Appendix 3: Book Illustrations Referred to in the Diary

The Apprenticeship of a Mountaineer: Edward Whymper's London Diary, 1855-1859. Originally published by London Record Society, London, 2008.

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'Appendix 3: Book Illustrations Referred to in the Diary', in The Apprenticeship of a Mountaineer: Edward Whymper's London Diary, 1855-1859, (London, 2008) pp. 215-218. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/london-record-soc/vol43/pp215-218 [accessed 26 April 2024]

Appendix 3 Book illustrations referred to in the diary

Baptist Magazine (1858)

The Indian map in the Missionary Herald section, February 1858, is probably that referred to on 15 February 1858.

Baptist Reporter (1858).

There are full-page Whymper engravings in the volumes for February, March and May 1858, pages 68, 98, 164.

The book of Job. London: J. Nisbet, 1857.

Mentioned by Whymper on 20 December 1856, this contained fifty engravings of which twenty-three are by the Whympers, and sixteen by the Dalziels.

Browne, R.W. A history of Rome, from A.D. 96 to the fall of the Western Empire. London: SPCK, 1859.

Edward Whymper drew seven illustrations onto wood blocks, 'Palmyra'(13 –21 November 1857), 'Diocletian's palace at Spalatro' (21 – 26 December 1857), 'Basilica of St Paul' (3 – 4 May 1858), 'Basilica of Constantine' (30 October – 4 November 1857), 'Baths of Caracalla' (4 – 12 November 1857), 'Castle of St Angelo' (21 – 30 October, 12 – 13 November 1857) and 'Porta Nigra' (8 – 15 December 1857).

Bunyan, John. The pilgrim's progress. London: J. Nisbet, 1860.

Described on 25 February, 8 March 1858, this edition contains forty illustrations, drawn by John Gilbert and engraved by the Whympers.

Byron, George. Childe Harold's pilgrimage: a romaunt. London: J. Murray, 1859.

Photographs and sketches from a variety of artists were drawn on the wood by Percival Skelton and engraved by the Whympers, Jewitt and J. Cooper. Fifty of the seventy-eight illustrations were engraved by the Whympers. The full page frontispiece to Canto Fourth, page 185, 'Horses of St Marks,' was drawn onto the wood from a photograph by Edward Whymper, 9 – 20 September 1858. Skelton's drawings of the wolf of the capitol and the Pantheon, are those redrawn by Edward Whymper on 22, 28 and 29 October 1858.

Corderoy, Edward. "Progress: life of George Stephenson. A lecture." in Lectures delivered before the Young Men's Christian Association, in Exeter Hall. London: J. Nisbet, 1858.

Whymper attended the lecture on 9 February 1858 and completed the two drawings which were published with the text, between 1 and 10 February 1858.

Dufferin, Lord. Letters from high latitudes; being some account of a voyage in the schooner yacht 'Foam', 85 O.M. to Iceland, Jan Mayen, and Spitzbergen. London: J. Murray, 1857.

There are nine full page scenes engraved by the Whympers, including one drawing of an arctic fox by Joseph Wolf. The draughtsman Edmund Gibson also drew scenes for this book. Edward Whymper drew the Lapp lady, p.248 (13, 14 May 1857), a diagram of the coast p.227 (14, 20 April 1857), and the basaltic rocks, p. 167 (8, 9 April 1857).

Ellis, William. Three visits to Madagascar during the years 1853-1854-1856. London: J. Murray, 1858.

Described on 8 March 1858, the book contains twenty-five illustrations, engraved by the Whympers.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 8th ed. Edinburgh: A. and C. Black, 1853-1860. The volume containing the article on micrometers, mentioned on 28 August 1857, appeared later that year. The optical diagrams described 19 February to 20 March 1858 were for the article 'Optics', in the volume published 1858. This contains 282 diagrams in total.

Fireside tales. 2nd series. London: SPCK, 1857.

The volume contains seventeen half-page scenes; the tales originally appeared in the periodical Home Friend (26 March 1857).

Florence. London: SPCK, 1857.

'Convent of Vallombrosa' (4 – 7 October 1856) appears on page 126, and 'Ponte di Santa Trinita' (8 – 9 October, 1 – 4 December 1856) on page 67.

Gosse, Philip. A manual of marine zoology for the British Isles. 2 vols. London: Van Voorst, 1855-6.

The "tunny" referred to on 30 June, 1 July 1856 appears as figure 305.

Gosse, P.H. The romance of natural history. London: J. Nisbet, 1860. Twelve illustrations were drawn by Wolf, and engraved by the Whympers.

Hannah Lavender, or, Ladyhall. London: SPCK, 1857.

Whymper appears to have had no more involvement with this anonymously written novel than to read it on 4 July 1857 and decide where the illustrations should go.

Handbook to the cathedrals of England: Eastern division – Oxford, Peterborough, Norwich, Ely, Lincoln. London: J. Murray, 1862.

Most of the engravings are by Jewitt, but the illustration of Peterborough west front is signed "EWhymper," and must be that started on 1 December 1858, finished on 15 January 1859, and mentioned 15 March 1859. The illustration of the prior's door at Ely cathedral is that described from 1 to 16 November 1858.

James, Thomas. Aesop's fables: a new version. London: J. Murray, 1858. Joseph Wolf and John Tenniel drew the illustrations; John Murray's ledger records payments of £157 14s to the Whympers, £61 to Wolf and £57 to Tenniel, on 30 September 1858. 'Tenniel's blocks' are referred to on 21 August 1858.

Johns, C.A. British birds in their haunts. London: SPCK, 1862.

Mentioned on 19 January 1859, this volume has 190 illustrations drawn by Joseph Wolf, and engraved by the Whympers.

Kingsley, Charles. The heroes; or, Greek fairy tales for my children. Cambridge: Macmillan, 1856.

This contains eight illustrations drawn by Kingsley. The last, showing Theseus and the minotaur, which was engraved by the Whympers, is probably the 'ridiculous mythological outline' mentioned on 11 December 1855.

Livingstone, David. Missionary travels and researches in South Africa. London: J. Murray, 1857.

There are forty-five illustrations, engraved by the Whympers and drawn on the wood by Joseph Wolf (18 April, 23 May, 22 October, 9 and 11 November 1857).

Moodie, Susanna. Roughing it in the bush: or, life in Canada. New ed. London: R. Bentley, 1857.

This book, which Whymper read through on 13 July 1857, contains a frontispeice engraved by the Whympers.

Murchison, Roderick. Siluria: the history of the oldest fossiliferous rocks and their foundations. 3rd ed. London: J. Murray, 1859.

The Whympers were paid £25 for work on this book.

Rawlinson, George (ed.). The history of Herodotus. 4 vols. London: J. Murray, 1858-1860.

The Whympers were paid £100 by John Murray for work on these volumes. 'Herodotus blocks' are referred to on 7 January 1858.

Scripture topography: Palestine. London: SPCK, 1860.

'Valley of Kedron' (28 – 30 September 1859), 'Church at Samaria" (26 September 1859) and 'Northern angle of wall at Jerusalem' (14 – 20 September 1859) were drawn by Edward Whymper.

Smiles, Samuel. The story of the life of George Stephenson, railway engineer. London: J. Murray, 1859.

The preface states that 'The illustrations to this volume are from sketches made on the spot by Mr. Edward Whymper.' The commission was first mentioned on 26 April 1858.

Thomson, Arthur S. The story of New Zealand. London: J. Murray, 1859. The Whympers were paid £87 4s for drawing and engraving the illustrations. Edward Whymper met the author on 18 August 1859.

Thomson, W.M. The land and the book; or Biblical illustrations drawn from the manners and customs, the scenes and scenery of the Holy Land. London: Nelson, 1860.

Originally issued in 12 monthly parts from mid-1859 at sixpence each with black and white illustrations, for which Bethlehem (23 – 27 November 1858), Baalbec (29 April – 10 June 1858) and Hebron (10 – 11 November 1858) were drawn by Edward Whymper.

Tomlinson, Charles. Illustrations of trades. London: SPCK, 1860.

Tomlinson, Charles. Illustrations of useful arts and manufactures. London: SPCK, [1859].

Printed by Richard Clay, there are 600 illustrations, mostly printed on double page spreads. 'Tomlinson's diagrams,' first mentioned on 24 February 1859, then 9 June 1859 onwards, probably refer to these two volumes.

Walpole, Horace. The letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford; edited by Peter Cunningham. 9 vols. London: R. Bentley, 1857-9.

The title page illustration to volume 6, 'Chimney piece in the library at Strawberry Hill' is probably the drawing mentioned on 2, 3, 9, 14 October 1857). Either the title page illustration to volume 7 or volume 9 is the drawing mentioned on 16, 17, 19, 20 October 1857.

White, Gilbert. The natural history of Selborne. New ed, abridged for young persons. London: SPCK, 1860.

First mentioned on 17 January 1859, the frontispiece, 'Residence of Gilbert White, as it existed in his life-time' was begun by Edward Whymper on 2 June and finished 23 June 1859. He drew the map of Selborne and its environs between 27 June and 6 July 1859.

Yarrell, William. A history of British fishes. 3rd ed, rev. John Richardson. London: Van Voorst, 1859.

This edition contains 522 wood engravings, begun on 20 January 1859. Edward Whymper was drawing these fish until 22 June 1859 ('on with Rainbow Wrasse and Viviparous Blenny' 1 April 1859).