Charlton, John “The Islington Horse Show – A Scrimmage at the Hurdles”

John Charlton.  “The Islington Horse Show – A Scrimmage at the Hurdles.” 

London: The Graphic, June, 8, 1878.  15 ¼ x 26 ¾ (image) plus margins.  Wood engraving.  With folds as original issued.  Professionally conserved and backed with rice paper.  Slight staining under title.  Else, very good condition. 

Many events and subjects from the nineteenth century did not warrant the production of separately issued prints nor of published photographs.  However, printed images of these events and subjects are, thankfully, available to us through the medium of the illustrated newspaper.  These newspapers, usually issued weekly in England and America, were made possible by the development of wood engraving as a practical method of print making.  These publications, filled with current text and a multitude of illustrations, became extremely popular from their first appearance with the Illustrated London News in 1842.  This paper was followed in England by The Graphic in 1869. This source provides us with images of many facets of the nineteenth century which would not exist without these papers.  This is a fine example of the output of one of the two most successful papers in England.