used by Rusher in his Children’s Books, Banbury.
All used in Rusher’s Banbury Books.
Used by Rusher.
All used in Rusher’s Books.
Bewick School, all used in Rusher’s Banbury Toy Books.
Used on Local Tracts and afterwards, issued at Rusher’s Press, Bridge St., Banbury.
Used by Rusher.
All used in the Banbury Juvenile Series.
Engraved by Bewick School, used in the Children’s Books.
All used in Rusher’s Banbury Toy Books.
On Early Tract Society Publications.
Used for illustrating early Tracts.
All used in Educational Tracts, Banbury.
Used in Early Tracts, Banbury.
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About1820, many curious Tracts were issued by various Societies with the illustrations which follow. Some of these Tracts relating to Social and Religious questions of that day had been edited by Hannah More and her sister—at “Barley Wood,” near Bath—also by Rowland Hill, the eccentric divine of old Surrey Chapel, and others; these are now quite ephemeral literary productions, notably some on the “Sunday Question.” Several of the following cuts were used contemporary with Timothy Spagg’s (Charles Dickens’s) Sunday Under Three Heads. One of these, an 8vo pamphlet, has on the title, a large woodcut by Thomas Bewick, commencing;—Here we have Bewick, I declare, etc. Many of the original cuts to the Bristol series of Tracts issued from 1805 to 1820 are in this volume.
Cuts used in Educational Tracts written by Hannah More and Mrs. Trimmer, circa 1810. Engraved by Anderson, Thompson, Williams, and others.
Used on Local Tracts and Juvenile Literature, by Rusher.
Used on Tracts by Hannah More and Rev. Rowland Hill, circa 1814, and afterwards in Rusher’s Books.
Vignettes by Sears, engraved after Williams and others, and used on cheap Repository Tracts, etc., and books issued from Rusher’s press.
These cuts were used in a series of Tracts published by Chilcott of Bristol. Afterwards by Rusher at Banbury.
Cuts by Sears after Williams, used on Cheap Repository Tracts, and on Local Banbury Ephemeral Literature.
Used on Rusher’s Educational and other Local Pamphlets.
“Distaff.”
Engraved by Lee—used by Rusher.
THE LILLIPUTIAN MAGAZINE.
From Catnach.
Norwood Gipsy.
Catnach Spelling Book Cuts.
Engravings used by Evans in his Ballad Singers.
Early Newbery block by J. Bell.
Very early ‘Cock Robin’ cut.
A Tradesman’s Shop at Banbury.
The Marriage Ceremony.
“Billy Buttons” ride to Brentford, and other Catnach ‘Catches,’ used by Rusher.
Used by Rusher at Banbury.
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Bible Cut.
page 90 picture 2
Frontispiece to Banbury Local Biography.
Used by Rusher.
Mr. Doubleface, a man not to be trusted.
Used on Banbury ‘Catch-pennies.’
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Battle of the Nile.
page 93 picture 2
Battle of Trafalgar.
Lamenting the Great Fire, engraved by Austin.
Christian and Hopeful escaping from Doubting Castle.
Vignette by Green, of Knaresborough.
Knaresborough Tragedy, engraved by Lee.
Cuts used by Rusher at Banbury.
Newspaper and Heraldic cuts, 18th Century.
EARLY TAVERN SIGNS AT BANBURY.
The Boar’s Head.
The White Hart.
The Sportsman’s Arms.
The Bull’s Head.
Vignettes to ‘Vicar of Wakefield,’ by Craig and Sears.
“Children’s Games,” and other Toy Books published by Darton and Harvey, Gracechurch Street, and afterwards by Rusher, Banbury.
Published by Darton and Harvey, afterwards by Rusher.
Cyclops, from ‘Thorton’s Virgil,’ circa 1810.
In the Preface it is stated, Wm. Blake designed, and Branstone engraved the above.
Bewick Tailpieces.
Banbury Horse “to travel” cuts, used by Rusher.
Children’s Book Cuts, used by Rusher.
Cuts used on Mrs. Trimmer’s Educational Works; engraved by Thomson and Branston.
Choice Vignette wood-engravings to Goldsmith’s ‘Vicar,’ ‘Poems,’ etc., published by Nicholson in his “Literary Miscellany,” at Ludlow and Ploughmill, circa 1798.
Engraved by Craig, Bewick’s Pupil.