Christmas Children A Christmas Carol By Phiz Antique Print1855

Antique Colour printed Wood engraving after Hablot Knight Browne (pseudonym "Phiz") 1815-1882. Printed by George C. Leighton, Red Lion Square, 198 The Strand, London.

Published by Illustrated London News December 22, 1855.

Hablot Knight Browne (1815-1882)  is best known by his Pseudonym "Phiz". He was a major illustrator for Charles Dickens and part of the Illustrated London News (ILN) stable of artists. ILN was founded in 1842, one of the world's first illustrated weekly newspaper. In 1832 future founder, William Ingram, established his own printing and newsagents business in Nottingham. As a newsagent he noticed that when newspapers included woodcuts, their sales increased. He concluded that it would be possible to make a good profit from a magazine that included a large number of illustrations.

The printing world had become very dynamic by 1850 as demand was urging production to be more innovative. Printing using colored inks had be initiated by George Baxter (1804-1867) who sold licenses to other printing firms. Edmund Evans was noted as the publisher responsible for the "Golden Age of Children's Illustration" in the mid-late 1800s. George Cargill Leighton, a former apprentice of George Baxter, never worked under Baxter's license but became a prominent printer in his own right.

Leighton became the printer and later owner of the Illustrated London News Newspaper, the first journal in the world to include regular co lour plates. This is one of the few published in Browne's lifetime and is further noted for the full Page format.

Of the Children's Beautifully rendered expressions, "Lucy Lot in one of the Squire's lady's left-off Bonnets...Jenny Ryland...wears a rough Straw bonnet...there is Charley Brown-his nose the color of a blue bag...Jack Bray is the tall one of the party (Bray has been for a soldier and fought nobly at Alma and Inkermann)...Where have the singer gone? Where is the song? Where is the old home? Gone! But we have been made happy thinking of the Christmas time."

Image Size =  21.5 x 31.5 cm (8 1/2 x 12 1/2 Inch)

Condition = Very good : small blemish on upper right edge