The Graphic

Current stock listed below background information

The Graphic was a British illustrated newspaper, first published on 4 December 1869. It continued to be published weekly under this title until 23 April 1932 and then changed title to "The National Graphic" between 28 April and 14 July 1932, it then ceased publication. "The Graphic" was founded by William Luson Thomas, a wood engraver and social reformer who believed that illustrations had the power to influence public opinion on political issues. The first editor was Henry Sutherland Edwards, and Thomas also recruited a number of gifted artists including Luke Fildes, Hubert von Herkomer, Frank Holl, and John Millais. These artists drew pictures on wood blocks; these were given to engravers, who then cut away the blank spaces (or negative parts) of the design, after which the inked surface was reproduced like type.  "The Graphic" was published on a Saturday and its original cover price was sixpence. In its first year, it described itself to advertisers as "a superior illustrated weekly newspaper, containing twenty-four pages imperial folio, printed on fine toned paper of beautiful quality, made expressly for the purpose and admirably adapted for the display of engravings".

When it started out, the newspaper was printed in a rented house. However it was a rapid success, and by 1882 the company owned three buildings, twenty printing machines and employed over 1,000 people. It had subscribers all around the British Empire and in North America.

Artists employed on The Graphic and The Daily Graphic at the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th century included Alexander Boyd, Frank Brangwyn, James H. Dowd, Harry Furniss, Phil May, Leonard Raven Hill, Edmund Sullivan, George Stampa, Sidney Sime, Bert Thomas and F. H. Townsend. Writers for the paper included George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, W. M. Thackeray, and Anthony Trollope.

In 1889 Thomas and his company H. R. Baines and Co began publishing the first daily illustrated newspaper the Daily Graphic. After William Luson Thomas died in 1900  his son Carmichael Thomas ran the company.

The Graphic" was designed to compete with the famous "Illustrated London News" (established in 1842), and became its most successful rival. Earlier rivals such as the Illustrated Times and the Pictorial Times had either failed to compete or been merged with the ILN. It appealed to the same middle class readership, but The Graphic, as its name suggests, was intended to use images in a more vivid and striking way than the rather staid ILN. To this end it employed some of the most important artists of the day, making an immediate splash in 1869 with Houseless and Hungry, Luke Fildes' dramatic image of the shivering London poor seeking shelter in a workhouse.

The paper covered home news and news from around the British Empire devoted much attention to literature arts sciences the fashionable world sport music and opera. Royal occasions and national celebrations and ceremonials were also given prominent coverage.

In 1889 Thomas's company H.R. Baines and Co. commenced publication of the first daily illustrated newspaper in England which was called The Daily Graphic. This is not to be confused with its American precursor the Daily Graphic which was the first American daily illustrated newspaper founded in 1873.

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The Graphic: An Illustrated Weekly Magazine; Vol XVII, January to  June 1878: London, 1878. Hardcover, copies of The Graphic from January 5, 1878  to June 1878,  issue numbers 423 to 448, plus the Summer Number coloured. Book in poor shape. The boards are joined with backstrip but inner hinges completely split and covers detached taking title page and first page of index with it. Binding at signatures are split in several places. The actual pages are complete and generally clean so still a good reference source. Will rebind well. Interesting year. Coverage includes: the transportation and  erection of Cleopatra"s Needle, the Paris Exhibition, the Russians in the Balkans and Constantinople, Stanley"s expedition to Africa, the Death of Pope Pius IX, the Cotton Riots in Lancashire, collision of German ironclads in the channel, plus much, much more.  Articles and illustrations, political, social and military, engravings of ships, transport people etc etc. These  volumes of The Graphic are becoming very scarce. VERY HEAVY volume.

Ref  104310:  £250.00

The Graphic: An Illustrated Weekly Magazine; Vol XLVI July - December 1892: London, 1892. Hardcover, copies of The Graphic from July 2 1892 to December 31 1892, issue numbers 1179 to 1205. Bound in half leather, black leather spine and corner guards on black cloth boards. Many articles and illustrations, political, social and military and many advertisements.  Binding is tight, hinges sound and not cracked. Internally clean. These bound volumes of The Graphic are becoming very scarce. VERY HEAVY volume.

Ref  101701:  £250.00

The Graphic: An Illustrated Weekly Magazine; Vol XLVII, January – June 1893: London, 1893. Hardcover, copies of The Graphic from January 7 1893 to June 24 1893, issue numbers 1206 to 1230. Bound in half leather, black leather spine and corner guards on black cloth boards.  Many articles and illustrations, political, social and military and many advertisements.  Binding is a little wobbly but still sound, outer hinges cracked but holding firm, leather heavily scuffed with heavy rubs at spine edges. Internally clean. These bound volumes of The Graphic are becoming very scarce. 16 x 12 inches. VERY HEAVY volume.

Ref  101702:  £250.00

The Graphic: An Illustrated Weekly Newspaper; Vol LIV, July – December 1896: London, 1896. Hardcover, copies of The Graphic from July 4 1896 to December 26 1896, issue numbers 1388 to 1413, plus the Christmas Number 1896 with colour illustrations. Bound in half leather, black leather spine and corner guards on black cloth boards.  Many articles and illustrations, political, social and military and many advertisements.  Binding sound, hinges intact, inner front opening at prelim but holding firm, leather spine rubs. Internally clean. These bound volumes of The Graphic are becoming very scarce. 16 x 12 inches. VERY HEAVY volume.

Ref  101830:  £250.00

The Graphic: An Illustrated Weekly Magazine; Vol LXL January – June 1900: London, 1900. Hardcover, copies of The Graphic from January 6 1900 to June 30 1900, issue numbers 1571 to 1596. Fairly recently rebound in half leather, red leather spine and corner guards on red cloth boards. . This volume contains many reports and illustrations from the Boer War in South Africa. Many other  articles and illustrations, political, social and military and many advertisements, including a nice one advertising the opening of th Hotel Russell in London with engraved view of the hotel from the facing gardens. Binding is tight, ffep small tear and inner front joint open at endpaper but firm and solid. Internally clean. These bound volumes of The Graphic are becoming very scarce. VERY HEAVY volume.

Ref  101700:  £250.00