The Brothers Dalziel / A Record of Fifty Years Work in Conjunction with many of the Most Distinguished Artists of the Period 1840-1890

OUR PUPILS.

Early in the year 1844 we took our first pupil, Francis Fricker, a very steady, industrious fellow, who was always punctual and reliable. He became a good engraver, and remained with us, without intermission—with the exception of two or three weeks' holiday in each year, which we made a practice of giving to all our pupils—until we broke up our establishment in 1893.

Being all draughtsmen ourselves, we did not take pupils specially for engraving alone; although, from our earliest days, we made it a rule to place any commission that was intrusted to us in the hands of the best artists we could find, whose peculiar ability suited them for the subject in question.

Nevertheless, we established a school to teach our pupils drawing. We got together a good collection of plaster casts—the best obtainable; also other matter suitable for study from the flat and round; works on "Anatomy," on "Beauty," and on "Perspective." We also provided all the materials for working free of cost. The engraver's day at that time was a long one—nine hours—and the drawing only began after the day's work had been finished; and to this, perhaps, is due the fact that all did not avail themselves of what had been planned for them. The pupils who did attend the meetings, and who doubtless possessed the stronger love of art, benefitted to no small extent.

Among those who availed themselves of these advantages were Harry Fenn and Charles Kingdon, two of our earliest and very cleverest pupils. Soon after they completed their term with us they took ship to Canada, having determined to visit the principal cities there and in the United States of America. This they did, settling in New York City, where they soon found profitable employment.

Harry Fenn took at once to drawing on wood and water colour painting, making very rapid progress in both branches of art, and soon becoming the most popular landscape draughtsman in America. It was he who projected, planned, and made all the drawings for "Picturesque America." It came about in this way. He was dining with the well-known publisher, D. Appleton, who, during conversation, regretted that America did not afford such fine material for landscape art as the Old Country—that there was, in fact, nothing picturesque in America. Fenn said: "Give me the chance and you shall see what a variety of beautiful material you have got in America." The reply was: "Well, you shall have a try if you like. Do a few drawings and let us see." Fenn made a few drawings, which encouraged the publisher to carry out the idea; and he did a work which was, perhaps, one of the most brilliantly successful illustrated books ever published, and the forerunner of several similar works, all of which were filled with beautiful examples of his skilful pencil. He still continues to be a popular black and white artist, but devotes much time to painting in water colours.

Joseph Pennell, in his "Modern Illustration," says, "Henry Fenn's illustrations to 'Picturesque America' entitle him to be called the Nestor of his Guild, not only for the delicacy, truth and refinement of his drawing, but also because of the enormous success of the publication."

Charles Kingdon, by far the best engraver of the two, was also very popular in America, but he was of a restless nature and had not the persistent industry of his companion. He died young, and in his death the world lost a brilliant young artist. He married an American lady soon after settling there, and it is worthy of mention, so we have been told, that his daughter, who evidently inherited her father's art instincts and good looks—for Kingdon was a very handsome fellow—was a popular member of the celebrated Augustin Daly's company, and became the wife of an American millionaire.

Another of the most industrious and constant workers was George G. Kilburne, who, soon after completing his engagement with us, gave up engraving altogether and took to painting—mostly in water colours—in which he has long held a prominent position in the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, as well as being a very frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy. He was one of the most satisfactory pupils we ever had. He took up engraving with great aptitude, and from the day he came to us his work was always good. Only the second drawing given to him to work upon was so perfect, that it was published with the set to which it belonged. A peculiarity with Kilburne was that if he were asked to do anything, you found him doing it immediately; with him no time was wanted for preparation. Though he left our studio and forsook the branch of art we taught him, our connection, instead of being severed, became the closer by his marrying the elder daughter of our late brother Robert.

Charles A. Ferrier, a young Scotchman of varied capabilities, who had made some small efforts at wood engraving in his native town of Arbroath, without instruction, came to us to seek employment through an introduction he had obtained to William Harvey. He was a youth of considerable promise and full of enthusiasm for his art. Though the specimens he had to show were very crude, he had evidently been looked upon as a genius by his Scottish friends; but on entering our studio he was indefatigable in his studies, and eager for improvement. Before he had been two months with us he became London correspondent to an Arbroath weekly paper. This letter he generally knocked off during the hour allowed for dinner in the middle of the day. We have reason to believe he turned his attention very much to scientific subjects, and became a Fellow of more than one of the learned Societies. During the whole of his life he has been a staunch teetotaler, and has worked hard in the temperance cause. He became the personal friend of George Cruikshank, Dr. Richardson, and many scientific people, who preferred him as an engraver because of the knowledge he possessed of the objects he had to work upon. Taken altogether, Ferrier became one of the most remarkable men who had their beginning in our studio.

"W. Y.," a pupil whose name for obvious reasons we will not give, came to us when about nineteen years of age. He was a member of a good county family—a younger son; he had good taste for art and some skill as a draughtsman. By the wish of his elder brother, he was put with us to learn engraving. His development in our art was simply wonderful, his manipulative power was quite extraordinary; it was the one case in our experience where it seemed as if the pupil had come to teach the masters. He was steady, punctual to his long day's work, and in every way exemplary, a gentleman in manner, and a great favourite with all the assistants and other pupils; but it was known to his fellow-workers that at a certain date he was to come into a considerable sum of money, and he had often said that when he got it, "then farewell to industry, to art, and to respectability." His words were: "When I get it I will let fly." And, sad to relate, he did "let fly." He had been working out of our studio for some two or three months, when he suddenly disappeared, and the last we heard of him was that he was spending his time, and his money chiefly in the immediate vicinity of the Surrey Theatre, and that in an adjacent public-house bar he was seen lighting his pipe with a five pound note. Poor fellow! It was the old, old story—the drink—the drink that did it.

Alexander Aitcheson Dalziel and John Sanderson Dalziel, the two sons of our brother Robert, also, on leaving school, became pupils to learn wood engraving. The elder brother, Alexander, shortly after completing his term, married and went out to South Africa, where for a time he coupled scholastic work with his engraving; but after a bit he gave up art altogether and went on with his teaching only—while John emigrated to America, and settled down in Philadelphia for many years, where he executed a large number of elaborate, highly-finished works, chiefly of a scientific character, much of which has been reproduced in this country. At the time we write he is turning his attention to fruit culture in Colorado.

A. W. Bayes was introduced to us by H. Stacy Marks, R.A., as a young man who had been engaged as a draughtsman at some manufacturing works in the country, and had shown a wonderful capacity for design. We could not say he came to us as a pupil; but whatever progress he made in our studio was the result of the practice derived from the subjects given to him, and owing to the advantage of his seeing a great variety of drawings by the leading artists of the time. He was very industrious and very rapid. He worked with us for many years, until, for the further development in painting and other branches of his art, he found it an advantage to have a place of his own. With us he had illustrated a number of children's books, the most important being the works of Hans Christian Andersen, for which he made a very large number of drawings. These books went through many editions. He also made a set of drawings from Bible history, and another set from the New Testament, all of which were published for us by Messrs. Routledge, Warne & Co., with a fair amount of success. Bayes for some years has devoted himself almost entirely to painting in oil, and has produced many important works—chiefly of a historical order.

Phil Ebbutt came to us on the recommendation of our friend George R. Sims. He had a natural taste for drawing, and was quick at design. He worked much on our publication, Jack and Jill, including political cartoons, and romances strictly historical. He also made many drawings for Fun, which were mostly of a social character. In all he was an industrious, willing worker, but his progress was hindered by an affection of the eyes, which now and again demanded complete rest; though that, for a time, was got over and he went to work again. He also made many drawings as book illustrations, and was one of the original artists on the Daily Graphic, working for the first number of that journal. But the eye trouble again caused him to terminate so close a connection, and he continued as an occasional contributor only. He still holds a prominent place as a journalistic artist, doing much good work.

Hal Ludlow as a boy showed great taste and skill in drawing. His friends wished him to be a wood engraver and placed him with us as an apprentice for that purpose; but he made little or no progress in that branch and was soon put to drawing entirely, and very quickly developed as a clever designer. He made hundreds of drawings for children's and other books; some of the former were carried out in colours—what are generally known as "Toy Books." He soon became an expert in pure pen and ink work, and when the Pictorial World was under our control, made a large number of careful drawings of social life—many of every-day events, notably river and race scenes. He also made many important drawings of theatrical representations—new plays, opera and music hall subjects. His work had become so popular that Mason Jackson came to us on behalf of the Illustrated London News, to know if we would allow Ludlow to make drawings on wood for that journal, saying, "it was a pity that such clever drawings should all be reproduced by process," which he regarded as an inferior manner of rendering them. What a change has come since that period! How completely has the then-thought "superior" manner had to stand aside for the "inferior"! We may here state that, in the long past, we always thought that some automatic process would be perfected for the proper reproduction of point work, or what was always known as "facsimile" drawing. Of Ludlow's work as a popular designer and painter, it is not necessary to speak further than to say that his smaller water colours rival in grace and minute finish the work of Jan Van Beers.

George Gatcombe was a companion and friend of Phil Ebbutt, and through that fact came to us. He showed an early taste for drawing, was from the first a very rapid workman, and soon developed to an extent that made his work suitable for publication. We gave him an opportunity by the introduction of his work on Fun, in which he evinced a distinct capacity for the elegant in his social pictures. He made many illustrations for books; and did much at various times for "Hood's Annual." Some of his political cartoons, too, showed a distinct taste in that direction. He also produced several designs of a historical character. Gatcombe is a good all-round black and white artist.

Among the many other pupils and assistants who have passed through our studios, and proved themselves steady and accomplished artists, we must not omit to mention Harry Leighton, E. J. Wallis, who has lately turned his attention very successfully to landscape photography, Walter Williams, William Arrowsmith, and James Clark, who, like his fellow-pupil Frank Fricker, remained with us for over forty years.

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