Dalziel Family Collection photCL 47
Suzanne Oatey
The Huntington Library
January 2022
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library Photo Archives
Title: Dalziel family collection
Identifier/Call Number: photCL 47
Physical Description:
24.57 Linear Feet
(16 boxes, 5 volumes)
Date (inclusive): approximately 1830s-1929 (bulk
1860s-1900s)
Abstract: A collection of materials related to
the Dalziel family, prominent wood engravers and publishers in mid to late-19th century
England. Includes family photograph albums, hundreds of wood engravings, and
scrapbooks.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. Dalziel family collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from H. M. Fletcher, England, by the Friends of the Huntington Library, 1948.
Biographical / Historical
The Brothers Dalziel was a wood engraving and publishing firm founded in 1839 in London by
George Dalziel (1815-1902). In 1840 he was joined by his brother Edward (1817-1905), and
later by siblings Margaret Jane (1819-1894), John (1822-1869) and Thomas (1823-1906). The
company, one of the most important providers of book and magazine illustrations in the 1860s
and 1870s, worked with many of the leading artists and writers of the period. After his wife
died in 1846, George, who had no children, lived with his brother Edward and his family in
Hampstead. In 1847, Edward married Jane Gurden (1823-1873), and they had nine children,
several of whom entered the family business: Edward G. (1849-1888), Jane "Jennie" (1851-),
Gilbert G. (1853-), Harvey R. (1855-), Charles D. (1857-), Grace (1858-1942), Ethel
(1860-1879), Wilfrid W. (1862-), and Dora (1864-1947).
Scope and Contents
A collection of 16 photograph albums, about 800 wood-engraved illustrations, and 5
scrapbooks of wood engravings, clippings, letters, and ephemera related to the Dalziel
family of England. The Dalziel Brothers firm produced wood engravings for book
illustrations, and this collection contains hundreds of examples of their work. The
photograph albums were mostly compiled by Dora Dalziel, a daughter of Edward Dalziel, who
also was a photographer, along with her sister, Grace Dalziel. The photographs include their
houses (exteriors and interiors), family groups, vacation scenes, informal portraits, and
domestic life. Some are captioned, but the majority of photographs don't have
identifications. A few albums contain cabinet card and carte-de-visite portraits of various
Dalziel family, their friends, and some theater or literary personalities. Two travel albums
signed "Dora Dalziel, 1889" contain commercially-made photographs of France, Switzerland,
Monaco, Algiers, Italy and elsewhere. The collection also contains hundreds of wood
engravings created by the Dalziel Brothers firm, of illustrations by many notable Victorian
artists including John Gilbert, John Everett MIllais, and John Tenniel. The engravings are
mostly individual prints on India paper, with the artist and title usually noted in pencil
handwriting. There are also five scrapbooks of wood engravings, clippings, various types of
illustrations, some letters, and ephemera, dating from approximately 1830s to 1929.
Processing Information
Processed by Huntington Library staff, circa mid-20th century. In 2022, Suzanne Oatey
created a finding aid.
Arrangement
Organized in two series: 1. Photograph albums; 2. Wood engravings and scrapbooks
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Illustration of books -- England -- 19th century
Wood-engraving, English
Wood-engravers
Hampstead (London, England)
Photographs –- Great Britain –- 19th century
Photograph albums
Card photographs
Cartes-de-visite (card photographs)
Illustrations
Scrapbooks -- 19th century
Scrapbooks -- 20th century
Wood engravings (prints)
Dalziel, Edward, 1817-1905
Dalziel, George, 1815-1902
Dalziel, Gilbert, 1853-1930
Dalziel, John, 1822-1869
Dalziel, Margaret Jane, 1819-1894
Dalziel, Thomas Bolton Gilchrist Septimus, 1823-1906
Dalziel Brothers
Green, Townley
Photograph albums Series 1
approximately 1860s-1903
Physical Description: 14.04 Linear
Feet(16 albums in 12 boxes)
Arrangement
Arranged chronologially.
Box 5
Family album Volume 1
approximately 1860s-1880s
Scope and Contents
A disbound album of 32 photographs, including informal portraits of a little girl
(possibly salt prints). Scenes show men, women and children in a country setting,
sitting in a garden, and group and individual portraits. Appears to be Edward
Dalziel's adult children, Dora, Grace, and others. Two studio portraits also, of E.
Hunter Blair and Prince Victor of (Hotzenlake?). Photographs possibly taken by Dora
and Grace Dalziel.
Box 5
"Somerset" album Volume 2
approximately 1870s-1890s
Scope and Contents
A disbound album of photographs mounted on board, with handwriting on the first page:
"These are all Somerset photos." Images show a large country house, scenery, people in
a garden, portraits of house workers, dogs, horses. Several members of the Edward
Dalziel family appear. The last image has a credit "G. Dalziel," possibly Grace
Dalziel. One loose image of a plant has handwritten notes on back regarding exposure
time of photograph.
Box 5
Family album Volume 3
approximately 1870s-1890s
Scope and Contents
A disbound album of family photographs mounted on board. Some penciled
identifications, including "Charlie" (Charles Dalziel), and Dora Dalziel at Brighton;
Wilfrid Dalziel with "Farmer" after his name; other family members; a country house
called "Manor Farm, Wiltshire"; and a man named L. H. Chandler.
Box 6
Card photograph album Volume 4
approximately 1860s-1880s
Scope and Contents
An album of cabinet cards and carte-de-visite studio portraits, including a few of
Jennie Dalziel (daughter of Edward Dalziel), and many inscribed to her. One portrait
of her is dated 1871, when she was 20. Other people include George and Edward Dalziel,
Gurden family members (Jane Gurden Dalziel was Edward's wife); Annie Hart; Charles
David; William Gillard in Gloucester; S. R. Lock and "Garden and views of Mr. Lock's
house, 54 King Henry's road"; Tom White; and Ella Jenkins Riddell, and other Dalziels.
There are several portraits of a young girl, Jessie R. Lock. S. R. (Samuel) Lock
(1822-1881) was a partner in the photography firm Lock and Whitfield.
Box 7
Family album Volume 5
approximately 1878
Scope and Contents
An album of 42 photographs of Dalziel family outside a country house (Hampstead?),
informal portraits, horses, family groups, a woman on a bicycle. The album has no
identifications or dates, but it includes a newspaper clipping from March 30, 1878
titled "Mr. Charles Green's Costume Ball" regarding a party at the studio of artist
Charles Green at Charlecote, Hampstead-hill-gardens, with a long list of
attendees.
Biographical / Historical
Charles Green (1840–1898) was a British painter and illustrator. He was the brother
of H. Towneley Green (1836-1899), also a watercolor painter and illustrator.
Box 8
Family album Volume 6
approximately 1870s-1890s
Scope and Contents
An album of 57 photographs of Edward Dalziel's extended family and their home in
Hampstead. "Hampstead" is written under some images. Some informal outdoor portraits
of Dora and Grace Dalziel (perhaps taken by each other), and their brothers, Charles,
Gilbert, and Wilfrid. One group portrait of men and women with tennis rackets, and a
Mr. Cunningham and Hal Ludlow. One mounted photograph in album of a very elderly man
in slippers, possibly George or Edward Dalziel? Photographs most likely taken by Dora
and Grace Dalziel.
Box 9
Card photograph album Volume 7
approximately 1870s-1880s
Scope and Contents
An album of 54 card photographs (cabinet cards and cartes-de-visite) primarily of
notable people of Victorian England, and a few portraits of Dalziel men. Portraits
include those of: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Thomas Carlyle, John Ruskin, Charles
Darwin, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Henry Fawcett M.P., W. E. Gladstone, F. H. O'Donnell
M.P., Cardinal Newman, Gustave Dore, and a young Thomas Alva Edison. There are three
women's portraits in the album: George Eliot, Kate Greenaway, and Florence
Nightengale. Several are by British photographers Elliott and Fry, and Herbert Rose
Barraud.
Box 10
Card photograph album Volume 8
approximately 1872
Scope and Contents
An album of about 40 portraits, inscribed "Jennie Dalziel - from Aunt Meg, 1872."
Aunt Meg was Margaret Dalziel, a sister of George and Edward Dalziel. The photographs
are a mixture of famous Victorian personalities and Dalziel family and friends. Some
theater performers.
Box 11
Family album Volume 9
approximately 1878-1882
Scope and Contents
An album of 25 studio portraits of men, women, and children, many unidentified. One
portrait of George Dalziel dated March 1878, and a man named R. D. Graham and four
Graham children (possibly Richard Dalziel Graham, artist).
Box 12
Carte-de-visite album Volume 10
approximately 1884
Scope and Contents
A small album of 32 cartes-de visite, primarily souvenir images of Algiers, dated
1884 in handwriting on the backs of several images. Some photographs of Grace and Dora
Dalziel, unidentified people, and tintypes of three men, who appear to be
Dalziels.
Box 13
Travel albums of photographs of Europe Volumes 11-12
1889
Scope and Contents
Two disbound albums of souvenir photographs of places in Europe, showing
architecture, streetscapes, and landscapes by various commercial European
photographers. Locations are primarily France, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland, and
Algiers. Both albums have handwriting on the front page, "Dora Dalziel, June 1889."
Dora was a daughter of Edward Dalziel. Locations are written in pencil in Dora's
hand.
Box 14
Wilfrid Dalziel's photograph album Volume 13
1897
Scope and Contents
An album of 44 albumen photographs mounted on paper, signed "Wilfred Dalziel, 1897"
on first page. Wilfred (spelled elsewhere as Wilfrid) was a son of Edward Dalziel.
There are four images of George and Edward Dalziel together, and a few handwritten
captions. Images include a house and garden, groups of people seated, "Hamble Church,"
a boat at "Luke's yard, Hamble," a village called Freshwater Bay, and a large
Tudor-style house at "Freshwater." This is most likely Freshwater, Isle of Wight.
Box 15
Photograph album from Towneley Green Volume 14
1898
Scope and Contents
An album of about 30 photographs mounted on paper, inscribed "To G. & D. Dalziel
/ From their friend Towneley Green, Christmas 1898." Most likely, "G. & D." are
Grace and Dora Dalziel, who took many photographs of family members. The album
contains several portraits of an unidentified man (Green?), Dalziel family members,
images of interior rooms of an elegant house, and a group photograph of men and women
on a tennis court.
Biographical / Historical
Towneley Green (Henry Towneley Green, 1836-1899) was a British illustrator and
watercolorist. He was the brother of Charles Green, also an artist.
Box 16
Towneley Green remembrance album Volume 15
approximately 1898-1899
Scope and Contents
An album containing photographs of Towneley Green and clippings about his death in
1899. Pasted inside the front cover is a card: "Charlecote. 3 Hampstead Hill Gardens."
There are several interior views of Towneley Green's house, where he lived until his
death in 1899. One clipping has a photograph of Green and the credit "Photograph from
a portrait by the Misses Dalziel." Grace and Dora Dalziel took photographs and often
used a joint credit.
Box 16
Family photograph album Volume 16
approximately 1890s-1903
Scope and Contents
This album includes images of George and Edward Dalziel, Edward Dalziel's adult
children, and possibly friends or other family; there are no identifications. Images
include people at a beach promenade, dogs and cats, men walking dogs, people in a
garden. There is a letter pasted in back to "Mr. Dalziel" from Sophia Duberly Delmard,
May 4, 1903.
Wood engravings and scrapbooks Series 2
approximately 1830s - 1929
Physical Description: 10.53 Linear
Feet(4 boxes and 5 volumes)
Arrangement
Prints in boxes 1 to 3 arranged by name of artist.
Box 1
Wood engravings: Absolon, John – Graham, Tom
Scope and Contents
Includes illustrations by Edward G. Dalziel and Thomas Dalziel.
Box 2
Wood engravings: Hair, T. H. – Powell, J. H.
Scope and Contents
Includes illustrations by John Everett Millais and George Pinwell.
Box 3
Wood engravings: Sandys, Frederick – Wolf
Scope and Contents
Includes illustrations by John Tenniel and unidentified illustrations.
Box 4
Small scrapbooks and ephemera
Scope and Contents
Various small volumes: Scrapbook of illustrations by John Gilbert; scrapbook of "A.
I. Dalziel, Newcastle" of illustrations; scrapbook of autographs, ephemera, letters
addressed to Gilbert Dalziel; two sketchbooks; and "Catalogue of 569 framed
paintings…at Dalkeith," London, 1906 (4 copies, all cut-up).
Volume 18
Scrapbook of wood-engraved illustrations by John Gilbert
approximately 1830s-1840s
Scope and Contents
Illustrations to accompany poems by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Volume 19
Scrapbook of wood engravings
approximately 1850s-1870s
Scope and Contents
Has bookplate of Edward Dalziel.
Volume 20
Scrapbook of wood engravings
approximately 1850s-1870s
Volume 21
Scrapbook of newspaper clippings and ephemera
1898-1899
Volume 17
Scrapbook of articles on wood engraving
1928-1929
Scope and Contents
Contains some letters to Gilbert Dalziel.
