McNeve. “The First Day Of The Season.”

McNeve.  “The First Day Of The Season.”  From Illustrated London News. 

London, May 9, 1891. 11 3/4 x 9 1/4.  Wood engraving by Lascelles. Very good condition.  A/A

The Illustrated London News remains one of the best sources for lively, informative images of the nineteenth century.  Major artists were employed to do drawings on the spot of events throughout the world, and these were then turned into the affectionate and detailed prints through which so many got their visual information of what was going on beyond their local environs.  These prints filled the place that is now taken by photographs and television images, and like the latter in our time, the prints had an immense impact on society at that time.  The images are not only very attractive, but they are known for their accuracy.  Thus they provide us with a wonderful peek at the nineteenth century.  This delightful image of the Oxford-Cambridge rowing race in 1873 is typical of the output of this newspaper.  It has a delightful composition and is filled with fascinating details of this bygone event.