Benjamin FAWCETT  (1808–1893)

Benjamin Fawcett was one of the finest of the nineteenth century woodblock colour printers. Born in Bridlington in December 1808, he was the son of a ship’s master. At the age of 14 he was apprenticed for seven years to William Forth, a Bridlington bookseller and printer. In 1831 he set up in business as a bookseller, bookbinder, music seller, printer and stationer, in Middle Street, Driffield.

Many of his early printing projects were childrens’ books published by Webb & Millington of Leeds.

Books which Fawcett financed and printed were usually illustrated by AF (Frank) Lydon (1836-1917), who had started as one of Fawcett’s apprentices. Unlike the earlier work of Thomas Bewick (1753-1828), printing was in colour. This was initially achieved by hand colouring wood-engraved illustrations, and later by printing in colours from multiple wood blocks.

Lydon and Fawcett colaborated on Charles Robert Bree's, A History of the Birds of Europe Not Observed in the British Isles, published in London in 1863.

Reference:

Fine Bird Books, Benjamin Fawcett, p. 77.