A Biographical Dictionary of British and Irish Engravers, 1714–1820

The first reference work to cover all engravers working on copper in Britain and Ireland 1714–1820

This biographical dictionary of engravers working on copper encompasses both those who produced fine art prints and those who engraved book illustrations for medical, technical, and literary works. These engravings played a more important part than is usually realised in spreading information during the Age of Enlightenment. The book contains approximately 4,000 biographical entries which draw on much unpublished information, researched over four decades. The sources include records of apprenticeship, genealogy, insurance, and bankruptcy, as well as newspaper advertisements and contemporary accounts.

A Biographical Dictionary of British and Irish Engravers, 1714–1820 is the first reference work to cover all engravers working on copper in Britain and Ireland between 1714 and 1820. While many biographical entries describe celebrated engravers producing “fine art” prints of paintings disseminating knowledge about living and dead artists, this book also builds a more complex picture of the printmaking occupation. It includes engravers, many previously unresearched, who worked on ephemeral material such as trade cards, bank notes, and satirical prints. Additionally, it covers images that spread knowledge across literary, geographical, historical, topographical, medical, and technical fields.