Description
Book SynopsisThe year 2023 sees the 150th anniversary of the death of William Harry Rogers. Rogers was one of the finest artist-designers of the Victorian period in Britain, someone to be considered in the same company as Pugin, William Burges, Owen Jones and Christopher Dresser. His designs won several prize medals at the Great Exhibition of 1851, the event which provides a ubiquitous reference point for cultural histories of the nineteenth century. He subsequently specialised in designing the appearances of books and his work in this field in the 1850s and 1860s was unrivalled, with many of his designs appearing also in the USA. The present book is the first to be devoted to Rogers and aims to be definitive, containing comprehensive accounts of his work and his life in Soho and the then village of Wimbledon. It includes many new discoveries, and hundreds of colour illustrations.
Trade Review"Greg Jones's biography brings to life a versatile Victorian artist and designer who made an indelible impact on nineteenth-century material culture. Based on meticulous research, Jones creates a compelling portrait of a talented yet little known artist whose influence on Victorian taste was profound." - Joanne Shattock, Emeritus Professor of Victorian Literature, University of Leicester "This book is erudite yet eminently readable and is a comprehensive study of WHR and his varied achievements in design encompassing not just book covers and illustration but also silver, wooden items and playing cards. This is a landmark in Victorian studies and is very well illustrated." - Paul Goldman, Honorary Professor of English Literature, Cardiff University "This thoroughly researched and lavishly illustrated book places William Harry Rogers at the forefront of mid-Victorian design, as frequently expressed in his book cover designs." - Edmund M.B. King, art historian
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements 7 one Introduction 9 two Life of the Artist-Designer 19 three George Isaacs 37 four Two Signatures 46 five The Builder 50 six Henry Fitzcook 63 seven The Art Journal 69 eight Silver 81 nine Sir Henry Cole 96 ten Queen Victoria’s Cradle 106 eleven The Great Exhibition and its Successors 118 twelve Spiritual Conceits 139 thirteen Illustrations 149 fourteen Playing Cards 161 fifteen Jewellery 168 sixteen Book Covers 174 seventeen Contemporary Owners 196 eighteen Patrons 202 Appendices a Gallery of Book Covers 216 b Paris 285 c Cover Design Re-use and Materials 291 d Kate Rogers and Others 295 Index of Titles for Books and Journals with WHR Covers 301 Index 305
