Prints may also be seen at:
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Post Office Box 146
Greytown, 5742
Wairarapa
New Zealand
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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.
Fine Bird Books, Benjamin Fawcett, p. 77.
Price: US$80.00 (includes shipping cost).
LINK to LARGER image
Chromoxylograph ( color wood engraving ), with hand coloured background and finishing, by Benjamin Fawcett.
From: Charles Robert Brees' A History of The Birds of Europe, Not Observed In The British Isles, 1863.
Published in London, by Groombridge And Sons, Paternoster Row, 1866.
A Lydon and Fawcett colaboration.
Paper Size: 6 x 9 5/8 inches (15.5 x 24.5 cm) approximately.
Condition: very good, with minor foxing on title, please see larger photograph.
Text: text is not included.