,,randolph ,,caldecott4 ,illustration3 ,,randolph ,,caldecott1 ,born #ahdf2 ,died #ahhf4 ,,randolph ,,caldecott3 ,a ,personal ,memoir ,,of ,,his ,,early ,,art ,,career4 ,,by ,,henry ,,blackburn1 ,,editor ,,of ,,academy ,,notes1 ,,etc42 ,,author ,,of ,,breton ,,folk1 ,,artists ,,and ,,arabs1 ,,etc4 ,,with ,,one ,,hundred ,,and ,,seventy-,,two ,,illustrations ,,new ,,york3 ,,george ,,routledge ,,sons1 #i1 ,,lafayette ,,place4 ,,london3 ,,sampson ,,low1 ,,marston1 ,,searle1 ,,rivington1 ,,crown ,,buildings1 #ahh1 ,,fleet ,,street4 #ahhf4 ,in ,affectionate ,remembrance4 ,illustration3 ,,decorative ,,design ,,by ,r4 ,,caldecott4 ,,preface4 ,the object of this memoir is to give some information as to the early work of ,randolph ,caldecott1 an artist who is known to the world chiefly by his ,picture ,books4 ,the extracts from letters have a personal charm apart from any literary merit4 ,the majority of the letters1 and the sketches which accompanied them1 were sent to the author's family2 others have been kindly lent for this memoir by ,mr4 ,william ,clough1 ,mr4 ,locker-,lampson1 ,mr4 ,whittenbury1 and other friends4 ,acknowledgments are also due to the publishers who have lent engravings4 ,at the desire of ,mr4 ,caldecott's representatives1--to whom the author is indebted for extracts from diaries and other material--the consideration of his later work is reserved for a future time4 ,although the text of this book is little more than a setting for the illustrations1 it is hoped that the material collected may be found interesting4 ,h4 ,b4 #ajc1 ,,victoria ,,street1 ,,westminster1 ,september #ahhf4 ,,contents4 ,,page ,,chap4 ,i4--,,his ,,early ,,art ,,career #a ,,ii4--,,drawing ,,for ,,london ,,society #ac ,,iii4--,,in ,,london1 ,,the ,,harz ,,mountains1 ,,etc4 #bi ,,iv4--,,drawing ,,for ,,the ,,daily ,,graphic #ea ,v4--,,drawing ,,for ,,the ,,pictorial ,,world #fg ,,vi4--,,at ,,farnham ,,royal1 ,,bucks #ij ,,vii4--,,old ,,christmas #ajj ,,viii4--,,letters1 ,,diagrams1 ,,etc4 #aag ,,ix4--,,royal ,,academy1 ,,bracebridge ,,hall1 ,,etc4 #acd ,x4--,,on ,,the ,,riviera #adh ,,xi4--,,breton ,,folk1 ,,etc4 #afe ,,xii4--,,at ,,mentone1 ,,etc4 #aij ,,xiii4--,,conclusion #bjc ,,appendix #baa ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations4 ,the unpublished illustrations are marked with an asterisk 99 ,,page ,,portrait ,frontispiece 99,,decorative ,,design ,,by ,r4 ,,caldecott vii 99,,tailpiece xvi 99,,air--,i ,,know ,a ,,bank #a 99,,first ,,clerk--,,second ,,do4 #b 99,,coom1 ,,then #c 99,,three ,,friends #d 99,,going ,,to ,,the ,,dogs #e 99,a ,,sketch ,,in ,,court #g 99,,full ,,cry #h 99,,in ,,the ,,hunting ,,field #i 99,,street ,,sketch--,,policeman1 ,,etc4 #aj 99,,society ,,in ,,manchester #aa 99,a ,,new ,,contributor 7,london ,society7 #ac ,,education ,,under ,,difficulties #ad ,,ye ,,monthe ,,of ,,aprile #ae ,,sketch ,,in ,,hyde ,,park #af ,,the ,,chancellor ,,of ,,the ,,exchequer #ag 99,,the ,,trombone #ah ,,the ,,two ,,trombones #ai ,,christmas ,,day1 #d4cj ,a4,m4 #bj ,,clinching ,,an ,,argument #ba ,,snowballs #bb ,,heigh-,,ho1 ,,the ,,holly6 #bc ,,going ,,to ,,cover #be ,,hyde ,,park--,,out ,,of ,,the ,,season #bf ,,coming ,,of ,,age ,,of ,,the ,,pride ,,of ,,the ,,family #bg 99,,the ,,end ,,of ,,all ,,things #bh 99,,sketch ,,on ,a ,,post ,,card #bi ,,first ,,drawing ,,in ,,punch1 #bb,,nd ,,june1 #ahgb #ca 99,a ,,cool ,,sequestered ,,spot #cb ,a ,,tour ,,in ,,the ,,toy ,,country 7,harz ,mountains7 #cc ,a ,,mountain ,,beer ,,garden #cd ,a ,,fraulein #ce ,a ,,mountain ,,path #ce ,a ,,warrior ,,of ,,sedan ,,in ,a ,,beer ,,garden ,,at ,,goslar1 #ahgb #cf ,,the ,,ark ,,of ,,refuge #cg 99,,the ,,dance ,,of ,,witches #ch ,,spectres ,,of ,,the ,,brocken #ci ,a ,,sketch ,,at ,,supper #dj ,,back ,,to ,,the ,,view #dj ,,the ,,guide ,,at ,,goslar #da ,,procession ,,of ,,the ,,sick #db ,,drinking ,,the ,,waters ,,at ,,goslar #dc ,a ,,general ,,in ,,the ,,prussian ,,army #dd 99,a ,,school ,,on ,,the ,,march--,,harz ,,mountains1 #ahgb #de ,,sketch--,,harz ,,mountains1 #ahgb #df ,,sketch--,,harz ,,mountains1 #ahgb #dh ,,at ,,clausthal #di 99,,sketch #ej ,,sketch ,,in ,,punch1 #h,,th ,,march1 #ahgc #ea ,a ,,check #ec ,,sketch 7,published in ,pall ,mall ,gazette7 #ee ,,looking ,,out ,,for ,,the ,,graphic ,,balloon #eg ,,off ,,to ,,the ,,exhibition--,,vienna1 #ahgc #ei 99,a ,,viennese ,,dog #fj ,,sketch 7,published in ,pall ,mall ,gazette7 #fb 99,,early ,,decorative ,,design #fd ,,this ,,is ,,not ,a ,,first-,,class ,,cow #ff 99,,studies ,,for ,a ,,large ,,decorative ,,design1 #ahgd #fg ,,the ,,polling ,,booth 7,pictorial ,world7 #gj 99,,home ,,rule--,,march #ahgd #ga ,,on ,,the ,,stump #gb ,,the ,,scotch ,,elections--,,going ,,to ,,the ,,hustings #gc ,,pairing ,,time #gd ,,coursing #ge ,,her ,,first ,,valentine #gf ,a ,,valentine #gf ,,somebody',s ,,coming6 #gg ,i ,,wonder ,,who ,,sent ,,me ,,these ,,flowers #gh ,,the ,,young ,,hamlet #gi ,,house ,,of ,,commons1 ,,march #ahgd--;,,arrival ,,of ,,new ,,members #hj ,,the ,,speaker ,,going ,,up ,,to ,,the ,,lords #ha ,,at ,,the ,,bar ,,of ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,lords #hb ,,the ,,new ,,prime ,,minister #hc ,,the ,,tichborne ,,trial--,,breaking-,,up ,,day #hd ,,the ,,morning ,,walk #hf 99,,decorative ,,painting ,,for ,a ,,dining-,,room #hi 99,,the ,,cottage1 ,,farnham ,,royal #ij 99,,sketch ,,from ,,the ,,cottage1 ,,farnham ,,royal #ia 99,,bringing ,,home ,,the ,,sultanas #ib 99,,the ,,paddock1 ,,farnham ,,royal #ic 99,,studying ,,from ,,nature #ie ,,sketch 7,published in ,pall ,mall ,gazette7 #if ,,sketch 7,published in ,pall ,mall ,gazette7 #ig 99,,drawing ,,from ,,familiar ,,objects #ih 99,,could ,,not ,,draw ,a ,,lady6 #ii ,,headpiece 7,old ,christmas7 #ajj ,,the ,,stage ,,coachman #ajc ,,in ,,the ,,stable ,,yard #ajd ,,the ,,troubadour #ajf ,,the ,,fair ,,julia #ajg ,,master ,,simon ,,and ,,his ,,dogs #aji ,,on ,,the ,,road ,,side1 ,,brittany #aaa 99,,at ,,guingamp1 ,,brittany #aac 99,,to ,m4 ,h4--,,christmas1 #ahgd #aad 99,,facsimile ,,of ,,letter #aaf 99,,st4 ,,valentine',s ,,day #aag 99,,at ,,farnham ,,royal #aah 99,,sunrise #aai 99,,diagram4 ,,study ,,in ,,line #abj 99,,diagram4 ,,study ,,in ,,line #abj 99,,diagram4 ,,design ,,for ,a ,,picture1 #ahge #aba 99,,diagram4 ,a ,,mad ,,dog #abb 99,,diagram4 ,,the ,,lecturer #abc ,,diagram4 ,,child #abd ,,diagram4 ,,mad ,,dog #abe 99,,sketch #abg 99,,shows ,,his ,,terra ,,cottas #abi 99,,the ,,first ,,year ,,of ,,academy ,,notes #acj 99,,three ,,pelicans ,,and ,,tortoise #aca 99,,inspecting ,,embroideries #acb 99,,freshwater1 ,,isle ,,of ,,wight #acb 99,a ,,christmas ,,card ,,to ,k4 ,e4 ,b4 #acc ,,opinions ,,of ,,the ,,press 7,manchester ,quarterly7 #acd ,,there ,,were ,,three ,,ravens ,,sat ,,on ,a ,,tree #ace 99,,private ,,view ,,of ,,my ,,first ,r4,a4 ,,picture #acf 99,a ,,horse ,,fair ,,in ,,brittany #acg ,,captain ,,burton #aci ,,preface #a ,bracebridge ,hall #adj ,,preface #b ,bracebridge ,hall #adj ,,the ,,chivalry ,,of ,,the ,,hall ,,prepared ,,to ,,take ,,the ,,field #ada ,,the ,,fair ,,julia ,,and ,,her ,,lover #adc ,,general ,,harbottle ,,at ,,dinner #add ,,an ,,extinguisher #ade 99,,at ,,whitchurch #adf ,,at ,,buxton #adg 99,a ,,christmas ,,card #adh ,,gaming ,,tables ,,at ,,monte ,,carlo 7,graphic7 #aea ,,priest ,,and ,,player 7,graphic7 #aec ,,the ,,priest',s ,,servant 7,north ,italian ,folk7 #aee ,,the ,,husbandman #aeg ,,gossip #aeh ,,dignity ,,and ,,impudence 7,national ,gallery7 #afj ,,spaniels1 ,,king ,,charles',s ,,breed #afj ,,portrait ,,of ,a ,,lawyer ,,by ,,moroni #afa 99,,waiting ,,for ,a ,,boat #afc 99,,tailpiece #afd 99,,cleopatra #afe ,,the ,,three ,,huntsmen 7,l',art7 #afg ,a ,,boar ,,hunt 7,grosvenor ,notes7 #afh ,,the ,,trap 7,breton ,folk7 #agj ,,sketching ,,under ,,difficulties #aga ,,breton ,,farmer ,,and ,,cattle #agb ,a ,,wayside ,,cross #agc ,,at ,,the ,,horse ,,fair1 ,,le ,,folgoet #agd ,,trotting ,,out ,,horses ,,at ,,carhaix #age ,,cattle ,,fair ,,at ,,carhaix #agf ,a ,,typical ,,breton #agg ,a ,,bretonne #agh 99,,sketch #agi ,a ,,cap ,,of ,,finisterre #ahj ,,returning ,,from ,,labour--,,pont ,,aven1 #ahgh #aha ,a ,,breton #ahc 99,a ,,family ,,horse #ahd 99,,sketch ,,in ,,woburn ,,park #ahe 99,a ,,carnation #ahf 99,,hotel ,,gray ,,et ,d',,albion1 ,,cannes #ahi 99,,at ,,mentone #aij 99,,sketch #aia ,,sketch #aib ,,not ,,such ,,disagreeable ,,weather ,,after ,,all--,,some ,,people ,,think 7from ,punch7 #aic 99,a ,,pig ,,of ,,brittany #aid 99,a ,,bookplate #aie 99,,sketch #aif 99,,sketch #aig 99,,facsimile ,,of ,,letter #aii ,,sketch #bjj ,,sketch ,,of ,,wybournes #bja 99,a ,,new ,,year',s ,,greeting #bjc ,,appendix4 99,,headpiece4 ,,caldecott',s ,,picture ,,books #bab ,,sop',s ,,fables #bad ,a ,,sketch ,,book #bae ,,breton ,,folk #baf ,illustration3 ,,air--,i ,,know ,a ,,bank4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,his ,,early ,,art ,,career4 ,randolph ,caldecott1 the son of an accountant in ,chester1 was born in that city on the #bbnd of ,march1 #ahdf1 and educated at the ,king's ,school1 where he became the head boy4 ,he was not studious in the popular sense of the word1 but spent most of his leisure time in wandering in the country round4 ,thus1 his love of sport and fondness for rural pursuits1 which never forsook him1 were evidenced at an early age4 ,his artistic instincts were also early developed1 and many treasured sketches1 models of animals1 c41 cut out of wood1 were produced in ,chester by the boy ,caldecott4 ,perhaps the best and most characteristic record of his early life is1 that he and his brother were two of the best boys in the school2 the genius that consists in an infinite faculty for taking pains having much to do with his after career of success4 ,illustration3 ,,first ,,clerk--,,got ,,jones' ,,ledger8 ,,second ,,do4 7,,newly ,,married7--,,yes1 ,,love6 ,in #ahfa ,caldecott was sent to a bank at ,whitchurch in ,shropshire1 where1 for six years1 he seems to have had considerable leisure and opportunity for indulging in his favourite pursuits4 ,here1 living at an old farm-house about two miles from the town1 he used to go fishing and shooting1 to the meets of hounds1 to markets and cattle fairs1 gathering in a store of knowledge useful to him in after years4 ,the practical1 if half-unconscious1 education that he thus obtained in his off-time1 as he termed it1 whilst clerk at the ,whitchurch and ,ellesmere ,bank1 was often referred to afterwards with pleasure4 ,thus from the earliest time it will be seen that he lived in an atmosphere favourable to his after career4 ,but the bank work was never neglected2 from the day he left his school in ,chester in #ahfa to become a clerk in ,whitchurch1 until the spring of #ahgb when he left ,manchester finally for ,london1 the record of his office work was that he did it well4 ,illustration3 ,,coom1 ,,then4 ,illustration3 ,,three ,,friends4 ,during the ,whitchurch days he had1 as we have indicated1 unusual advantages of leisure1 and the opportunity of visiting many an old house and farm1 driving sometimes on the business of the bank1 in his favourite vehicle1 a country gig1 and very eagerly1 writes one of his fellow clerks and intimate friends1 were those advantages enjoyed4 ,we who knew him1 can well understand how welcome he must have been in many a cottage1 farm1 and hall4 ,the handsome lad carried his own recommendation4 ,with light brown hair falling with a ripple over his brow1 blue-grey eyes shaded by long lashes1 sweet and mobile mouth1 tall and well-made1 he joined to these physical advantages a gay good humour and a charming disposition4 ,no wonder that he was a general favourite4 ,but soon he was transferred to ,manchester1 where a very different life awaited him--a life of more arduous duties--in the ,manchester and ,salford ,bank1 but with opportunities for knowledge in other directions1 of which he was not slow to avail himself4 ,if in his early years his father discouraged his artistic leanings1 he was now in a city which above all others encouraged the study of art--as far as it was consistent with business4 ,in the ,brasenose ,club1 and at the houses of hospitable and artistic friends in ,manchester1 ,caldecott had exceptional opportunities of seeing good work1 and obtaining information on art matters4 ,illustration ,one who knew him well at this time1 writing in the ,manchester ,courier of ,feb4 #afth1 #ahhf1 says3-- ,caldecott used to wander about the bustling1 murky streets of ,manchester1 sometimes finding himself in queer out-of-the-way quarters1 often coming across an odd character1 curious bits of antiquity and the like4 ,whenever the chance came1 he made short excursions into the adjacent country1 and long walks which were never purposeless4 ,then he joined an artists' club and made innumerable pen and ink sketches4 ,whilst in this city so close was his application to the art that he loved that on several occasions he spent the whole night in drawing4 ,for five years1 from #ahfg to #ahgb1 ,caldecott worked steadily at the desk in ,manchester1 studying from nature whenever he had the chance in summer2 and at the school of art in the long evenings1 sometimes working long and late at some water colour drawing4 ,caldecott owed much to ,manchester1 as he often said1 and he never forgot or undervalued the good of his early training4 ,the friends he made then he kept always1 and they were amongst his dearest and best4 ,in ,manchester on the #crd of ,july1 #ahfh--;his first drawings were published in a serio comic paper called ,will o' the ,wisp2 and in #ahfi1 in another paper called ,the ,sphinx1 he had several pages of drawings reproduced4 ,he was painting a little at the same time1 making many hunting and other studies2 they were chiefly for friends1 but one picture was exhibited at the ,manchester ,royal ,institution in #ahfi4 ,illustration3 ,,consider1 ,,ladies ,,and ,,gentlemen ,,of ,,the ,,jury1 ,,the ,,sad ,,position ,,in ,,which ,,my ,,client ,,is ,,placed--,,deserted ,,by ,,his ,,wife ,,and ,,left ,,to ,,support ,,himself ,,and ,,tender ,,infant ,,by ,,his ,,own ,,exertions4 ,illustration3 ,,full ,,cry4 ,illustration3 ,,in ,,the ,,hunting ,,field4 ,there was no restraining ,caldecott now1 his artistic bent and his delightful humour were finding expression in sketches in odd hours and minutes1 on bits of note paper1 on old envelopes1 and on the blotting paper before him at his desk1 until everybody about him must have been alive to his talent4 ,he might no doubt have eventually attained a good position in the bank1 for1 as one of his friends writes of him very truly1 ,caldecott's ability was general1 not special4 ,it found its natural and most agreeable outlet in art and humour1 but everybody who knew him1 and those who received his letters1 saw that there were perhaps a dozen ways in which he would have distinguished himself had he been drawn to them4 ,the unpublished sketches dispersed through this chapter indicate but slightly the originality and fecundity of ,caldecott's genius at this time4 ,illustration3 ,,this ,,is ,,not ,a ,,culprit ,,going ,,to ,,gaol--,,it ,,is ,,only ,a ,,gentleman ,,in ,,love ,,who ,,happens ,,to ,,be ,,walking ,,before ,a ,,policeman6 ,there was clearly but one course to pursue--to give up commercial pursuits and go to ,london--if such sketches as these were to be found scattered amongst bank papers6 ,illustration3 ,,society ,,in ,,manchester4 ,and so1 in ,may1 #ahgj1 ,caldecott1 as his diary records1 went to ,london for a few days with a letter of introduction to ,mr4 ,thomas ,armstrong from ,mr4 ,w4 ,slagg2 and in the same year1 #ahgj1 some of his drawings were shown to ,shirley ,brooks1 and to ,mark ,lemon1 then editor of ,punch4 ,mr4 ,clough thus records the event3-- ,bearing an introductory letter he went up to ,london on a flying visit1 carrying with him a sketch on wood and a small book of drawings of the ',fancies of a ,wedding4' ,he was well received4 ,the sketch was accepted1 and with many compliments the book of drawings was detained4 ',from that day to this1' said ,mr4 ,caldecott1 ',i have not seen either sketch or book4' ,some time after1 on meeting ,mark ,lemon1 the incident was recalled1 when the burly1 jovial editor replied1 ',my dear fellow1 ,i am vagabondising to-day1 not ,punching4' ,i don't think ,mr4 ,caldecott rightly appreciated that joke4 ,from this date and all through the year #ahga1 ,caldecott was at work in ,manchester and sending to ,london drawings1 some of which have hardly been exceeded for humour and expression in a few lines4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,new ,,contributor4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,drawing ,,for ,,london ,,society4 ,it was in ,february #ahga1 in the pages of ,london ,society--a magazine which at that time included amongst its contributors ,j4 ,r4 ,planch1 ,shirley ,brooks1 ,francis ,t4 ,palgrave1 ,frederick ,locker1 ,g4 ,a4 ,sala1 ,edmund ,yates1 ,percy ,fitzgerald1 ,f4 ,c4 ,burnand1 ,arthur ,beckett1 ,tom ,hood1 ,mortimer ,collins1 ,joseph ,hatton1 c42 and amongst its artists ,sir ,john ,gilbert1 ,charles ,keene1 ,linley ,sambourne1 ,g4 ,bowers1 ,mrs4 ,allingham1 ,w4 ,small1 ,f4 ,barnard1 ,f4 ,w4 ,lawson1 ,m4,e4,e41 and many other notable names--that ,caldecott made his first appearance before a ,london public4 ,illustration3 ,,education ,,under ,,difficulties4 ,on ,november #crd1 #ahgj1 his diary says3-- ,some drawings which ,i left with ,a4 in ,london have been shown1 accompanied by a letter from ,du ,maurier1 to a man on ,london ,society4 ,must wait a bit and go on working--especially studying horses1 ,a4 said4 ,from this parcel of ,caldecott's drawings the present writer1 being the man referred to1 selected a few to be engraved2 the sketch of the ,rt4 ,hon4 ,robert ,lowe on horseback in ,hyde ,park1 on page #ag1 ,ye monthe of ,aprile and ,education under ,difficulties being amongst the first published4 ,illustration3 ,ye monthe of ,aprile4 ,illustration3 ,,sketch ,,in ,,hyde ,,park--,,rotten ,,row4 ,it was suggested to him early in #ahgj that he should come to ,london for a short time and make sketches in ,hyde ,park1 and it touched ,caldecott's fancy1 7as he often mentioned afterwards17 that he whose experiences were far removed from such scenes should have been chosen as a chronicler of ,society4 ,the sketches were made always from his own point of view1 and some were so grotesque1 and hit so hard at the aristocracy1 that they were found inappropriate to a fashionable magazine6--one especially of ,hyde ,park in the afternoon1 called ,sons of ,toil1 had to be declined by the ,editor with real regret4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,passing ,,glimpse ,,of ,a ,,gentleman ,,whom ,i ,,took ,,to ,,be ,,the ,,chancellor ,,of ,,the ,,exchequer4 ,the packet of original sketches lies before the writer now2 the pen and ink drawing of ,the ,chancellor of the ,exchequer is dated ,june #crd1 #ahgj4 ,but the best and funniest of these early works could not be published in a magazine4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,trombone4 ,for ,christmas time1 #ahga1 ,caldecott made many sketches4 ,two were to illustrate a short story called ,the ,two ,trombones1 by ,f4 ,robson1 the actor4 ,it was a ridiculous story1 bordering on broad farce1 depicting the adventures of ,mr4 ,adolphus ,whiffles1 a young man from the country1 who in order to get behind the scenes of a theatre undertakes to act as a substitute for a friend as one of the trombones1 unknown to the leader of the orchestra4 ,his friend assures him that in a crowded assembly one trombone would probably make as much noise as two1 and that1 if he took his place in the orchestra1 he had only to pretend to play and all would be right4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,two ,,trombones4 ,in the first sketch we see him in his bedroom contemplating the unfamiliar instrument left by his friend2 in the second he is at the theatre at the crisis when the leader of the band calls upon him to play in 7as it is called7 one of the performers on to the stage6 ,mr4 ,whiffles's instructions were to keep his eyes on the other trombone and imitate his movements exactly2 but unfortunately the other trombone was a substitute also4 ,the leader looks round1 and seeing the two trombones apparently perfectly ready to begin1 gives the signal1 and the curtain rises4 ,the dnoment may be imagined6 ,other stories were illustrated by ,caldecott1 about this period1 in ,london ,society2 one of ,indian life1 another called ,crossed in ,love1 c41 but the artist wished that some illustrations should not be reprinted4 ,several drawings from ,london ,society are omitted1 from the same cause4 ,illustration3 ,,christmas ,,day1 #d4cj ,a4,m4 ,,please1 ,,sir1 ,,give ,,me ,a ,,christmas-,,box4 ,illustration3 ,,clinching ,,an ,,argument4 ,,sketch ,,at ,a ,,debating ,,and ,,mutual ,,improvement ,,society4 ,the freshness of fancy1 not to say recklessness of style1 in many of the drawings which came by post at this time--the abundance of the flow from a stream1 the course of which was not yet clearly marked--raised embarrassing thoughts in an editor's mind4 ,what to do with all the material sent8 was the question in #ahga--;a question which ,caldecott was soon able to answer for himself4 ,illustration3 ,,snowballs ,in #ahga1 many favourable notices appeared in the press referring to the humorous illustrations in ,london ,society2 but the sketch of all others which attracted attention to the work of the unknown artist was ,a ,debating and ,mutual ,improvement ,society on page #ba1 a recollection probably of some meeting or actual scene in ,manchester4#a ,here the artist was on his own ground1 and the result is one of the most rapid and spontaneous sketches in pen and ink ever achieved4 ,it had many of the characteristics of his later work1 a lively and searching analysis of character1 without one touch of grossness or ill-nature--fun and satire of the subtlest and the kindliest4 ,here was the touch of genius unmistakable1 an example of expression in line seldom equalled4 ,illustration3 ,,heigh-,,ho1 ,,the ,,holly6 99 99 99 99 ,that's not ,rosalind3 oh dear no-- ,that damsel under the misletoe1 ,who seems to think life jolly3 ,and as to the gentleman there behind1 ,he wouldn't have pluck to kiss ,rosalind1 ,can't you fancy his ',heigh-ho1 the ,holly6' ,,mortimer ,,collins4 ,in an altogether different vein1 drawing with pen1 and a brush for the tint1--the new artist tries his hand at illustrating one of ,mortimer ,collins's madrigals called ,heigh-ho1 the ,holly6 ,amongst the most ambitious and interesting of ,caldecott's drawings at this time were his hunting and shooting friezes1 of which several examples will be found in the pages of ,london ,society for #ahga and #ahgb1 drawn in outline with a pen2 showing1 thus early1 much decorative feeling and a liking for design in relief which never left him in after years4 ,two of the best that he did were the hunting subjects1 entitled ,going to ,cover and ,full ,cry4 ,illustration3 ,,going ,,to ,,cover4 ,the ,coming of ,age of the ,pride of the ,family is another example1 in a different style1 of ,caldecott's drawing in line at this period4 ,it is reproduced opposite1 in exact facsimile from the pen and ink drawing in possession of the writer4 ,illustration3 ,,hyde ,,park--,,out ,,of ,,the ,,season4 ,trivial as these things may seem now1 the arrival in ,manchester of the red covers of ,london ,society containing almost every month something new by ,r4 ,c41 were among the events in the life of the young banker's clerk which soon set the tide of his affairs towards ,london4 ,illustration3 ,,coming ,,of ,,age ,,of ,,the ,,pride ,,of ,,the ,,family4 ,referring to drawings made for the magazine after ,midsummer #ahgb1 when ,mrs4 ,ross ,church succeeded to the editorship1 ,caldecott writes to a friend3-- ,florence ,marryat wants me to illustrate a novelette1 very humorous1 to run through five or six numbers of ,london ,society1 beginning in ,february4 ,engraved illustrations1 no 'process4' ,i think ,i shall do them1 ,i want coin6 ,but he had soon other work in hand as will be seen in the next chapter4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,end ,,of ,,all ,,things4 ,illustration3 ,,sketch ,,on ,a ,,post ,,card4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,in ,,london1 ,,the ,,harz ,,mountains1 ,,etc4 ,early in the year #ahgb ,caldecott left ,manchester for ,london1 bearing with him the well wishes of the ,brazenose ,club and of an extensive circle of friends4 ,this great change was not decided upon without considerable hesitation2 but1 to quote again from a ,manchester letter3-- ,caldecott was greatly encouraged to take this step by the sale of some small oil and water colour paintings at modest prices1 and by the acceptance of drawings by ,london periodicals4 ,the clinking of sovereigns and the rustling of bank-notes became sounds of the past--the fainter the pleasanter1 so at least ,caldecott thought at that time1 with energy1 ardour1 and the world before him4 ,in ,february and ,march1 #ahgb1 he was still drawing for the magazines and illustrating short stories4 ,in ,march1 #ahgb1 he exhibited hunting sketches in oil at the ,royal ,institution1 ,manchester4 ,on the #afth ,april he went to the ,slade ,school to attend the ,life ,class under ,e4 ,j4 ,poynter1 ,r4,a41 until the #bith ,june4 ,as this was the turning point in ,caldecott's career1 it should be recorded that at this time1 and ever afterwards1 ,mr4 ,armstrong1 the present ,art ,director at the ,south ,kensington ,museum1 was his best friend and counsellor4#b ,he had also the advantage of the friendship of ,george du ,maurier1 ,m4 ,dalou1 the sculptor1 ,charles ,keene1 ,albert ,moore1 and others4 ,on the #hth ,june he records1 ,a4 urged me to prepare caricatures of people well known1 probably with the view of making drawings for periodicals4 ,several drawings of ,caldecott's were under consideration by the proprietors of ,punch1 and on the #bbnd ,june1 #ahgb1 the first appeared4 ,in the same month he exhibited a frame of four small sepia drawings at the ,black and ,white ,exhibition1 ,egyptian ,hall1 ,london4 ,illustration3 ,,first ,,drawing ,,in ,,punch1 #bb,,nd ,,june1 #ahgb4 ,on the #bhth ,june his diary records1 in the gallery of the ,house of ,commons attending the debate on the ,ballot ,bill2 and again on the #hth ,july4 ,on the #ith he is engaged on chalk caricatures all day4 ,a letter dated #bast ,july1 #ahgb1 to one of his ,manchester friends is worth having for the ludicrous sketch accompanying it4 ,he writes3-- ,london is of course the proper place for a young man1 for seeing the manners and customs of society1 and for getting a living in some of the less frequented grooves of human labour1 but for a residence give me a rural or marine retreat4 ,i sigh for some 'cool sequestered spot1 the world forgetting1 by the world forgot4' ,illustration3 ,a ,,cool ,,sequestered ,,spot4 ,about this time it was suggested to him to illustrate a book of summer travel1 and on the #bjth ,august #ahgb he enters in his diary3-- ,to ,rotterdam1 ,harzburg1 c41 to join ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,b4 in the ,harz ,mountains4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,tour ,,in ,,the ,,toy ,,country4 ,this was the first book that ,caldecott illustrated2#c the title suggested was ,a ,tour in the ,toy ,country1 and before leaving ,london he made the drawing on the preceding page4 ,caldecott1 being then twenty-six1 started on this journey with great readiness4 ,the idea was altogether delightful to him2 and here1 as in every country he visited in after years1 his playful fancy and facility for seizing the grotesque side of things stood him in good stead4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,mountain ,,beer ,,garden4 ,in a strange land1 amidst unfamiliar scenes and faces1 he roamed fancy free2 in a country so compact in size that the whole could be traversed in a month's walking tour4 ,with ,baedeker's ,guide 7,english edition7 in his pocket1 and a dialogue book of sentences in ,german and ,english1 he used to delight to interrogate the wondering natives2 the necessary questions difficult to find1 and the elaborate and quite unnecessary 7as he expressed it71 always turning up4 ,such little incidents gave opportunity to the observant artist to study the faces of the listeners2 the interviews conducted slowly and gravely1 and ending in a peal of laughter from the natives4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,fraulein4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,mountain ,,path4 ,life at a ,german watering-place1 as seen on a small scale in summer in the ,harz mountains1 was ,caldecott's first experience of scenes with which his name afterwards became familiar in the pages of the ,graphic newspaper4 ,in looking at these early sketches we must bear in mind that they were made at a time when ,caldecott1 as an artist1 was scarcely two years old2 that although his sense of humour was overflowing1 his hand was comparatively untrained2 that with his keen eye for the grotesque he turned his back upon much that was beautiful about him1 that his sense of the fitness of things1 of the requirements of composition and the like1 were in embryo1 so to speak4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,warrior ,,of ,,sedan ,,in ,a ,,beer ,,garden ,,at ,,goslar1 #ahgb4 ,nevertheless1 as indicated in the next few pages he has left us work which1 if ever a more complete life of ,caldecott should be written1 would form an important chapter in his art career4 ,although little fitted for a mountaineer1 he could not resist excursions to the highest points1 and with a will which surmounted all difficulties1 reached one evening the summit of the famous ,brocken4 ,what he saw is recorded in the sketch below4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,ark ,,of ,,refuge4 ,there is a legend that when the deluge blotted out man from most parts of the earth1 the waters of the northern seas penetrated far into ,germany1 and that the enormous rock which forms the top of the ,brocken formed a shelter and resting-place4 ,there was no need of a romantic legend to suggest to the mind1 at the first sight of the primitive hostelry on the top of the ,brocken1 its similitude to the ark of refuge4 ,the situation was delightful2 we were in the toy country without doubt4 ,there was the identical form of packing-case which the religious world has with one consent provided as a plaything for children2 there were ,noah and his family1 people walking two and two1 and horses1 sheep1 pigs1 and goats stowed away at the great side door4 ,the resemblance was irresistible1 and more attractive to ,caldecott's mind than any of the legends and mysteries with which ,german imagination has peopled the district4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,dance ,,of ,,witches4 ,there is no holding ,caldecott now2 on the ,hexen ,tanzplatz1 the sacred ground of ,goethe's poetic fancy1 within sound almost of the songs of the spirit world that haunt this lonely summit1 he sets to work4 ,illustration3 ,,spectres ,,of ,,the ,,brocken4 ,the dance of witches1 so weird and terrible1 7as lately seen on the ,lyceum stage in ,henry ,irving's production of ,faust7 took a different form in the young artist's eyes1 whose fancy sketch from the ,hexen ,tanzplatz is reproduced opposite4 ,he had been properly posted1 as he expressed it1 he had read all that should be read about ghosts1 witches1 and spectres1 and the result is before us4 ,the last sketch from the dreary summit1 showing the patient tourists waiting to see the view1 was all we could get from him of spectres of the ,brocken4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,sketch ,,at ,,supper4 ,one or two sketches of the interior of his ,noah's ark1 when some sixty travellers had assembled to supper1 completed his subjects4 ,illustration3 ,,back ,,to ,,the ,,view4 ,it may be noted that the feeling for landscape which ,caldecott possessed in after years in such a high degree1 if it touched him here1 was not recorded in pencil4 ,the magnificent scenery eastward through the valley of the ,river ,bode1 the grim iron foundries and ochre mines1 and the wonderful view from the heights above ,blankenberg1 familiar to all travellers in the ,harz1 was recorded in only two sketches2 one of a roadside inn1 where we were invited to stay1 the other of two tourists en route4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,guide ,,at ,,goslar4 ,how1 at the little wayside sheds and drink gardens scattered on the mountain paths1 the tourists sat persistently back to the view which they had toiled miles to see1 were depicted by the artist in pencil1 and many little incidents on the road were dotted down for future use4 ,in the old tenth-century city of ,goslar1 ,caldecott's pencil was never at rest4 ,taking a guide to save time 7whose portrait he gives us1 with a note of a curious sixteenth-century street door7 he explores from morning to night1 choosing as subjects always the life of the place4 ,illustration3 ,,procession ,,of ,,the ,,sick4 ,drinking the waters at ,goslar in #ahgb was a crude effort artistically1 which may be contrasted with his sketches of the same scenes at ,buxton in #ahgf1 but the humour is irresistible4 ,an extract from our diaries is necessary here to explain the illustration4 ,the figures are pilgrims1 that have come from far and wide to combine the attractions of a summer holiday with the benefits of a wonderful 'cure' for which the city is celebrated4 ,the promenades and walks on the ramparts lined with trees1 are going through the routine of getting up early1 taking regular exercise and drinking daily several pints of a dark mixture having the appearance1 taste1 and effect of taraxacum or senna4 ,the bottles are supplied at the public gardens and cafs situated at convenient distances in the suburbs of ,goslar4 ,illustration3 ,,drinking ,,the ,,waters ,,at ,,goslar4 ,on another day he encounters a school starting for two or three days on the mountains1 the band making hideous noises as the procession passes out of ,goslar4 ,everything is characteristic here and full of local colour2 the order of march1 the costumes and the boots of the boys1 and the general gravity of the company are given exactly--making the usual allowance for exaggeration4 ,in the background is seen one of the iron factories and an indication of a bit of ,harz scenery2 the sketch recalling the incident with wonderful vraisemblance4 ,the ,school on the ,march in its humour and exaggeration may remind the reader of some drawings by ,thackeray4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,general ,,in ,,the ,,prussian ,,army4 ,here1 as in ,belgium1 the harnessing of dogs to carts1 drawing sometimes two people over the rough cobble stones of ,goslar1 excited ,caldecott's pity and anger2 he made several sketches of the animals and one portrait of their master who had just got down to enjoy a pipe at the corner of a street4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,school ,,on ,,the ,,march--,,harz ,,mountains1 #ahgb4 ,sketches at various table d'htes in hotels1 public gardens and the like1 were plentiful and perpetual4 ,but the majority were destroyed or put away2 out of fifty only one such as ,a ,general in the ,prussian ,army 7see page #dd7 being selected for reproduction4#d ,illustration ,at ,clausthal we joined a party to explore one of the iron mines1 and ,caldecott gives a sketch of the preparations4 ,a note from our diary will best explain the situation4 ,in order to descend the mines at ,clausthal1 visitors have to divest themselves of their ordinary costumes and put on some cast-off suits of ill-fitting garments left at the entrance to the mine for the purpose4 ,as we approach the mouth of the shaft where the miners are waiting with lanterns to commence the descent1 our party1--consisting of four ,englishmen--a professor of geology1 a director of mines1 an editor and an artist--present the somewhat undignified aspect in the sketch4 ,this change of costume is necessary on account of the wet state of the mines1 the thick caps being a protection against loose pieces of ore and the wet earth that falls from time to time in the galleries4 ,caldecott gives the generally dismal and disreputable appearance of the party with great verve2 his own portrait is presented in a few touches in the background1 hurrying into garments much too big for him4 ,illustration ,on one occasion the artist takes a solitary walk between ,thale and ,clausthal1 a pathway lined in some parts by rows of trees with forbidden fruit1 a novel and tempting experience4 ,there being no mention of this route in the guide books1 he writes as he says his own ,baedeker in the familiar practical manner3-- ,i start at #c4dj ,p4,m4 from the ',tenpounds ,hotel' at ,thale to walk up the valley of the ,bode1 over a wooden bridge1 then through a beer garden1 round a rocky corner1 c4 ,the way next through woods of beech1 birch and oak2 a stream can be heard but not seen4 ,treseburg is reached at #e4dj2 a prettily situated village by the water side2 homely inn1 damp beds4 ,leave ,treseburg at #i4dj ,a4,m4 over a bridge on the right bank of the ,bode4 ,altenbrack at #aj4ej1 ,wendefurth at #aa4ej4 ,rubeland reached at #b4cj ,p4,m41 and so on to ,elbingerode1 where a halt is made for the night at the ',blauer ,engel1' a tolerable inn4 ,women of burden and foresters are the only wayfarers met with4 ,the route hence south-west over high open land with fine views to the iron works of ,rothehtte in an hour4 ,thence up a hill for half an hour and through dense fir woods1 then out on the high road again1 resting at the ',brauner ,hirsch' at ,braunlage4 ,from thence over hills commanding a vast extent of country with the familiar form of the ,brocken continually in view4 ,the road descends by easy stages through a district full of small reservoirs and leads the traveller in about two hours into the wide1 clean1 empty streets of ,clausthal4 ,on the #aith ,september1 #ahgb1 ,caldecott is at work again in his rooms at #df1 ,great ,russell ,street 7opposite the ,british ,museum7 arranging with the writer for some of his ,harz ,mountain drawings to accompany an article in the ,london ,graphic newspaper4 ,these appeared in the autumn of #ahgb4 ,illustration3 ,,at ,,clausthal4 ,on the #ahth ,october1 the following entry appears in ,caldecott's diary3 ,called at ,graphic office1 saw ,mr4 ,w4 ,l4 ,thomas1 who took my address4 ,this entry is interesting as the beginning of a long connection with the ,graphic newspaper which proved mutually advantageous4 ,in ,november1 #ahgb1 the present writer went to ,america1 taking a scrap-book of proofs of the best of ,caldecott's early drawings1 a few of which were published in an article on the ,harz ,mountains in ,harper's ,monthly ,magazine in the spring of #ahgc4e ,his drawings were also shown to the conductors of the ,daily ,graphic1 of ,new ,york1 which led to an engagement referred to in the next chapter4 ,during the latter part of #ahgb numerous small illustrations were produced for ,london ,society4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,,sketch ,,in ,,punch1 #h,,th ,,march1 #ahgc4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,drawing ,,for ,,the ,,daily ,,graphic4 ,some idea of the work on which ,caldecott was engaged in #ahgc and #ahgd1 may be gathered from extracts from his diary in those years4 ,they are interesting if only to show that at that early period his art studies were varied1 and that his experience was not confined to book illustration as has generally been supposed4 ,in ,january1 #ahgc1 he made six illustrations for ,frank ,mildmay by ,florence ,marryatt1 and on ,january #bbnd1 an ,initial for ,punch4 ,in ,february-- ,began wax-modelling for practice1 hearing that my hunting frieze 7white on brown paper7 had been successful in ,manchester1 and that ,i should perhaps be asked to model some animals for a chimney-piece4 #bdth ,april4--,a4 came to see my wax models2 liked them1 said ,i must do something further4 ,several hunting subjects were also in progress at this time4 ,next are two letters to a friend in ,manchester4 #df1 ,,great ,,russell ,,street1 ,,london1 ,w4,c41 ,march #bh1 #ahgc4 ,,my ,,dear ----1--,the ancient ,romans said1 or ought to have said1 that ingratitude was the greatest of human crimes4 ,but1 my dear fellow1 ,i am not an ingrate4 ,i have not forgotten you--unless1 as the poet sings1 'if to think of thee by day and dream of thee by night1 be forgetting thee1 thou art indeed forgot4' ,i did receive your last collected joke1 and a very good joke it was--for a ,manchester joke4 ,i'm sorry that ,i have not power to use it1 but it will keep1 although it will tread on some people's feelings when used4 ,the fact is that this same joke nearly brought me to an untimely end4 ,i went out hunting on the day ,i received it1 and at one fence and ditch ,i had quite enough to do to avoid a rabbit-hole on the taking-off side and some barked boughs of fallen timber on the landing side--not to mention some low-hanging oak trees4 ,well1 just when ,i was in the air ,i thought of your joke and smiled all down one side2 my hunter--by ,king ,tom1 out of ,blazeaway's dam1 by ,boanerges--took the opportunity of stumbling1 and1 before an adult with all his teeth could get as far as the third syllable in ',jack ,robinson1' my nose was engaged in cutting a furrow all across a fine grass field1 some eight acres and a half in extent1 laid down after fine crops of seeds and roots1 and well boned last winter4 ,however1 in less than half a minute 7having retained possession of the reins71 ,i was again chasing the flying hounds4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,check4 ,about the middle of ,february ,i went down into the country to make some studies and sketches1 and remained more than a month4 ,had several smart attacks on my heart1 a little wounded once1 causing that machine to go up and down like a lamb's tail when its owner is partaking of the nourishment provided by a bounteous ,nature4 ,further particulars in our next--no more paper now4 ,i hope you and ---- are well1 and with kind regards1 remain yours faithfully1 ,r4 ,c4 ,illustration #df1 ,,great ,,russell ,,street1 ,,london1 ,w4,c41 ,april #bg1 #ahgc4 ,,my ,,dear ----1--,i was delighted to receive your letter--quite a long one for you4 ,i hope that you had a fine time of it at the ball4 ,dancing is not absolutely necessary to a man's welfare temporally or spiritually2 so if you be a ',wobbler1' wobble away and fear not1 but see that thou wobblest with all thy might1 then shall thy zeal compensate for lack of skill4 ,i've nearly given up gymnastics4 ,i only danced twenty-one times at the last ball4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i now find that during quadrilles my mind wanders away from the subject before it1 and ,i am continually reminded that ,i ought to be idiotically squaring away at some one instead of cogitating with my noble back leaning against the wall4 ',sed tempora new potater1' c4 ,i hope you are all well1 and with kind regards1 remain yours faithfully1 ,r4 ,c4 ,in ,may he is working in clay in low relief4 #fth ,june4--,began modelling mare and foal in round4 ,in the latter part of ,june1 and in ,july1 he is at ,vienna with ,mr4 ,blackburn1 engaged on various illustrations for the ,daily ,graphic4 ,it was in the summer of #ahgc that it occurred to the proprietors of the ,daily ,graphic 7the ,american illustrated newspaper referred to7 that the ,gulf ,stream1 and the strong prevailing current of wind easterly from the continent of ,america in that latitude1 might be turned to profitable account for advertising purposes4 ,they constructed a large balloon which hung high above the houses in ,broadway for some weeks1 and announced that on a certain day the ,daily ,graphic balloon would sail for ,europe4 ,the start was telegraphed to ,london and gravely announced in the ,times and other ,london papers1 and every one was on the qui vive for this new arrival in the air4 ,illustration3 ,,looking ,,out ,,for ,,the ',,graphic' ,,balloon4 ,the humour and absurdity of the situation was seized at once by the comic journals1 but probably nothing that appeared at the time was more telling than the drawing made by ,caldecott at ,farnham ,royal for the ,daily ,graphic1 and published in ,new ,york as a page of that newspaper4 ,other drawings followed1 descriptive of various scenes in ,london and ,england1 such as a special service by ,cardinal ,manning at the ,pro-,cathedral in ,kensington2 an address by ,bradlaugh at the east end of ,london2 a ,london picture exhibition2 hunting in a northern county1 c41 and ,caldecott1 to whom all this was a new experience1 was pleased to work for the ,american newspaper as ,london artistic correspondent4 ,in this capacity ,caldecott went with the writer to ,vienna to the ,international ,exhibition of #ahgc1 and there were sent to ,america various satirical sketches1 accompanying letters1 notably one of the banquet held on the #dth of ,july1 with portraits of some well-known ,american citizens4 ,one of the most successful and life-like of the smaller sketches was a ,vienna horse-car entitled--,off to the ,exhibition1 reproduced here4 ,illustration3 ,,off ,,to ,,the ,,exhibition--,,vienna1 #ahgc4 ,the experience gained in various excursions during ,caldecott's engagement with the ,daily ,graphic1 was most valuable to him in after years2 although as we have elsewhere said1 illustrated journalism properly so-called1 was never sympathetic to him1 nor would his health have been equal to the strain of so trying an occupation4 ,as occasional contributor to an illustrated newspaper he was destined to be without a rival1 as the columns of the ,london ,graphic for many years have testified4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,viennese ,,dog4 ,the humour and vivacity1 the abandon1 so to speak1 exhibited in some of these early drawings1 form a delightful episode in his early art career1 and many will wonder1 looking at the variety of movement and expression 7in the drawing of the overloaded car1 for instance71 that the artist should have been amongst us so long without more recognition4 ,it is true that his drawings were uncertain1 and that the results of want of training were sometimes too palpable2 that the accusation made in #ahgb that the editor of ,london ,society had chosen an artist who could not draw a lady1 could hardly be gainsaid in #ahgc4 ,the artistic interest in these drawings is great1 if only from the fact that they are amongst the few of his works drawn in pen and ink for direct reproduction without the intervention of the wood-engraver4 ,caldecott was one of the first to try1 and to avail himself of1 the various methods of reproduction for the newspaper press2 and in the pages of the ,daily ,graphic1 his facile touch and play of line was made to appear with startling emphasis on the printed page4#f ,but after all1 the humour and drollery of ,caldecott's nature appears with more unrestrained effect in the sketches on his letters to friends1 such as are scattered through this volume2 the natural awe of publication in any form having a restraining effect4 ,in ,july and ,august he is working in the loose box at ,farnham ,royal1 the country cottage sketched on page #ij and referred to in the following and other letters4 ,illustration ,,hogarth ,,club1 #hd1 ,,charlotte ,,street1 ,,fitzroy ,,square1 ,w4 ,dear ----1--,the poet sings1 ',oh6 have you seen her lately8' to which ,i answer1 ',yes4' ,but1 whether or no1 ,i returned to-day from a fortnight's sojourn in ,buckinghamshire1 and the first thing ,i was going to do was to write to you and say that ,i have no acquaintance with the happy medium who resides in my very old rooms in ,great ,russell ,street4 ,i have left those rooms1 and am a wanderer and an ,ishmaelite4 ,i dare not take those rooms when she leaves4 ,i called at the house just now and found another note from you4 ,i had a good look at ,europe during my ,vienna expedition4 ,i was away a month and saw many towns1 and conversed with many peoples and tongues4 ,i could say much1 but will defer till we meet over the flowing bowl4 ,since ,i came back ,i have been staying with a friend at ,holborn ,circus1 and also with some friends at ,farnham ,royal1 near ,slough1 a lovely country place4 ,there ,i have been working off some sketches of ,vienna and ,england for the use of the neighbouring country of ,america4 ,but ,i could not help being interrupted4 ,fancy a being like this bobbing about6 ,howsomedever1 ,i am again in town at ,bank ,chambers1 ,holborn ,circus1 ,e4,c41 where ,i may be consulted daily4 ,please observe signature on the box1 without which none others are genuine1 post free for thirteen stamps4 ,so you see that ,i have had a seven weeks' delightful mixture of toil and pleasure1 and ought now to have a bout of toil only4 ,there is a book waiting to be illustrated4 ,r4 ,c4 ,in the same month 7,august #ahgc71 he went with a letter of introduction to ,dalou1 the ,french sculptor1 then living in ,chelsea4 ,of this interview he writes1 ,m4 ,dalou very kind in hints1 showing me clay1 c4 ,a friendship followed1 cemented in the first instance by a bargain that ,caldecott should come and work at the studio and teach the sculptor to talk ,english1 whilst ,dalou helped him in his modelling6 ,caldecott profited by the arrangement1 and often spoke in after years of the value of ,dalou's practical teaching4 ,many visits were paid to the sculptor's studio in the year #ahgc4 ,illustration3 ,,early ,,decorative ,,design1 ,,the ,,property ,,of ,g4 ,,aitchison1 ,a4,r4,a4 ,in the intervals of work ,caldecott also made life studies at the ,zoological ,gardens in ,london1 and anatomical studies of birds4 ,in ,september he made a drawing of ,mark ,twain lecturing in ,london1 for the ,daily ,graphic1 and in ,october records the purchase by ,mr4 ,g4 ,aitchison1 the architect1 of a cast of his first bas relief1 a hunting subject2 also of two brown paper pelican drawings1 one reproduced on the last page4 ,in ,november he writes the following to a friend in ,manchester3-- #df1 ,,great ,,russell ,,street1 ,w4,c41 ,november #af1 #ahgc4 ,dear ----1--,i have nothing to say to you--nothing at all4 ,therefore ,i write4 ,i don't like writing when ,i have aught to say1 because ,i never feel quite eloquent enough to put the business in the proper light for all parties4 ,having a love and yearning for ,bowdon and ,dunham1 and the 'publics' which there adjacent lie1 ,i think of you on these calm ,sunday evenings about the hour when my errant legs used to repose beneath the deal of the sequestered inn at ,bollington4 ,how are you8 ,i was pleased to see that the ,athenum gave a long space to your book1 although ,i presume you did not care for the way they reviewed it4 ,that is nothing4 ,i have been very busy--not coining money1 oh no6--but occupied1 or ,i should say have descended into the country1 during last month4 ',graced with some merit1 and with more effrontery2 his country's pride1 he went down to the country4' ,my summer rambles shall be talked of1 and the wonderful works in the regions of art shall be described when next ,i see you4 ,till then1 farewell6 ,this short letter is like a call4--,yours1 ,r4 ,c4 ,the last entry of interest in his diary in #ahgc1 is on ,december #crd4 ,to ,graphic office1 saw ,mr4 ,thomas4 ,fixed that ,i should go down to ,leicestershire next week for hunting subjects4 ,illustration3 ,,this ,,is ,,not ,a ,,first-,,class ,,cow4 ,illustration3 ,,studies ,,for ,a ,,large ,,decorative ,,design1 #ahgd4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,drawing ,,for ,,the ,,pictorial ,,world1 ,,etc4 ,let us now glance at ,caldecott's diary for #ahgd1 which1 with his letters to friends and the sketches which so often accompanied them1 give an insight into the character of his work at this time4 ,it is altogether an extraordinary record4 ,on the #adth of ,january1 #ahgd1 he is working in the afternoons1 sketching swans at ,armstrong's4 ,this was part of a large decorative design which he afterwards assisted in painting 7see illustration on page #hi74 ,on the #bcrd ,january1 #ahgd1 is an interesting note4 ,j4 ,cooper1 engraver1 came and proposed to illustrate1 with seventy or eighty sketches1 ,washington ,irving's ,sketch ,book4 ,went all through it and left me to consider4 ,i like the idea4 ,in ,february he completed a drawing of the ,quorn ,hunt for the ,graphic newspaper4 ,on the #abth ,march1 he enters in his diary1 ,preparing sketch of choir for ,w4 ,irving's ,sketch ,book2 showing that he was already at work on the book which was to make his reputation4 ,at the same time he was preparing illustrations and trying new processes of drawing for reproduction1 to aid in founding a new newspaper4 ,how far ,mr4 ,caldecott was ready to conquer difficulties in his art1 and how heartily he aided his friends in any project with which he was connected1 are matters of history closely connected with his engagement on the ,pictorial ,world1 which had a bright promise for the future in #ahgd4 ,some of the large illustrations were produced by ,dawson's ,typographic ,etching process4 ,the drawings were made with a point on plates covered with a thin coating of wax1 the artist's needle1 as in etching1 removing the wax and exposing the surface of the plate wherever a line was required in relief--a fiendish process6 as ,caldecott described it1 but with which he succeeded in obtaining excellent results--better than any artist previously4 ,on the #gth of ,march1 #ahgd1 a new illustrated newspaper called the ,pictorial ,world was started in ,london1 of which the present writer was the art editor4 ,it was the time of the general election of #ahgd1 when the defeat of ,mr4 ,gladstone1 the question of ,home ,rule1 and many exciting events were being recorded in the newspapers4 ,caldecott was asked to make a cartoon of the elections1 and at once sat down and made the pencil sketch overleaf4 ,for some reason this drawing was not completed2 but instead1 a group of various election scenes was drawn by him and appeared in the ,pictorial ,world4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,polling ,,booth4 ,there were numerous sketches combined on one page1 three of which are reproduced here4 ,the illustrations on pages #gj1 #gb1 #hj1 #ha1 #hb1 and #hd were drawn 7generally under great pressure of time7 with an etching needle on ,dawson's plates4 ,this was the beginning of what are now familiarly known as process drawings in newspapers1 but the system of photographic engraving1 now largely used1 was not then perfected4 ,in #ahgd it would have been impossible to reproduce rapidly in a newspaper1 either the delicate lines of a pen and ink sketch1 or such a pencil drawing as that given above4 ,illustration3 ,,home ,,rule--,,march #ahgd4 ,facsimile of pencil sketch for the ,pictorial ,world4 ,caldecott rendered valuable assistance at this time1 and the early numbers of the paper are worth having if only for the reproduction of his work4 ,it is not generally known how many of the large illustrations in the ,pictorial ,world were by his hand1 or how much he was identified with the publication in the first days of its career4 ,illustration3 ,,on ,,the ,,stump4 ,amongst the best illustrations by ,caldecott for the newspaper at that period were sketches and studies that he had made for pictures1 selected from his studio2 such for instance as ,coursing1 ,somebody's ,coming1 and the ,morning ,walk1 on pp4 #ge1 #gg1 and #hf4 ,the latter design was not drawn specially for the ,pictorial ,world1 but ,caldecott made a drawing of it for the paper1 which appeared in the number for #ahth ,july1 #ahgd4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,scotch ,,elections--,,going ,,to ,,the ,,hustings4 ,from a bundle of sketches 7some very pretty7 of subjects connected with ,saint ,valentine1 he made a page for the same paper4 ,these again1 may seem small matters to record1 but they are facts in the history of a life teeming with interest1 and show that ,caldecott's talent as an illustrator was revealed in #ahgd2 that he was invented1 as the saying is1 long before the publication of ,washington ,irving's ,sketch ,book4 ,illustration3 ,,pairing ,,time ,illustration3 ,,coursing4 ,illustration3 ,,her ,,first ,,valentine ,on the #cast of ,october1 #ahgd1 ,mr4 ,henry ,irving made his first appearance in ,london as ,hamlet1 one of those occasions on which the theatre was crowded with critics and well-known personages4 ,caldecott1 altogether inexperienced in such work1 made several rough sketches1 seizing the grotesque side as far as he dared as he said4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,valentine4 ,the trying nature of that performance1 and the flitting about on the stage of the nervous anxious figure1 with the ever-present white pocket-handkerchief in his belt--will be remembered by many4 ,caldecott made the best sketch that he could from the left side of the dress-circle1 the only position in the house that could be obtained for him4 ,illustration3 ,,somebody',s ,,coming6 ,illustration3 ,i ,,wonder ,,who ,,sent ,,me ,,these ,,flowers ,illustration3 ,,the ,,young ,,hamlet4 ,in company with the writer1 ,caldecott made various sketches in the ,house of ,commons1 the ,law ,courts1 the theatres1 and the like4 ,the first three sketches of the ,house of ,commons--one showing ,the ,arrival of the ,new ,members1 another1 ,the ,speaker going up to the ,lords1 and a third1 ,at the ,bar of the ,house of ,lords--were amongst the funniest of the series4 ,others followed from week to week1 such as ,the new ,prime ,minister1 on page #hc4 ,on one occasion he went down to ,westminster ,hall to see the ,rt4 ,hon4 ,benjamin ,d',israeli enter the ,house of ,commons as the new prime minister1 and to a large illustration showing the north door of ,westminster ,hall 7the architecture drawn by ,mr4 ,jellicoe71 he added the figures1 a grotesque group of bystanders1 presumably ,conservatives1 welcoming their new representative4 7,see the ,pictorial ,world1 ,march #gth1 #ahgd47 ,illustration3 ,,house ,,of ,,commons1 ,,march #ahgd--;,,arrival ,,of ,,new ,,members4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,speaker ,,going ,,up ,,to ,,the ,,lords4 ,illustration3 ,,at ,,the ,,bar ,,of ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,lords4 ,it was an exciting time politically and socially1 and many events of interest had to be recorded4 ,amongst them the conclusion1 amidst general rejoicing1 of the great ,tichborne ,trial on ,march #bnd1 #ahgd1 a trial which had lasted #ahh days4 ,this was an opportunity for the artist4 ,caldecott's original sketch of this subject1 if it is in existence1 should be treasured2 some idea of the humour of it may be gathered from the drawing overleaf which was crowded into the corner of the newspaper4 ,he also made a highly grotesque and artistic model in terra-cotta of the ,tichborne ,trial1 now in the possession of ,mr4 ,stanley ,baldwin of ,manchester4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,new ,,prime ,,minister4 ,about this time1 ,caldecott went to the farewell benefit of the late ,benjamin ,webster and sketched the actor--surrounded by members of his company--making his final bow to the public4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,tichborne ,,trial--,,breaking-,,up ,,day4 ,on the eighteenth birthday1 the coming of age1 of the late ,prince ,imperial of ,france1 ,caldecott went to ,chislehurst4 ,the drawing of the crowd on the lawn of ,camden ,house in a state of general congratulation1 the ceremony of presentation of enormous bouquets of violets and the like2 of ,frenchmen and their wives1 of diplomatists1 and others1 will be found in the ,pictorial ,world for ,march #bast1 #ahgd4 ,here was a comparatively unknown artist at work1 revealing talent which in after years would delight the world4 ,but fortunately for his health and peace of mind1 and also for his future career1 the young artist1 who two years before had given up a clerkship in a ,manchester bank 7a certainty of more than #ajj a year71 was advised to refuse an engagement on the ,pictorial ,world of #aj #ajs4 a week1 which1 had it been carried out1 would have done much to raise the fortunes of that newspaper4 ,but the rush and hurry of journalistic work was distasteful to him2 he had many commissions at this time1 work of a better kind1 requiring quiet and study4 ,he was willing1 and wishing always1 to aid his friends1 and so for some time he kept up a connection with the paper and made sketches on special occasions4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,morning ,,walk4 ,his health was delicate1 but he was not suffering as in later years2 his spirits were overflowing1 and his kindliness and personal charm had made him friends everywhere4 ,on the #ajth of ,april he enters in his diary--,at ,armstrong's all day4 ,began to paint pigeons on canvas panel4 ,looking at pigeons in ,british ,museum quadrangle2 and on the #aath again1 painting pigeons4 ,on the #aeth of ,april he is making a drawing of storks1 c41 and on the #agth1 #bast1 and #bbnd1 painting swans at ,armstrong's all day4 ,on the #bcrd of ,april he enters3 ,bas-relief hunting scene going on1 and on #bdth1 painting storks and pigeons1 and on #bhth1 swans4 ,the painting of swans1 storks1 and pigeons1 referred to above1 was very important work for ,caldecott4 ,in conjunction with his friend ,mr4 ,armstrong1 he painted the birds in two panels1 one of swans 7reproduced overleaf71 and one of a stork and magpie4 ,these panels were about six feet high1 and form part of a series of decorations in the dining-room of ,mr4 ,henry ,renshawe's house at ,bank ,hall1 near ,buxton1 ,derbyshire4 ,the series of decorative paintings 7by ,thomas ,armstrong7 which included these panels1 was exhibited at ,mr4 ,deschamps' ,gallery in ,new ,bond ,street in #ahgd1 and attracted much attention at the time4 ,the birds showed to great advantage1 and will remain in the memory of many as amongst the most vigorous and effective of ,caldecott's paintings in oils4 ,they showed1 thus early1 a mastery of bird form and a power in reserve of an unusual kind4 ,i have paid a little attention to decorative art1 he writes to a friend at this time2 besides being at work on the ,sketch ,book1 the results of which will be seen in the next chapter4 ,illustration3 ,,decorative ,,painting ,,for ,a ,,dining-,,room4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,cottage1 ,,farnham ,,royal4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,farnham ,,royal1 ,,bucks4 ,during the summers of #ahgb1 #ahgc1 and #ahgd1 ,caldecott stayed often at a cottage belonging to the writer1 three miles north of ,slough1 in ,buckinghamshire1 in the picturesque neighbourhood of ,stoke ,pogis and ,burnham ,beeches4 ,a loose box adjoining the stable--a few yards to the right of the little verandah in the above sketch--had been fitted up for him by friendly hands2 and it was here in this temporary studio1 in the quiet of the country1 looking out on woods and fields1 that he made many of the drawings for ,old ,christmas4 ,several entries in ,caldecott's diary in #ahgd mention that in ,june and ,july he was working in the 'loose box' at ,farnham ,royal1 on the ,sketch ,book4 ,those were happy1 irresponsible days1 before great success had tempered his style1 or brought with it many cares4 ,take the following letter 7one of many7 written in the full enjoyment of the change from lodgings in ,london3-- ,illustration3 ,the ,cottage4 ,farnham ,royal4 in ,slough4 #bf ,june #ahgd4 ,we are passing a calm and peaceful existence here and were therefore somewhat startled the other day1 when ,sharp asked for the cart and donkey to take to the common for the purpose of bringing us a few ,sultanas4 ,we stroked our beards1 but as ,sharp seemed bent upon the affair reluctantly consented4 ,the boy ,sharp attended to the wants of ,caldecott and his friend ,l41 and wanted to make a pudding4 ,the end of the letter is reproduced in facsimile4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,,the ,,paddock1 ,,farnham ,,royal4 ,the illustration on the last page is a copy of a water-colour sketch made from the loose box at ,farnham ,royal4 ,it depicts the arrival of a pony at the cottage and consequent disgust of the donkey at the intrusion4 ,the old man--who combined the various offices of gardener1 groom1 and parish clerk--stood unconsciously as a model for several drawings in ,old ,christmas4 ,from ,farnham ,royal he writes at another time to a friend3-- ,we are fast drifting into a vortex of dissipation--eddying round a whirlpool of gaiety2 but ,i hope that through all1 our heads will keep clear enough to guide the helms of our hearts4 ,about this time it was suggested to ,caldecott to make studies of animals and birds1 with a view to an illustrated edition of sop's ,fables1 a work for which his talents seemed eminently fitted4 ,the idea was put aside from press of work1 and when finally brought out in #ahhc was not the success that had been anticipated4 ,this was principally owing to the plan of the book4 ,illustration3 ,,studying ,,from ,,nature4 ,as ,caldecott's sop was often talked over with the writer in early days1 a few words may be appropriate here4 ,caldecott yielded to a suggestion of ,mr4 ,j4 ,d4 ,cooper1 the engraver1 to attach to each fable what were to be styled ,modern ,instances1 consisting of scenes1 social or political1 as an application4 ,humorous as these were1 in the artist's best vein of satire1 the combination was felt to be an artistic mistake4 ,that ,caldecott was aware of this1 almost from the first1 is evident from a few words in a letter to an intimate friend where he says3-- ,do not expect much from this book4 ,when ,i see proofs of it ,i wonder and regret that ,i did not approach the subject more seriously4 ,circumstances of health also in later years interfered with the completion of what might have been his chef d'oeuvre4 ,illustration ,in the following letter to a friend in ,manchester 7headed with the above sketch7 he refers modestly to his drawings for ,old ,christmas1 on which he was now busily engaged4 ,illustration3 ,,art ,,is ,,long1 ,,life ,,is ,,short4 ,my dear ----1--,it is so long since ,i have heard from you that ,i have concluded that you must be very flourishing in every way4 ,no news being good news1 and no news lasting for so long a time1 you must have a quiver full of good things4 ,how is ----8 ,the woods of ,dunham8 ,the gaol of ,knutsford8--the vale of ,knutsford1 ,i mean4 ,a fortnight ago1 when all the ability were leaving town1 ,i returned from a six weeks' pleasant sojourn in ,bucks1 at ,farnham ,royal4 ,i was hard at work all the time1 for ,i have been very much occupied of late1 you will be glad to hear1 ,i know4 ,in process of time1 and if successful1 ,i will tell you upon what4 ,i wish ,i had had a severe training for my present profession4 ,eating my dinners1 so to speak4 ,i have now got a workshop1 and ,i sometimes wish that ,i was a workman4 ,art is long3 life isn't4 ,perhaps you are now careering round ,schleswig or some other-where for a summer holiday4 ,i shall probably go to ,france next month for a business and pleasure excursion4 ,let me hear from you about things in general or in particular--a line1 a word will be welcome4 ,i hope you are all well2 and with kind regards remain ,yours faithfully1 ,r4 ,c4 ,it is clear from the above letter that ,caldecott was conscious of the great change that was coming in his work in #ahgd4 ,the suggestions of his friends that he should draw continually from familiar objects1 and the hints he received from time to time that he could not draw a lady1 are ludicrously illustrated in two sketches to a ,manchester friend who watched the progress of the artist with lively interest4 ,illustration3 ,,drawing ,,from ,,familiar ,,objects4 ,illustration3 ,,could ,,not ,,draw ,a ,,lady6 ,but in spite of his moving laughter1 the period referred to in this chapter was the most serious and eventful in ,caldecott's career2 when a sense of beauty and fitness in design seemed to have been revealed to him1 as it were1 in a vision1 and when his serious studies seemed to be bearing fruit for the first time2 when he felt1 as he never felt before1 the responsibilities of his art and the want of severe training for his profession4 ,then--but not till then--did the lines of ,punch ,on the late ,randolph ,caldecott1 written in ,february #ahhf1 apply exactly3-- ,sure never pencil steeped in mirth ,so closely kept to grace and beauty4 99 99 99 99 99 ,illustration ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,old ,,christmas4 ,the new departure which ,caldecott made in the summer of #ahgd will be seen clearly marked in the next few pages1 where1 with the permission of the publishers1 we have reproduced some characteristic drawings from ,old ,christmas4 ,there was issued in #ahgf by the ,messrs4 ,macmillan 7writes ,mr4 ,william ,clough1 an old and intimate friend of ,caldecott7 a book with illustrations that forcibly drew attention to the advent of a new exponent of the pictorial art4 ,these pictures were of so entirely new a nature1 and gave such a meaning and emphasis to the text1 as to stir even callous bosoms by the graceful and pure creations of the artist's genius4 ,washington ,irving's ,old ,christmas was made alive for us by a new interpreter1 who brought grace of drawing with a dainty inventive genius to the delineation of ,english life in the last century4 ,it is not generally known that the drawings for ,old ,christmas1 one hundred and twelve in number1 were all made in #ahgd2 and there is a marked alteration in style during the progress of this book1 such as1 for example1 between the drawing of ,the ,village ,choir 7commenced in ,march #ahgd71 and the portrait of ,master ,simon1 placed opposite to each other on pages #if and #ig of the first edition of ,old ,christmas4 ,the humour is more robust1 but never in after-work was more delightful1 than in his rendering of the typical stage coachman4 ,until these illustrations came it had been said that ,washington ,irving's coachman stood out as a unique and matchless description of a character that has passed away4 ,in the course of a ,december tour in ,yorkshire1 writes ,washington ,irving1 ,i rode for a long distance on one of the public coaches on the day preceding ,christmas4 ,three schoolboys were amongst his fellow-passengers4 ,they were under the particular guardianship of the coachman to whom1 whenever an opportunity presented1 they addressed a host of questions1 and pronounced him one of the best fellows in the world4 ,indeed ,i could not but notice the more than ordinary air of bustle and importance of the coachman1 who wore his hat a little on one side and had a large bunch of ,christmas green stuck in the button-hole of his coat4 ,wherever an ,english stage coachman may be seen he cannot be mistaken for one of any other craft or mystery4 ,he has commonly a broad full face1 curiously mottled with red1 as if the blood had been forced by hard feeding into every vessel of the skin2 he is swelled into jolly dimensions by frequent potations of malt liquors1 and his bulk is still further increased by a multiplicity of coats in which he is buried like a cauliflower1 the upper one reaching to his heels4 ,he wears a broad-brimmed low-crowned hat2 a huge roll of coloured handkerchief about his neck1 knowingly knotted and tucked in at the bosom1 and has in summer-time a large bouquet of flowers in his button-hole1 the present most probably of some enamoured country lass4 ,his waistcoat is commonly of some bright colour1 striped2 and his small clothes extend far below the knees to meet a pair of jockey-boots which reach about halfway up his legs4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,stage ,,coachman4 ,all this costume is maintained with much precision2 he has a pride in having his clothes of excellent materials2 and notwithstanding the seeming grossness of his appearance1 there is still discernible that neatness and propriety of person which is almost inherent in an ,englishman4 ,he enjoys great consequence and consideration along the road2 has frequent conferences with the village housewives1 who look upon him as a man of great trust and dependence2 and he seems to have a good understanding with every bright-eyed lass4 ,the moment he arrives he throws down the reins with something of an air1 and abandons the cattle to the care of the ostler2 his duty being merely to drive from one stage to another4 ,when off the box his hands are thrust in the pockets of his greatcoat1 and he rolls about the inn yard with an air of the most absolute lordliness4 ,here he is generally surrounded by an admiring throng of ostlers1 stable-boys1 shoe-blacks1 and those nameless hangers-on that infest inns and taverns and run errands4 ,every ragamuffin that has a coat to his back thrusts his hands in his pockets1 rolls in his gait1 talks slang1 and is an embryo 'coachey4' ,illustration3 ,,in ,,the ,,stable ,,yard4 ,surely it has seldom happened in the history of illustration that an author should be so very closely followed--if not overtaken--by his illustrator4 ,no literary touch seemed to be wanting from the author to convey a picture of ,english life and character passed away2 but ,caldecott's coachman helps to elucidate the text2 and whilst it carried to many a reader of ,old ,christmas in the ,new ,world a living portrait of a past age1 it revealed also the presence of a new illustrator4 ,here was a reproachful lesson4 ,the art of illustration--an art untaught in ,england and unconsidered by too many--was shown in all its strength and usefulness by a comparatively new hand4 ,of the numerous illustrations drawn by ,caldecott in #ahgd for ,old ,christmas1 we may select as examples the young ,oxonian leading out one of his maiden aunts at a dance on ,christmas ,eve2 and the fair ,julia in the intervals of dancing listening with apparent indifference to a song from her admirer2 amusing herself the while by plucking to pieces a choice bouquet of hothouse flowers4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,troubadour4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,fair ,,julia4 ,the style and treatment of the drawing1 on the opposite page1 differs from anything previously done by ,caldecott1 and would hardly have been recognised as his work2 the handling is less firm1 and colour and quality have been more considered in deference to what was considered the public taste in such matters4 ,but in a few pages he emancipates himself again1 and gives us some brilliant character sketches4 ,in the last example from ,old ,christmas he is in his element4 ,nothing could be more characteristic1 or in touch with the period illustrated1 than the picture of ,frank ,bracebridge1 ,master ,simon1 and the author of ,old ,christmas1 walking about the grounds of the family mansion escorted by a number of gentleman-like dogs1 from the frisking spaniel to the steady old staghound4 ,the dogs were all obedient to a dog-whistle which hung to ,master ,simon's button-hole1 and in the midst of the gambols would glance an eye occasionally upon a small switch he carried in his hand4#g ,thus the minute observation of the writer is closely followed by the illustrator1 who here from his own habit of close observation of the ways of animals1 was enabled to give additional completeness to the picture2 and the effect was greatly heightened by a wise determination on the part of ,mr4 ,cooper the engraver1 that the illustrations should be so mingled with the text that both united should form one picture4 ,this book was engraved at leisure1 and not published until the end of #ahge1 by ,messrs4 ,macmillan ,co41 bearing date #ahgf4 ,illustration3 ,,master ,,simon ,,and ,,his ,,dogs4 ,it is interesting to note that ,old ,christmas was offered to1 and declined by1 one of the leading publishers in ,london2 principally on the ground that the illustrations were considered inartistic1 flippant and vulgar1 and unworthy of the author of ,old ,christmas6 ,it was not until #ahgf that the world discovered a new genius4 ,during the progress of the drawings for ,old ,christmas in #ahgd1 ,caldecott went with the writer to ,brittany to make sketches for a new book2 but the publication was postponed until after a more extended tour in #ahgh4 ,these summer wanderings of ,caldecott in ,brittany were prolific of work2 his pencil and notebook were never at rest1 as the pages of ,breton ,folk testify 7see ,chapter xi474 ,the drawings1 both in #ahgd and in #ahgh1 mark a strong artistic advance upon similar work in the ,harz ,mountains4 ,his feeling for the sentiment and beauty of landscape1 especially the open land1--generally absent from the sketches in the ,harz ,mountains1--is noticeable here4 ,the statuesque grace of the younger women1 the picturesqueness of costume1 operations of husbandry1 outdoor ftes and the like1 and the open air effect of nearly every group of figures seen in these summer journeys--all came as delightful material for his pencil4 ,caldecott's studies with ,m4 ,dalou1 the sculptor1 in #ahgd1 and the great proficiency he had already obtained in modelling in clay1 enabled him to make several successful groups from his ,brittany subjects4 ,illustration3 ,,on ,,the ,,road ,,side1 ,,brittany4 ,the bright-eyed stolid child in sabots at the roadside 7one of the first of the quaint little figures that attracted his attention in ,brittany7 stands on the writer's table in concrete presentment in clay2 the model is not much larger than the sketch--the front1 the profile1 and the back view1 each forming a separate and faithful study from life4 ,the young mother and child in the cathedral at ,guingamp 7reproduced opposite7 was another successful effort in modelling1 but ,caldecott was not satisfied with it excepting as a rough sketch--a recollection in clay4 ,it is interesting here to note the handling of the artist in his favourite material1 ,french clay4 ,the model stands but six inches high1 but it was intended to have reproduced it larger4 ,another sketch in the round was of a pig of ,brittany1 reproduced on page #aid4 ,save up1 he writes about this time to a friend in ,manchester1 and be an art patron2 you will soon be able to buy some interesting terra cottas by ,r4 ,c46 ,this was a heavy year1 for many illustrations were produced not mentioned in these pages2 and in ,october he was busy on the wax bas-relief of a ,brittany horse fair1 afterwards cast in metal and exhibited in the ,royal ,academy in #ahgf 7see page #acg74 ,illustration3 ,,at ,,guingamp1 ,,brittany4 ,facsimile of ,model in ,terra ,cotta1 #ahgd4 ,illustration3 ,,to ,m4 ,h4--,,christmas1 #ahgd4 ,on the #aith of ,november and following days ,caldecott was working at ,dalou's on a cat crouching for a spring4 ,he had a skeleton of a cat1 a dead cat1 and a live cat to work from4 ,this model in clay was finished on the #hth ,december1 #ahgd4 ,christmas ,eve was spent in the caverns of the ,british ,museum making a drawing1 and measuring skeleton of a white stork4 ,this was a most elaborate and careful record of measurements4 ,on the #bhth of ,december he was engaged on brown paper cartoon of storks at ,armstrong's1 and on the #cjth is the entry1--at ,british ,museum2 had storks out of cases to examine insertion of wing feathers4 ,thus1 all through the year #ahgd ,caldecott1 working without much recognition excepting from a few intimates1 got through an immense amount of work2 not forgetting his friends the children1 to whom he sent many ,christmas greetings with letters and coloured sketches4 ,the drawing on the opposite page accompanied a kindly letter to a child of six years4 ,i thank you1 he says1 very much for your grand sheet of drawings1 which ,i think are very nice indeed4 ,i hope you will go on trying and learning to draw4 ,there are many beautiful things waiting to be drawn4 ,animals and flowers oh6 such a many--and a few people4 ,the last sketch in #ahgd--;a postscript to a private letter--tells its own story4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,letters1 ,,diagrams1 ,,etc4 ,in a letter to a friend in ,manchester1 on the #agth ,january1 #ahge1 ,caldecott writes3-- ,i stick pretty close to business1 pretty much in that admirable and attentive manner which was the delight1 the pride1 the exultation of the great chiefs who strode it through the ,manchester banking halls4 ,yes1 ,i have not forsaken those gay--though perhaps1 to the heart yearning to be fetterless1 irksome--scenes without finding that the world ever requires toil from those sons of labour who would be successful4 ,however1 during the last year ,i managed to do a lot of work away from town1 and enjoyed it4 ,sometimes it was expensive1 because when at the cottage in ,bucks1 we of course mixed with the county families and had to 'keep a carriage' to return calls1 return from dinner1 and so forth4 ,illustration3 ,,at ,,farnham ,,royal--,,returning ,,visits4 ,here is a meditation for the ,new ,year-- ,you will excuse me1 he says1 talking of myself when ,i tell you that amongst the resolutions for the ,new ,year was one only to talk of matters about which there was a reasonable probability that ,i knew something4 ,now human beings are a mystery to me1 and taking them all round ,i think we may consider them a failure4 ,if ,i do not understand anything that belongs to myself1 how can ,i understand what belongeth to another8 ,this1 my dear ,w41 with your clear intellect1 you will see is sound4 ,i often think of the scenes and faces and jokes of banking days1 and have amongst them many pleasant reminiscences4 ,perhaps we shall all meet again in that land which lies round the corner6 ,here follows a grotesque sketch of a man on a winter's day1 with an umbrella1 hurrying off to the ,nag and ,nosebag4 ,at the beginning of #ahge1 in the intervals of book illustration1 ,caldecott was busy working on a cartoon of storks4 ,this was a design for a picture in oils1 painted in ,march and afterwards bought by ,mr4 ,f4 ,pennington1 late ,m4 ,p4 for ,stockport4 ,illustration3 ,,sunrise4 ,on the #gth of ,january he enters in his diary1 ,painted some storks on the wing for a panel for a wardrobe4 ,the rendering of dawn on the upmost clouds1 the storks rising from the dark earth to greet the sun1 can hardly be indicated without colour1 but the design is given accurately4 ,it was a poetic fancy which he had had in his mind for some time2 one of many half developed designs which1 if his health had permitted1 the world might have seen more of4 ,illustration3 ,,study ,,in ,,line4 ,on the #beth of ,january he made a dry point sketch of a ,quimperl ,brittany woman1 and in ,february he was busy modelling as usual4 ,on the #eth of ,february1 took to ,lucchesi 7moulder7 wax bas-relief of horse fair1 and small 'sketch of brewers' waggon4 ,illustration3 ,,study ,,in ,,line4 ,the advance of the art of reproducing drawings in facsimile in a cheap form1 suitable for printing at the type press like wood engravings1 was attracting much attention in ,england in #ahge1 and at the writer's request ,caldecott made a series of diagrams suggestive of the power of line and of effects to be obtained by simple methods1 to illustrate a paper read before the ,society of ,arts in ,london in ,march1 #ahge1 on ,the ,art of ,illustration4 ,illustration3 ,,diagram4 ,,design ,,for ,a ,,picture1 #ahge4 ,with his usual kindness and enthusiasm he put aside his work--some modelling in clay which he had been studying under his friend ,m4 ,dalou1 the ,french sculptor--and at once began a diagram1 about seven feet by five feet1 to suggest a picture in the simplest way4 ,without much consideration1 without models1 and in the limited area of his little studio in ,great ,russell ,street1 ,bloomsbury1 he set to work with a brush on the broad white sheet1 and in about an hour produced the drawing in line of ,youth and ,age on the last page4 ,illustration3 ,,diagram4 ,the horses were not quite satisfactory to himself2 but the sentiment of the picture1 the open air effect of early spring1 the crisp grass1 the birds' nests forming in the almost leafless trees1 the effect of distance indicated in a few lines--and above all1 the feeling of sky produced by the untouched background--were skilfully suggested in the large diagram4 ,illustration3 ,,diagram4 ,,the ,,lecturer4 ,on other occasions1 and for the same lecture1 he made several other diagrams1 including one of the pursuit of a dog in a village1 another of a lecturer and various heads in an audience4 ,the reproductions are interesting to examine together as early work in a style in which he afterwards was famous--a style1 which was not outline in the strict sense of the word1 and which to a great extent was his own4 ,it had little in common with ,flaxman1 it was not in the manner of ,gillray1 ,cruikshank1 ,doyle1 or ,leech2 nor in the more academic manner of his friend--and predecessor in children's books--,walter ,crane4 ,illustration3 ,,diagram4 ,to these somewhat tentative drawings he afterwards added to the series a diagram1 six feet high1 of the famous mad dog from one of his ,picture ,books1 and another of the figure of a child running1 reproduced above4 ,the discovery of a process by which a drawing on paper in line1 could be photographed and brought into relief1 like a wood-block for printing at the type press1 was not perfected in ,england until #ahge1 and did not come into general use until #ahgf2 had it come a year or two earlier it would have had an important influence upon ,caldecott's work4 ,illustration3 ,,diagram4 ,without going too far into technicalities1 it may be interesting to illustrators to mention here that all ,caldecott's best drawings in his ,picture ,books1 ,john ,gilpin1 ,the ,house that ,jack ,built1 c42 in the ,graphic newspaper1 and in ,washington ,irving's ,old ,christmas1 c41 were photographed on to wood-blocks and have passed through the hands of the engraver4 ,the system of photographic engraving 7by which the drawings are reproduced on pp4 #abd and #abe7 bids fair to supersede wood-engraving for rapid journalistic purposes4 ,it naturally attracted ,caldecott in the first instance2 but with increased knowledge and perception of values1 and of the quality to be obtained in a good wood-engraving above any mechanical reproduction in relief1 ,caldecott was glad to avail himself of the help of the engraver4 ,he drew with greater freedom1 as he expressed it1 preferring1 as so many illustrators do1 to put in tints with a brush1 to be rendered in line by skilful engravers4 ,but at the same time he delighted in shewing the power of line in drawing1 studying the art of leaving out as a science2 doing nothing hastily but thinking long and seriously before putting pen to paper1 remembering1 as he always said1 the fewer the lines1 the less error committed4 ,in the spring of #ahge he sends this lively picture of himself from ,dodington1 near ,whitchurch1 in ,shropshire1 where he had been working1 staying with friends1 in the full enjoyment of country life4 ,illustration ,writing on the #bgth of ,april1 #ahge1 he says3-- ,i feel ,i owe somebody an apology for staying in the country so long1 but don't quite see to whom it is due1 so ,i shall stay two or three days longer1 and then ,i shall indeed hang my harp on a willow tree4 ,it is difficult to screw up the proper amount of courage for leaving the lambkins1 the piglets1 the foals1 the goslings1 the calves1 and the puppies4 ,we want rain1 and then things will grow with exceeding speed2 as it is1 the earth is dry and the buds are slow to display their hidden beauties4 ,a little of 'something to drink' will cheer them1 and then1 like some human beings1 they will look pleasant and cheerful and 'come out4' ,next1 from a letter to an intimate friend1 dated #eth ,march1 #ahge1 on being asked to become a trustee3-- ,the event is of a pleasing nature because it shows that somebody still believes in the continuance of that uprightness of principle1 rectitude of conduct1 and general respectability of mind and heart which for so many years endeared me to the nobility1 clergy1 gentry1 gasmen1 and fowl stealers of ,w----4 ,life in the country with ,caldecott was worth living1 and he chafed much at this period if he had to be with his nose to the grindstone1 as he expressed it1 in ,bloomsbury4 ,whilst in the country his letters to town were full of sketches1 but in letters from ,london he hardly ever pictured life out of doors4 ,illustration3 ,,shows ,,his ,,terra ,,cottas4 ,in ,june #ahge1 he shows the bas-relief of ,a ,boar ,hunt1 and some small groups in terra cotta1 to his friends4#h ,before the favourable verdict of the press was pronounced on ,old ,christmas1 ,caldecott was commissioned to illustrate a second volume2 and1 in ,may #ahge1 he was already at work making studies and drawings for ,bracebridge ,hall1 which did not appear until the end of #ahgf4 ,about this time the first number of ,academy ,notes was published1 and in a postscript to a letter to the writer 7of too private a nature to be printed7 ,caldecott pictures its first appearance in a family circle4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,first ,,year ,,of ,,academy ,,notes4 ,in ,june #ahge1 ,caldecott had three drawings in sepia1 badly hung1 in the 'black and white' exhibition at the ,dudley ,gallery4 ,on the #dth of ,august he was making designs for pelican picture2 and afterwards studying this subject at the ,zoological ,gardens4 ,two pictures of pelicans were eventually painted2 the second1 in the possession of ,mr4 ,w4 ,phipson ,beale1 is sketched below4 ,illustration3 ,,three ,,pelicans ,,and ,,tortoise 7,,oil ,,painting74 ,writing on the #ajth ,august1 #ahge1 respecting some ,cretan embroideries just arrived in ,england1 he sends the sketch overleaf4 ,in accordance with your letter about the embroideries1 he says1 ,i have placed the address of the importer in the hands of ,mr4 ,n41 a man well-skilled in detecting that which is good in a crowd of works of art4 ,he is great in pottery1 embroidery and decoration2 but he has a mind great in forgetting1 and a fine talent for losing addresses4 ,illustration3 ,,inspecting ,,embroideries4 ,illustration ,in ,october1 whilst at the seaside1 he made six drawings2 and1 later in the year1 was modelling panels for ,lord ,monteagle's chimney-piece4 ,in ,november #ahge he received the first copy of ,old ,christmas from the publishers1 and already favourable notices of the illustrations had begun to appear in the newspapers4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,christmas ,,card ,,to ,k4 ,e4 ,b4 ,illustration3 ,,reading ,,opinions ,,of ,,the ,,press ,,on ,,old ,,christmas4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,royal ,,academy1 ,,bracebridge ,,hall1 ,,etc4 ,the opinions of the press on ,washington ,irving's ,old ,christmas1 which ,mr4 ,j4 ,d4 ,cooper1 the wood engraver1 is depicted reading to the artist with so much glee1 were all that could be desired2 and they fully justified the second venture 7,bracebridge ,hall71 on which ,caldecott was already engaged4 ,in ,february he was painting a frieze for ,mr4 ,pennington's drawing room at ,broome ,hall1 ,holmwood1 ,sussex2 and1 later on1 was carving panels for a chimneypiece4 ,in this year1 #ahgf1 ,caldecott exhibited his first painting in the ,royal ,academy1 entitled1 ,there were ,three ,ravens sat on a ,tree4 ,the humour and vigour of the composition are well indicated in the sketch4 ,it was hung rather out of sight1 above 7and in somewhat grim proximity with7 a picture of ,at ,death's ,door1 by ,hubert ,herkomer4 ,both artists were then thirty years of age4 ,illustration3 ,,there ,,were ,,three ,,ravens ,,sat ,,on ,a ,,tree4 7,oil ,painting7 ,royal ,academy1 #ahgf4 ,cat4 ,no4 #dae4 #di #cb4 ,in the same room 7,gallery ,v47 were collected that year1 the works of painters whose names are familiar--,w4 ,b4 ,richmond1 ,a4 ,gow1 ,h4 ,r4 ,robertson1 ,e4 ,h4 ,fahey1 ,w4 ,w4 ,ouless1 ,val ,c4 ,prinsep1 ,henry ,moore1 and others4 ,illustration3 ,,private ,,view ,,of ,,my ,,first ,r4,a4 ,,picture1 ,,april #ahgf4 ,besides ,the ,three ,ravens he exhibited in #ahgf the metal bas-relief of a ,horse ,fair in ,brittany1 reproduced opposite4 ,this was a more masterful production than the picture1 and attracted great attention in the ,royal ,academy ,exhibition4 ,it was mentioned in the ,times of that year1 and in the ,saturday ,review1 ,june #ajth1 #ahgf1 we read3-- ,of low relief--taking the ,elgin frieze as the standard--one of the purest examples we have seen for many a day is ,mr4 ,caldecott's bas-relief1 ',a ,horse ,fair in ,brittany4' ,here a simple and almost rude incident in nature has been brought within the laws and symmetry of art4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,horse ,,fair ,,in ,,brittany4 ,metal bas-relief exhibited in the ,royal ,academy1 #ahgf4 ,cat4 ,no4 #adii4 ,size #ad #e-a_/b in4 ,in #ahgf ,caldecott also produced a relief in metal of ,a ,boar ,hunt1 which was exhibited in the ,grosvenor ,gallery in #ahgh4 ,to the world at large and in the opinion of many critics1 there was1 in his ,academy work of #ahgf1 promise of an exceptionally successful career4 ,decorative design and modelling in relief were ,caldecott's especial forte1 and it is to be regretted that so few of these works remain to us4 ,the ,horse ,fair in ,brittany1 in the possession of the writer1 is one of the few completed works of this character4 ,he was not destined to be a prolific painter1 although strongly urged at this time by members of the ,royal ,academy to devote his energies to painting4 ,neither his health nor his previous training justified his leaving a branch of art in which he was already becoming famous1 that of book illustration4 ,in #ahgf the system of reproducing sketches in pen and ink by photo-engraving became general in ,england1 and in the pages of ,academy ,notes of that year there appeared1 for the first time1 sketches by the painters of their exhibited works4 ,amongst well-known artists--who powerfully aided in founding a system of illustration which was destined to spread over the world--were ,sir ,john ,gilbert1 ,r4,a41 ,h4 ,stacy ,marks1 ,r4,a41 ,marcus ,stone1 ,a4,r4,a41 and1 the comparatively young1 ,randolph ,caldecott4 ,the three first-named are masters in line each in his own style1 and their methods were studied and imitated by many other painters in ,england to whom line drawing was then a sealed book4 ,several sketches of pictures in the ,academy ,notes1 #ahgf1 were drawn by ,caldecott1 including the portrait of ,captain ,burton1 painted by ,sir ,frederick ,leighton1 ,p4 ,r4 ,a4 ,illustration3 ,,captain ,,burton1 ,r4,a41 #ahgf4 ,in ,june he made a series of illustrations1 entitled ,christmas ,visitors1 for the ,graphic newspaper2 and about this time the drawings for ,bracebridge ,hall were finished4 ,illustration3 ,,facsimile ,,of ,,first ,,page ,,of ,,bracebridge ,,hall4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,chivalry ,,of ,,the ,,hall ,,prepared ,,to ,,take ,,the ,,field ,in ,bracebridge ,hall we meet the fair ,julia again in one of the most graceful illustrations ,caldecott ever drew4 ,an extract from the text is necessary to show the subtle touch of the illustrator4 ,i have derived much pleasure1 says ,washington ,irving1 from observing the fair ,julia and her lover4444 ,i observed them yesterday in the garden advancing along one of the retired walks4 ,the sun was shining with delicious warmth1 making great masses of bright verdure and deep blue shade4 ,the cuckoo1 that harbinger of spring1 was faintly heard from a distance2 the thrush piped from the hawthorn1 and the yellow butterflies sported1 and toyed and coquetted in the air4 ,the fair ,julia was leaning on her lover's arm1 listening to his conversation with her eyes cast down1 a soft blush on her cheek and a quiet smile on her lips1 while in the hand which hung negligently by her side was a bunch of flowers4 ,in this way they were sauntering slowly along1 and when ,i considered them1 and the scenery in which they were moving1 ,i could not but think it a thousand pities that the season should ever change or that young people should ever grow older1 or that blossoms should give way to fruit or that lovers should ever get married4 ,the harmony here between author and illustrator needs no comment4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,fair ,,julia ,,and ,,her ,,lover ,there were #abj drawings made for ,bracebridge ,hall1 remarkable for artistic qualities and fully sustaining the reputation of the artist4 ,the originals were drawn about one third larger1 in pen and ink1 photographed on wood and engraved in facsimile4 ,the effect of many of the drawings in the first editions was injured by the want of margin on the printed page2 but an dition de luxe is now printed with ,old ,christmas and ,bracebridge ,hall in one volume4 ,illustration3 ,,general ,,harbottle ,,at ,,dinner4 ,as it is the object of this memoir to record facts--and as the originator of good ideas is seldom recognised--it should be stated here that it is owing to ,mr4 ,cooper1 the engraver1 that ,washington ,irving's books were ever illustrated by ,caldecott4 ,the idea1 he says in the preface1 has been delayed in execution for many years1 mainly from the difficulty of finding an artist capable of identifying himself with the author2 modestly adding--whether this result has now been attained or no1 must be left to the verdict of the lovers of the gifted writer in both hemispheres4 ,illustration3 ,,an ,,extinguisher4 ,the two next sketches mark with touching emphasis the serious change in ,caldecott's health which took place in the autumn of this year4 ,illustration3 ,,at ,,whitchurch4 ,in ,august he is writing from the country in high spirits as usual1 and planning out much work for the future4 ,bracebridge ,hall was finished1 and the success of ,old ,christmas had brought him many commissions4 ,his illustrations on wood had turned out well1 being fortunate in his engravers1 especially ,mr4 ,j4 ,d4 ,cooper and ,mr4 ,edmund ,evans1 who always rendered his work with sympathetic care4 ,he may also be said to have been fortunate in his connection with the ,graphic newspaper under the direction of ,mr4 ,w4 ,l4 ,thomas1 the artist and wood engraver4 ,but alas6 in the autumn of this year his health failed him1 and in ,october he was advised to go to ,buxton in ,derbyshire4 ,on the #bnd ,november1 #ahgf1 he writes3-- ,illustration3 ,,at ,,buxton ,i am as above4 ,walking solemnly in the gardens1 or sitting limply in the almost deserted saloon listening to an enfeebled band4 ,the result of that visit was a series of delightful sketches1 which appeared in the ,graphic newspaper1 the originals of which are in the possession of ,mr4 ,samuel ,pope1 ,q4,c4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,christmas ,,card4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,on ,,the ,,riviera4 ,the journey to the ,riviera and ,north ,italy1 which ,caldecott was compelled to make for his health1 before ,christmas #ahgf1 was as usual prolific of work4 ,writing from ,monaco in ,january1 #ahgg1 he says3-- ,this is a beautiful place1 and for the benefit of you stay-at-home bodies ,i will describe it--in my way2 and in four original letters published in the ,graphic newspaper in ,march and ,april1 #ahgg1 there appeared about sixty illustrations containing upwards of three hundred figures1 different studies of life and character2 and these drawings do not represent probably1 one half of the sketches made4 ,no such pictures of ,monte ,carlo and its neighbourhood had been sent home before2 they were the ideal newspaper correspondent's letters--the sketches abounding in humour and accurate detail2 the letters accompanying them being written from personal observation4 ,it would have been strange indeed if these letters had not attracted general attention and amusement in a newspaper2 but they did more than this1 they revealed an amount of artistic insight1 and suggested possibilities in ,caldecott's future career as an artist which his health never permitted him to put to the test4 ,at ,monaco and at ,monte ,carlo1 ,caldecott found so much that suited his pencil that it is a wonder that he found time for any more serious work4 ,with touches of satire that remind us of ,thackeray1 and a gaiety all his own1 these spontaneous and delightful letters form the best picture of ,caldecott that can be given in #ahgg4 ,round the tables1 he writes1 from noon to nearly midnight--seven days a week--the monde lgant congregates1 from the ,yorkshireman to the ,japanese4 ,then follow sketches of an ,englishman in ,scotch tweed1 and a young man from ,japan4 ,next is a general sketch of the crowd at the round table1 the artist's own figure1 admirably given1 standing back to us1 hat in hand4 ,it was a marvellous gathering presented on the printed page1 all intent on gambling--editors of journals1 ,english justices of the peace1 venerable matrons and innocent girls1 beloved sons who are 'travelling1' artistes1 chevaliers of the legion of honour1 dames who are not of that legion4 ,such costumes and toilettes sweep the polished floor1 such delicately-gloved fingers clutch the glittering coins--when they happen to win1 and sometimes when they don't--such a clinking of money1 as the croupiers mass the rakings4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,gaming ,,tables ,,at ,,monte ,,carlo4 ,from the fashionable crowd and the heated atmosphere of the ,casino the artist takes us along the cool shores of the ,mediterranean1 where1 in one of the best sketches in these letters1 full of air and light1 he brings two figures into unexpected contrast4 ,walking one afternoon along the ,mentone road1 we reached a point commanding a fine view of sea1 hills1 and olive trees4 ,there was a stone seat1 and on it an aged round-backed man4 ,on the wall and bench before him were spread out many cards dotted with the results of numerous twirls of the roulette ball4 ,he was studying his chances for the future4 ,as we turned away we met a priest reading in a little book as he passed4 ,as the landscapes suffered in reproduction in the newspaper1 and were the least successful part in these letters1 it may be well to mention that some of ,caldecott's landscape studies in oils and water colours1 on the shores of the ,mediterranean1 were the best he ever did1 attracting much attention at the sale of his works in #ahhf4 ,that he did not put a high estimate on his powers as a landscape painter at that time may be gathered from a few words in a private letter declining some commissions4 ,the drawings that ,g4 so kindly enquires about are not in my line4 ,i would rather not attempt to paint what ,i imagine he wants--proper professional water-colour landscape painter's work4 ,illustration3 ,,priest ,,and ,,player4 ,please say that my line is to make to smile the lunatic who has shown no sign of mirth for many months 7see the ,graphic of ,saturday last1 #fth ,january1 p4 #g1 right-hand column--,i tumbled upon it in the reading room of the ,casino71 and not to portray the beauties of this southern clime--not but what ,i would if ,i could6 ,,north ,,italian ,,folk4 ,it was in the same winter1 during his journey in ,north ,italy1 that ,caldecott made twenty-eight illustrations for a book on ,north ,italian ,folk4#i ,here ,caldecott's studies1 and his habit of sketching the peasantry wherever he went1 served him well4 ,take the picture of the priest and his faithful servant ,caterina2 the latter1 reproaching her master for bringing home a neighbour1 ,maddalena1 to eat two lasagne with us6 ,caterina is a gaunt threadbare-looking woman of some five-and-thirty years1 and the prevosto is gaunt too1 and sallow2 the two match well together4 ,caterina's hair is smooth though scant1 and her faded print dress is neat1 but the bright yellow kerchief round her shoulders is soiled1 and the cunning plaits of her grey hair are not as well ordered as the women's are wont to be on mass days4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,priest',s ,,servant ,,administers ,a ,,reproof4 ,presently ,caterina bustles into the darkened parlour1 where sits the prevosto lazily smoking his pipe and reading the country newspaper4 ,he has put aside even the least of his clerical garments now1 and lounges at ease in an old coat and slippers1 his tonsured head covered by a battered straw hat4 ',listen to me1' breaks forth the faithful woman1 and she is not careful to modulate her voice even to a semblance of secrecy1 'you don't bring another mouth for me to feed here when it is baking day again4 ,per ,bacco1 no indeed6444 ,it sha'n't happen again1 do you hear8 ,and ,i have the holy wafers to bake besides4 ,for shame of you6 ,come now to your dinner in the kitchen6' ,and ,caterina1 the better for this free expression1 hastens to dish up the minestra4 ',poor old priest6 ,what a shrew he has got in his house1' says some pitying reader4 ,yet he would not part with her for worlds6 ,she is his solace and his right hand1 and loves him none the less because of her sharp tongue and uncurbed speech4 ,in many a lone and cheerless home of ,italian priest can ,i call to mind such a woman as this--such a fond and faithful drudge1 with harsh ways and a soft heart4 ,another picture in ,north ,italian ,folk seems to give the character of the peasantry and the scenery exactly4 ,the sun glitters on the pale sea that is down and away a mile or more beyond the sloping fields and gardens1 and the dipping valley4 ,giovanni pauses to rest his burthen upon the wall just where the way turns to the right again1 leaving the mountains and chestnut-clad hills behind it4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,husbandman4 ,illustration3 ,,gossip4 ,here in the sketch we are made to feel the sunlight and the glare from the sea on the southern slope2 every detail of the pathway1 to the stones in the old wall1 being accurately given4 ,never1 perhaps1 in any book since ,washington ,irving's ,old ,christmas and ,bracebridge ,hall was the illustrator more in touch with the author than in ,north ,italian ,folk2 but for some reason--probably because ,caldecott's work and style had become identified with ,english people and their ways1 both abroad and at home--the illustrations made little impression4 ,the completeness of the pictures1 and the local colour infused into them by the author1 left little to be done2 moreover1 ,caldecott was not on his own ground1 and to draw buildings and landscape in black and white1 with the finish1 and what is technically called the colour1 considered necessary for a book of this kind1 was always irksome to him4 ,less characteristic1 but charming as a drawing1 is the group of country girls under the cherry trees1 reproduced on the opposite page4 ,it is a picture worth having for its own sake1 whether it aid the text or not1 and one with which we may fitly leave this volume4 ,illustration3 ,,dignity ,,and ,,impudence4 ,illustration3 ,,spaniels1 ,,king ,,charles',s ,,breed4 ,,sir ,e4 ,,landseer1 ,r4,a4 ,early in the year #ahgg ,caldecott made several drawings for an illustrated catalogue of the ,national ,gallery4 ,amongst the best in the ,english section were the two sketches from ,sir ,edwin ,landseer's pictures1 reproduced here4 ,the grave portrait of an old bloodhound in ,dignity and ,impudence1 and the animation and movement in the diminutive poodle by his side1 are indicated in a few expressive lines4 ,the bright eyes of the two little spaniels of ,king ,charles's breed glitter under his hand in the original pen and ink sketch4 ,illustration3 ,,portrait ,,of ,a ,,lawyer ,,by ,,moroni4 ,for the foreign section of the book on the ,national ,gallery he made many sketches1 notably one of the ,portrait of a ,lawyer by ,moroni4 ,here the touch and method of line are different2 quality was more considered1 and an attempt made to give something of the effect of the picture4 ,but neither he1 nor those with whom he worked in those days1 had mastered the best methods of drawing for mechanical reproduction1 as they are understood now2 fascinating as it seemed to him1 and to many other illustrators also1 to learn that the time had come when1 by mechanical--or more properly chemical--engraving1 the touch of the pen could be printed on the page4 ,it may be said generally in #ahgg1 that ,caldecott disliked drawing for process1 and that after years of experience1 and having achieved most successful results by photographic engraving1 he remained faithful to the wood engraver4 ,the delicate little drawings in brown ink1 which were dispersed in hundreds under the auctioneer's hammer in ,june1 #ahhf1 had nearly all been photographed on to wood blocks4 ,in ,june1 #ahgg1 ,caldecott--staying at ,shaldon1 ,teignmouth1 ,south ,devon1 for the benefit of his health1 chafing under enforced idleness and debarred by the doctors from all sport1 as he says--writes a letter with the following little sketch of ,waiting for a ,boat4 ,illustration3 ,,waiting ,,for ,a ,,boat4 ,the weather has been unwell for many of the days1 and has much interfered with the intellectual occupation of enticing 'dabs' on to hooks let down into the sea by pieces of string and concealed by shreds of mussels4 ,on only one occasion have ,i been engaged in this exciting pursuit--all chases and pursuits are more or less exciting--but this one on that account can hardly be considered 'detrimental' to my health4 ,there were three of us in the boat when ,i engaged in the sport4 ,we had a large can of fine mussels4 ,we threw out the lines and hauled them in every now and then1 for three good hours1 being about a mile out to sea4 ,two whole dabs were the result4 ,i was quite calm as we rowed home4 ,i do not boast of this exploit1 although the larger dab was at least seven inches long by four and a half wide1 and fully #c_/h of an inch thick4 ,still ,i glow a little as ,i recount his measurements4 ,many illustrations were made in the autumn of #ahgg for the ,graphic and other publications which need not be detailed4 ,a painting of one of his favourite hunting scenes was also in progress1 in spite of dark days and delicate health4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,,cleopatra4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,breton ,,folk1 ,,etc4 ,for ,mr4 ,frederick ,locker-,lampson1 the poet1 ,caldecott made in the years #ahgg-h1 twelve drawings to illustrate ,bramble ,rise1 ,a ,winter ,phantasy1 ,my ,neighbour ,rose1 and other verses4 ,these illustrations1 most delicately drawn in pen and ink1 have not yet been published4 ,one was used in #ahha in a privately printed edition of the ,london ,lyrics1 and three in #ahhc1 in a little volume of the ,lyrics printed by the ,book ,fellows ,club in ,new ,york4 ,caldecott afterwards made four illustrations for ,mrs4 ,locker-,lampson's child's book1 ,what the ,blackbird ,said1 and two years afterwards1 in #ahhb1 an illustration to her ,greystoke ,hall4 ,these two books are published by ,messrs4 ,routledge4 ,in #ahgh he exhibited his picture of ,the ,three ,huntsmen riding home in evening light4 ,it was hung rather high in ,gallery ,,vii4 at the ,royal ,academy ,exhibition1 and technically could hardly be pronounced a success2 but it was a distinct advance on previous exhibited work1 and drew the serious attention of critics to ,caldecott as a painter4 ,the sketch appeared in an article on the ,academy in ,l',art1 vol4 xx4 p4 #baa4 ,of this oil painting1 ,mr4 ,mundella1 the late ,president of the ,board of ,trade writes3-- ,the picture was bought by me of poor ,caldecott in #ahgh4 ,i think it was exhibited at the ,royal ,academy in that year1 but ,i bought it from his easel4 ,it is an oil painting1 #c ft4 #f in4 by #b ft4 #i in41 and the subject is the ',three ,huntsmen4' ,i remember his bringing the song to my house after the purchase1 and reading the song with great enjoyment1 pointing out to us how he had illustrated the verse1 ',we hunted and we holloed till the setting of the sun4' ,my little granddaughter 7,millais' ',dorothy ,thorpe'7 was his model for several of his ,christmas books4 ,she is the little girl in ,sing a ,song of ,sixpence and several others1 and possesses copies sent by him with little sketches and dedications4 ,he is indeed a national loss4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,three ,,huntsmen 7,,oil ,,painting74 ,royal ,academy1 #ahgh4 ,in the ,grosvenor ,gallery of the same year ,caldecott exhibited a small metal bas-relief of ,a ,boar ,hunt1 of which he made the following sketch in ,grosvenor ,notes4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,boar ,,hunt 7,,bas-,,relief74 ,grosvenor ,gallery1 #ahgh4 ,no4 #bcb4 #h in4 #ah in4 ,special interest attaches to this design1 also to ,the ,horse ,fair in ,brittany1 reproduced on page #acg1 for the insight it gives of ,caldecott's varied artistic powers1 which1 by force of circumstances1 were always held in reserve4 ,if1 as a writer remarks1 ,the treatment of reliefs is a test of the state of a school of sculpture1 these examples may help to place ,caldecott amongst contemporary artists4 ,early in #ahgh1 ,mr4 ,edmund ,evans1 the wood engraver1 came to him with a proposal that he should illustrate some books for children to be printed in colours4 ,the plan was soon decided upon1 and the first of the ,picture ,books was begun4 ,in the summer of the same year1 ,caldecott went with the writer for a second time to ,brittany4 ,it was at first intended to take a gig and drive through and through the country1 giving an account of adventures from day to day1 and ,caldecott 7who was more at home perhaps1 in a gig than in any other position of life7 favoured the idea2 but time and other circumstances prevented4 ,the next proposal was to give a general description of the country and its people1 its churches and ruined castles1 as they exist to-day4 ,but ,caldecott did not take to this idea2 he never in his lifetime drew buildings with the same facility as figures1 and1 at that time1 to attempt to make drawings of chateaux1 cathedrals and the like1 would have been unsuccessful4 ,so the book1 ,brittany ,picturesque1 which had already been partly written1 was laid aside to give space for sketches of ,breton ,folk4#aj ,illustration3 ,,the ,,trap4 ,we obtained a trap in a few days--not the gig1 independent of a driver1 which ,caldecott always sighed for4 ,his delight and high spirits on the first journey1 in #ahgd1 are seen in the sketch where he is waving farewell to some astonished peasantry4 ,to be on the road was always a pleasure to ,caldecott1 from the old ,whitchurch days1 which he often described to his friends--driving home in the dark at reckless speed after a late supper1 in a dog-cart full of rather uproarious company--down to #ahhe at ,frensham1 when as host1 he would drive his friends in the lanes of ,surrey4 ,at least #bjj sketches must have been made in these journeys2 besides jottings of heads1 figures and the like1 and several drawings in water colours4 ,illustration3 ,,sketching ,,under ,,difficulties4 ,the summer ftes and pardons1 all through the country1 furnished capital material for his pencil1 the women's caps of different districts were each recorded1 and here and there a solemn suggestive landscape noted for a picture which was never to be completed4 ,illustration3 ,,breton ,,farmer ,,and ,,cattle4 ,the circumstances under which some of the sketches were made is indicated on page #aga4 ,one of the first drawings made in ,brittany1 both in colour and black and white 7a scene of which ,caldecott was always desirous of making a finished picture71 was the buckwheat harvest1 with the women at work in the fields4 ,many similar scenes were put down in note-books1 many were the studies of clouds careering over the wind-blown land1 which were never engraved or published4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,wayside ,,cross4 ,two of the principal events in these journeys were visits to a horse fair at ,le ,folgoet1 and to a cattle fair at ,carhaix1 where ,caldecott made the following sketches3-- ,le ,folgoet is in the north of ,finisterre1 in the north-west corner of ,brittany4 ,the country is for the most part flat and dreary in aspect2 a few fields of buckwheat1 corn1 and rye are passed on the road1 protected by banked-up hedges1 and skirted by pollard trees4 ,illustration3 ,,at ,,the ,,horse ,,fair1 ,,le ,,folgoet4 ,on the road as we approach the fair1 a mile and a half from the town1 is a characteristic figure1 a barefooted gamin with red cap and grey jersey trotting out an old chestnut mare4 ,as he stops and turns to look back1 he is thus rapidly recorded in a sketch4 ,illustration3 ,,trotting ,,out ,,horses ,,at ,,carhaix4 ,apart from the artistic material so abundant everywhere1 ,caldecott's love for animals and knowledge of them1 his interest in everything connected with farming1 markets1 country life and surroundings1 roused him to exertions at ,carhaix which none but the most hardy special artist would have attempted4 ,it was an exciting time for ,caldecott1 both on the road and at the fair2 materials for his pencil were everywhere1 and for three days there was little rest4 ,illustration3 ,,cattle ,,fair ,,at ,,carhaix4 ,carhaix being in the centre of ,brittany1 far remote from railways1 had special attractions in the variety of character and costume4 ,here1 weak in health as ,caldecott then was1 he stood and worked all day1 being especially interested in the trotting out and sale of horses4 ,turning to our diary3-- ,the horse fair was held in a large square or place4 ,under the trees was a crowd of men and women in the dust and heat2 horses1 cattle1 pigs and dogs1 in confused movement2 with much drinking and shouting at the booths which lined one side of the enclosure4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,typical ,,breton4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,bretonne4 ,it was in this year 7#ahgh7 that he made some extraordinarily rapid sketches in colour with the brush direct1 without a touch of the pencil or anything to guide him on the paper4 ,few sketches of this kind exist1 excepting rough notes in books not intended for publication4 ,in the evening the figures in the streets and at the inns had to be noted down4 ,the next day1 which ,caldecott called a rest1 was devoted to visiting two farms in the neighbourhood1 seeing as much as possible of the interiors of the old houses near ,carhaix1 with their carved bedsteads1 cabinets and clocks1 old brasswork and embroideries4 ,it was a rather anxious time for his travelling companion1 for there was no restraining ,caldecott with such material before him1 and he was overworked4 ,it was in this district that he made one of his most successful sketches2 a typical ,breton 7p4 #agg71 in ancient costume with long hair and knee breeches2 a figure rarely met with in these days4 ,in the south-west corner of ,brittany1 a few miles south of ,quimperl1 at a point where the river spreads out into a narrow estuary four miles from the sea1 is the primitive little village called appropriately ,pont ,aven4 ,caldecott was much amused1 and scandalised at the aspect of the village on our arrival one afternoon2 a scene which he thus records on a letter1 and afterwards drew for ,breton ,folk4 ,illustration ,writing from ,pont ,aven and recounting the places which we have visited1 done1 sketched1 interviewed and memorandumed--he adds3-- ,on this journey ,i have seen more pleasing types of ,bretons 7and ,bretonnes1 especially7 than in my former rambles in the ,ctes du ,nord2 but there is generally something wrong about each hotel4 ,this particular inn is comfortable4 ,seven ,americans1 two or three of them ladies1 and about four ,french people dined with us1 mostly of the artist persuasion4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,cap ,,of ,,finisterre4 ,the village and the river sides1 the meadows and the valleys reek with artists4 ,a large gang pensions at another inn here4 ,on approaching ,pont ,aven the traveller notices a curious noise rising from the ground and from the woods around him4 ,it is the flicking of the paint brushes on the canvasses of the hardworking painters who come into view seated in leafy nooks and shady corners4 ,these artists go not far from the town where is cider1 billiards and tobacco4 ,illustration3 ,,returning ,,from ,,labour--,,pont ,,aven1 #ahgh4 ,one of the best of ,caldecott's sketches here was ,returning from ,labour1 a quiet spot on the banks of the ,aven where he made several studies4 ,here we feel inclined for the first time to stay and sketch1 wandering along the coast to the fishing villages1 and visiting farms and homesteads4 ,from another inn1 in an out of the way part of ,finisterre1 he writes3-- ,the ,hotel du ,midi where we put up is conducted in a simple manner2 ladies would not like its arrangements4 ,several inhabitants1 and a visitor or two1 dine at the table d'hte1 but all are unable to carve a duck excepting the ,english visitor1 who is accordingly put down as a cook4 ,many works1 such as the frieze of a horse fair 7p4 #acg71 models in terra cotta and paintings1 were the outcome of the ,brittany journeys in #ahgd and #ahgh2 but ,caldecott did not give himself a chance to do what he wished in ,france2 other work crowded upon him in #ahgh1 and before he had time to finish the sketches for ,breton ,folk1 he had to return to ,london to complete drawings for his ,picture ,books1 and other work in hand for the ,graphic newspaper4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,breton4 ,in a letter from ,london1 received at the ,abbey of ,st4 ,jacut in ,brittany on the #bith ,august1 #ahgh1 he says3-- ,i have not been able to settle well down to work yet4 ,sitting about on hotel benches for a month with ,mr4 ,blackburn is unhinging4 99 99 99 ,i fancied somehow that1 after the wild career of dissipation in other parts of ,brittany1 he might find the calm of a cloister insufficiently exciting1 and consequently might drag you round to more lively places4 ,i am glad that ,i am wrong4 ,the drawings of the ,family ,horse1 7of ,cleopatra on page #afe17 the sketch in ,woburn ,park1 and several others1 were made when on a visit in the neighbourhood in ,october #ahgh4 ,a letter referring to his visit to ,woburn says3--,on the last evening of ,mr4 ,caldecott's visit here1 he was sitting at the dining-room table with the two little boys on his knees1 and the rest of the family standing round him4 ,we asked him to draw us each something1 and he made us choose our own subjects4 ,the sketch of himself riding in the park is one of them2 it amused him very much to see the deer standing gazing at us4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,family ,,horse4 ,illustration3 ,,sketch ,,in ,,woburn ,,park ,at another time there comes a coloured birthday card to a child in ,london who was fond of flowers2 a dark red carnation the size of life1 presented by a ,lilliputian figure in old-fashioned green coat1 with white frill and periwig4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,carnation4 ,side by side with ,caldecott's missives to little children might be printed many a kindly letter to a young author who had sent him manuscripts to read4 ,these letters had to be read and answered always in the evenings4 ,a long letter of this kind was written to a lady at ,didsbury1 near ,manchester1 in #ahgh1 from which the following extracts are taken#aa3-- ,,dear ,,miss ,m41--,your packet reached me safely1 and as ,i call to mind very readily my feelings in times gone by1 after ,i had posted a piece of literary or artistic composition to some friend acquainted with the dread editor of some magazine1 or even to the dread editor himself1 ,i think it only your due that ,i should write to you without delay about the sketches of country life which you have kindly allowed me to read1 and my opinion of which you flatter me by desiring to know4 ,you asked me for my candid opinion2 in these cases ,i always try to be candid4444 ,i think that your papers are1 as they stand1 hardly interesting enough for the mass of readers1 though to me they draw out pictures which please1 and also revive old associations4444 ,their fault1 however1 if ,i may speak of faults1 is not so much in subject as in style4 ,you have chosen simple subjects1 in which is no harm of course2 but simple subjects in all kinds of art require a masterly hand to delineate them4 ,the slightest awkwardness of execution is noticed1 and mars the simplicity of the whole4 ,when a thrilling story is told1 or a very interesting and novel operation described1 faults of style are overlooked during the excitement of hearing or reading4 ,is it not so8444 ,r4 ,c4 ,in another letter some remarks on the misuse of old ,english words 7a subject on which he says1 ,i am very ignorant7 are worth recording4 ,as regards the misuse of certain words1 ,i consult the authorities when a doubt crosses my mind1 and ,i find with sorrow1 in which ,i am joined by other anxious spirits1 that the ,english language is being ruined1 chiefly by journalists1 ,english and ,american4 ,words of good old nervous meaning1 because common1 are discarded for words of less force but finer sound1 borrowed from other tongues4 ,the use of these new words is often a difficulty to all but classical scholars1 for the pronunciation1 the accent1 the quantities1 are varied even amongst equally educated people4 ,on the introduction of a new word there is always a halo of pedantry about it4 ,some admire the halo and adopt the word4 ,the journalists cuddle it4 ,the readers ask what it means1 think it sounds rather fine--perhaps genteel--throw over the humble friend who has done them and their conservative forefathers such good service4 ,the poor ill-used old fellow of a word then only finds friends amongst the lowly and the loyal2 and if in course of time the usurping word1 as he rolls by in his carriage and footmen1 hears the former wearer of his honours come out from the passing pedestrians1 he curls his proud lip1 pulls up his haughty collar1 distends his ,grecian nose1 and wonders where vulgar people will go to--albeit this vulgar word is better born1 and has a higher instep than the carriage word4 ,in the late ,autumn of #ahgh ,caldecott is again in the south of ,france1 sending home letters--one with a portrait of himself 7back view71 seated next to a young lady1 whose father is rather deaf4 ,illustration3 ,htel ,gray et d',albion ,cannes1 #ae ,nov4 #ahgh4 ,i have come here1 he says1 in order that rheumatism may forget me and not recognise me on return to ,albion's shores4 99 99 99 ,i open my bag and take out your letter of #bjth ,november1 #ahgg1 which has been ready at hand for reply ever since ,i received it with a welcome4 ,letters ought always to be replied to within the twelve months4 ,illustration3 ,,at ,,mentone4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,at ,,mentone1 ,,etc4 ,from the ,riviera in #ahgi came the following pictures in letters to friends4 ,this hotel is indeed a calm spot1 but the food is good1 and ,i have a pleasant little room or two1 where ,i can work comfortably4 ,i know the inhabitant of one villa here1 an ,american2 and ,i think there are two people whom ,i know in an hotel1 so when ,i feel very lonely ,i shall hunt them up4 ,there is much snow on the rocky hills near the town1 and the weather is rather cold1 but the aspect of everything around 7nearly7 is very fine and worth coming to see4 ,in another letter he sends the following sketch of himself at table in the vast salle manger of the hotel4#ab ,illustration ,,splendide ,,hotel1 ,,menton1 #aath ,january1 #ahgi4 ,,dear ----1--,the above view will give you a more correct idea of the splendour of this hotel than a page of writing1 ,i think1 could possibly do4 ,it represents our table d'hte last night4 ,i fled yesterday from ,cannes1 which--although called a very quiet place by most visitors--,i found to be too lively for one who has much work to do and a desire to do it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,much drawing was accomplished in the spring of this year1 both abroad1 and on return to ,london4 ,the success of his first ,picture ,books 7on which he writes1 ,i get a small1 small royalty7 was beyond all expectation1 and the ,elegy of a ,mad ,dog was now in progress4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,,not ,,such ,,disagreeable ,,weather ,,after ,,all--,,some ,,people ,,think4 ,from ,punch1 ,august #bnd1 #ahgi4 ,writing on the #bjth ,june1 in the wet summer of #ahgi1 from #e1 ,langham ,chambers1 ,portland ,place 7a studio that he had taken temporarily from an artist friend1 ,mr4 ,w4 ,j4 ,hennessy71 he heads the letter with the sketch on page #aib1 which is interesting as the first idea for the drawing which appeared in ,punch on the #bnd ,august1 #ahgi1 reproduced on the preceding page by permission of the proprietors4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,pig ,,of ,,brittany 7,,terra-,,cotta74 ,the ,property of ,mr4 ,armstrong4 ,the illustration on the opposite page is an example of ,caldecott in a style which will be new to most readers4 ,the book plate was drawn for an old and intimate friend in ,manchester1 and it is curious to note how closely the style of the family crest is followed in its various details4 ,if it were not for certain satirical touches this ingenious design might easily pass for the work of other hands2 the touch and treatment have little in common with ,caldecott as he is known2 but the artistic completeness of the little book plate is another evidence of his power as a designer4 ,illustration ,illustration ,in ,september ,caldecott modelled some birds1 forming part of the capitals of pillars for ,sir ,frederick ,leighton's ',arab ,hall' in his house at ,kensington4 ,they were done for the architect1 ,mr4 ,g4 ,aitchison1 ,a4,r4,a4 ,besides these he was at work on other modelling2 one subject 7the outcome of his ,brittany travels7 is given on page #aid4 ,in #ahgi he took a small house1 with an old-fashioned garden1 at ,kemsing1 near ,sevenoaks4 ,this was his first country home1 an out-of-the-way place1 as he expressed it1 but exactly right for me4 ,here1 surrounded by his four-footed friends1 he could indulge his liking and love for the country4 ,illustration ,writing to a young friend on the #acth ,october1 he sends the following3-- ,i am just now obliged to decline invitations to go and be merry with friends at a distance1 because ,i am now living in this quiet1 out-of-the-way village in order to make some studies of animals--to wit1 horses1 dogs1 and other human beings--which ,i wish to use for the works that ,i shall be busy with during the coming winter4 ,i have a mare--dark chestnut--who goes very well in harness1 and is very pleasant to ride2 and a little puppy--a comical young dachshund4 ,my man calls the mare ',peri1' so ,i call the puppy ,lalla ,rookh4 ,in a letter to his friend ,mr4 ,locker-,lampson1 written about this time1 in #ahhj1 he expresses surprise at not hearing from ,america respecting certain drawings by ,miss ,kate ,greenaway and himself1 which had been sent across the ,atlantic to be engraved on wood4 ,i wonder why8 he says--,the rest is reproduced opposite4 ,caldecott was soon found out in his country home1 his wide reputation as an illustrator bringing him ever-increasing work1 some not very profitable4 ,illustration ,at this time he was taxing his energies to the utmost1 working a long morning always indoors1 and afterwards making studies in the garden or in the country2 the evening occupied by reading and correspondence4 ,illustration ,but he found time always--and until the end--to remember and to write to his old and dear friends4 ,one more extract 7the last in this book7 from a letter from ,venice1 to an invalid friend in ,manchester in #ahhj3-- ,i am sorry to hear that you are so lame1 he says4 ,i wish you had been with us in ,venice--the going to and fro in gondolas would have suited you well4 ,easy1 smooth1 and soul-subduing--especially by moonlight and when the ear is filled with the rich notes of a very uncommon gondolier's voice and the twanging of a sentimental traveller's lute4 ,on the #ahth of ,march we were married at a small church in ,kent--my best man drove me in a dog-cart4 ,i sold him my mare on the way1 and she came to sad grief with him6 ,illustration3 ,,sketch ,,of ,,wybournes1 ,,kemsing1 ,,near ,,sevenoaks4 ,the letters after this date refer to a period in ,caldecott's art which must be considered at a future time4 ,only two remembrances of his later years shall be recorded now2 one of him at ,kemsing1 seated in his old-fashioned garden on a fine summer's afternoon 7after hard work from nine till two7 surrounded by his friends and four-footed playmates--a garden where the birds1 and even the flowers1 lived unrestrained4 ,where woodbines wander1 and the wallflower pushes ,its way alone2 ,and where1 in wafts of fragrance1 sweetbriar-bushes ,make themselves known4 ,with banks of violets for southern breezes ,to seek and find1 ,and trellis'd jessamine that trembles in ,the summer wind4 ,where clove-carnations overgrow the places ,where they were set1 ,and1 mist-like1 in the intervening spaces ,creeps mignonette4 ,the other and a later remembrance of ,caldecott is at a gathering of friends in ,victoria ,street1 ,westminster1 in ,january1 #ahhe1 when--to a good old ,english tune--the lasses and lads1 out of his ,picture ,book1 danced before him1 and the fiddler1 in the costume of the time1 played it wrong4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,new ,,year',s ,,greeting ,,to ,a ,,friend4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,conclusion4 ,it will be seen in the preceding pages that it was the privilege of the writer to know ,caldecott intimately before he had made a name1 when his heart and hands were free1 so to speak2 when he was untrammelled by much sense of responsibility1 or by the necessity of keeping up a reputation1 and when every day1 almost1 recorded some new experiment or achievement in his art4 ,let it be stated here that not at that time1 nor ever afterwards in the writer's hearing1 was a word said against ,caldecott4 ,with a somewhat wide and exceptional experience of the personality of artists1 it can be said with truth that ,caldecott was a man of whom all spoke well4 ,his presence then1 as in later years1 seemed to dispel all jealousies1 if they ever existed1 and to scatter evil spirits if they ever approached him4 ,no wonder--for was he not the very embodiment of sweetness1 simple-mindedness1 generosity1 and honour8 ,from the sketch on page #a of this book1 made in the smoke of ,manchester1 to the ,new ,year's ,greeting on p4 #bjc1 the same happy1 joyous spirit is evident2 and so1 to those who knew him1 he remained to the end4 ,as this memoir has to do with ,caldecott's earlier career1 and particularly with his work in black and white1 the artistic value of his illustrations in colour1 especially in his ,picture ,books1 can only be hinted at here4 ,caldecott's ,picture ,books are known all over the world2 they have been widely discussed and criticised1 and they form undoubtedly the best monument to his memory4 ,but it may be found that some of the best work he ever did 7the work least open to criticism7 was in #ahgd and #ahge1 before these books were begun2 and that the material here collected will aid in forming a better estimate of ,caldecott as an artist4 ,in ,march1 #ahhc there appeared a little oblong ,sketch ,book with canvas cover1 full of original and delightful illustrations1 many in colour1 engraved and printed by ,edmund ,evans4 ,this book is not very widely known1 but there are drawings in it of great personal interest1 now that the artist's hand is still4 ,the ,sketch ,book suggests many thoughts and calls up many associations to those who knew him4 ,in #ahhc he illustrated sop's ,fables with ,modern ,instances 7referred to on page #id74 ,the kind of work that ,caldecott liked best1 and of which he would have been an artistic and delightful exponent had circumstances permitted1 is indicated in the design at the head of the preface to this volume2 it was drawn on brown paper1 probably for a wood carving in relief1 for the central panel of a mantelpiece4 ,this sketch is selected from several designs of a similar kind4 ,in purely journalistic work1 for which his powers seemed eminently fitted1 he was never at home1 his heart was not in it4 ,neither on ,punch nor on the ,graphic newspaper1 would he have engaged to work regularly4 ,he would do anything on an emergency to aid a friend--or a foe1 if he had known one--but neither health nor inclination led him in that direction4 ,and yet ,caldecott1 of all contemporary artists1 owed his wide popularity to the wood engraver1 to the maker of colour blocks1 and to the printing press4 ,no artist before him had such chances of dispersing facsimiles of daintily coloured illustrations over the world4 ,all this must be considered when his place in the century of artists is written4 ,mr4 ,clough touches a true note in the following 7from the ,manchester ,quarterly73-- ,if the art1 tender and true as it is1 be not of the highest1 yet the artist is expressed in his work as perhaps few others have been4 ,nothing to be regretted--all of the clearest--an open-air1 pure life--a clean soul4 ,wholesome as the ,england he loved so well4 ,manly1 tolerant1 and patient under suffering4 ,none of the friends he made did he let go4 ,no envy1 malice1 or uncharitableness spoiled him2 no social flattery or fashionable success1 made him forget those he had known in the early years4 ,speaking generally of his friend ,caldecott1 whom he had known intimately in later years1 ,mr4 ,locker-,lampson 7to whom we are indebted for the letters and sketches on pages #aia1 #aib1 and #aii71 writes3-- ,it seems to me that ,caldecott's art was of a quality that appears about once in a century4 ,it had delightful characteristics most happily blended4 ,he had a delicate fancy1 and his humour was as racy as it was refined4 ,he had a keen sense of beauty1 and1 to sum up all1 he had charm4 ,his old-world youths and maidens are perfect4 ,the men are so simple and so manly1 the maidens are so modest and so trustful3 ,the latter remind one of the country girl in that quaint old ballad1 ',he stopt and gave my cheek a pat1 ,he told a tender tale1 ,then stole a kiss1 but what of that8 ',twas ,willie of the ,dale6' ,poor ,caldecott6 ,his friends were much attached to him4 ,he had feelings1 and ideas1 and manners1 which made him welcome in any society2 but alas1 all was trammelled1 not obscured1 by deplorably bad health4 ,these two criticisms--both coming from friends of the artist1 but from different points of view--are worth setting side by side in a memoir4 ,a correspondent1 writing from ,manchester1 sends the following interesting letter respecting places sketched by ,caldecott in ,cheshire and ,shropshire and afterwards used in the illustrations in his books4 ,during occasional rambles in this and the neighbouring county of ,chester1 more especially in the neighbourhood of ,whitchurch1 ,i have been interested in the identification of some few of the original scenes pictured by ,mr4 ,caldecott in his several published drawings4 ,thus3-- ,malpas ,church1 which occupies the summit of a gentle hill some six miles from ,whitchurch1 occurs frequently--as in a full page drawing in the ,graphic newspaper for ,christmas1 #ahhc2 in ,babes in the ,wood1 p4 #ai2 in ,baby ,bunting1 p4 #bj2 and in ,the ,fox ,jumps over the ,parson's ,gate1 p4 #e4 ,the main street of ,whitchurch is fairly pictured in the ,great ,panjandrum1 p4 #f1 whilst the old porch of the ,blue ,bell portrayed on p4 #bh of ,old ,christmas is identical with that of the ,bell ,inn at ,lushingham1 situated some two miles from ,whitchurch on the way to ,malpas4 ,besides these ,i recognise in the ',old ,stone-house1 ,lingborough ,hall1' in ,lob ,lie-by-the-,fire1 p4 #e1 an accurate line-for-line sketch of ,barton ,hall1 an ancient moated mansion which until quite recently stood within the parish of ,eccles1 four miles from ,manchester4 ,lastly1 a comparison of the illustration on p4 #ie of ,old ,christmas1 with one in last year's volume of the ,english ,illustrated ,magazine1 p4 #dff1 shows that the picturesque nooks of ,sussex1 equally with those of ,kent and ,chester1 yielded their quota to the busy pencil we know so well4 ,about the year #ahgi ,caldecott became acquainted with ,mrs4 ,ewing1 which led to his making many illustrations for her1 such as the design for the cover of ,aunt ,judy's ,magazine1 and notably the illustrations to that book of books for boys1 ,jackanapes1 and to ,daddy ,darwin's ,dovecot1 and others4 ,miss ,gatty1 in her memoir of ,mrs4 ,ewing1 says3-- ,my sister was in ,london in ,june1 #ahgi1 and then made the acquaintance of ,mr4 ,caldecott1 for whose illustrations she had unbounded admiration4 ,this introduction led us to ask him 7when ,jackanapes was still simmering in ,julie's brain7 if he would supply a coloured illustration for it4 ,but as the tale was only written a very short time before it appeared1 and as the illustration was wanted early and colours take long to print1 ,julie could not send the story to be read1 but asked ,caldecott to draw her a picture to fit one of the scenes in it4 ,the one she suggested was a fair-haired boy on a red-haired pony1 thinking of one of her own nephews1 a skilful seven-year-old rider who was accustomed to follow the hounds4 ,looking back1 but a few months only1 at the passing away of two such lives--the author of ,jackanapes and the illustrator of the ,picture ,books 7of whom it was well said lately1 they have gone to ,heaven together7--the loss seems incalculable4 ,in the history of the century1 the best and purest books and the brightest pages ever placed before children will be recorded between #ahgh and #ahhe2 and no words would seem more in touch with the lives and aims of these lamented artists than a concluding sentence in ,jackanapes1 that--their works are a heritage of heroic example and noble obligation4 ,the grace and beauty1 and wealth of imagination in ,caldecott's work1--conspicuous to the end1--form a monument which few men in the history of illustrative art have raised for themselves4 99 99 99 99 99 ,here may end fittingly the memoir of his earlier work4 ,at a future time more may be written1 and many delightful reminiscences recorded1 of the years from the time of his marriage on the #ahth ,march1 #ahhj1 to his lamented death at ,st4 ,augustine1 in ,florida1 on the #abth ,february1 #ahhf2 when--in the sympathetic lines which appeared in ,punch on the #bgth ,february1 #ahhf3-- ,all that flow of fun1 and all ,that fount of charm found in his fancy1 ,are stopped6 ,yet will he hold us thrall ,by his fine art's sweet necromancy1 ,children and seniors many a year2 ,for long 'twill be ere a new-comer1 ,fireside or nursery holdeth dear ,as him whose life ceased in its summer4 ,,appendix4 ,illustration3 ,,try ,,caldecott',s ,,picture ,,books4 ,the following is a list of ,caldecott's ,picture ,books with the dates of publication4 ,besides the ordinary shilling books1 several collected volumes of his ,pictures and ,songs1 also ,pictures collected from the ,graphic newspaper1 have been issued by the same publishers4 ,caldecott's ,picture ,books4 ,,the ,,house ,,that ,,jack ,,built #ahgh ,,john ,,gilpin ,,elegy ,,on ,a ,,mad ,,dog #ahgi ,,the ,,babes ,,in ,,the ,,wood ,,three ,,jovial ,,huntsmen #ahhj ,,sing ,a ,,song ,,of ,,sixpence ,,the ,,queen ,,of ,,hearts #ahha ,,the ,,farmer',s ,,boy ,,the ,,milkmaid #ahhb ,,hey-,,diddle-,,diddle1 ,,the ,,cat ,,and ,,the ,,fiddle2 and ,,baby ,,bunting ,,the ,,fox ,,jumps ,,over ,,the #ahhc ,,parson',s ,,gate ,a ,,frog ,,he ,,would ,a-,,wooing ,,go ,,come1 ,,lasses ,,and ,,lads #ahhd ,,ride ,a ,,cock ,,horse ,,to ,,banbury ,,cross2 and ,a ,,farmer ,,went ,,trotting ,,upon ,,his ,,grey ,,mare ,,mrs4 ,,mary ,,blaize #ahhe ,,the ,,great ,,panjandrum ,,himself ,,published ,,by ,,george ,,routledge ,,and ,,sons1 ,,london ,,and ,,new ,,york ,some of sop's ,fables4 ,with ,modern ,instances4 ,shown in designs by ,r4 ,,caldecott4 ,illustration ,,london3 ,,macmillan ,,and ,,co4 #ahhc4 ,price ,seven ,shillings and ,sixpence4 ,a ,sketch-,book1 by ,r4 ,,caldecott4 ,reproduced by ,,edmund ,,evans the ,engraver and ,printer4 ,illustration ,,london3 ,,george ,,routledge ,,and ,,sons1 ,,london ,,and ,,new ,,york4 #ahhc4 ,price ,three ,shillings and ,sixpence4 ,breton ,folk4 ,with ,one ,hundred and ,seventy ,illustrations by ,r4 ,,caldecott4 ,illustration ,,london3 ,,sampson ,,low1 ,,marston1 ,,searle1 ,,rivington1 ,,crown ,,buildings1 #ahh1 ,,fleet ,,street4 #ahhj4 ,price ,ten ,shillings and ,sixpence4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #a3 ,the drawing1 ,a ,debating ,society1 was very well engraved on wood by ,j4 ,d4 ,cooper1 and appeared in ,london ,society in #ahga1 v4 xx4 p4 #dag2 it is now reproduced on a larger scale by a mechanical process of photo-engraving4 ,experts in drawing for book illustration may be interested to compare results4 ,footnote #b3 ,in a private letter to the writer of this memoir1 dated #bnd ,november1 #ahgf1 ,caldecott says3--,pen can never put down how much ,i owe1 in many ways1 to ,t4 ,a4 ,footnote #c3 ,the ,harz ,mountains1 a ,tour in the ,toy ,country1 by ,henry ,blackburn4 ,london3 ,sampson ,low and ,co41 #ahgb4 ,footnote #d3 ,this1 and other similar sketches1 caused amusement in some circles and offence in others1 at ,berlin1 where it was stated erroneously that the artist had caricatured some well-known personages who came annually to ,goslar to drink the waters1 and an arrangement to publish a translation of the ,harz ,mountains into ,german fell through in consequence4 ,footnote #e3 ,amongst the young artists in the art department of ,harper's ,magazine in #ahgc1 was ,e4 ,a4 ,abbey1 the well-known illustrator of old ,english subjects2 in later years a great friend and ally of ,caldecott4 ,footnote #f3 ,the drawings in the ,daily ,graphic in ,new ,york were all reproduced by photo-lithography1 and printed at the lithographic press4 ,footnote #g3 ,it was more than once suggested to ,caldecott to paint this scene4 ,it would probably have been attempted had circumstances permitted4 ,footnote #h3 ,the medallion at the head of this letter was designed by ,sir ,frederick ,burton and afterwards redrawn for the ,arts ,club by ,e4 ,j4 ,poynter1 ,r4,a4 ,footnote #i3 ,north ,italian ,folk1 by ,mrs4 ,comyns ,carr4 ,london3 ,chatto and ,windus1 #ahgh4 ,footnote #aj3 ,breton ,folk1 by ,henry ,blackburn1 with #agj illustrations by ,r4 ,caldecott4 ,london3 ,sampson ,low and ,co41 #ahhj4 ,footnote #aa3 ,this letter was printed in the ,manchester ,city ,news1 #bj ,february1 #ahhf4 ,footnote #ab3 ,the portrait of ,caldecott at the beginning of this volume1 is from a photograph taken at ,cannes in ,january1 #ahgi4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes ,some illustrations were moved from their original positions to avoid breaking up paragraphs of text4 ,made minor punctuation corrections and the following change3 ,page #aef3 ,deleted duplicate in4 7,orig3 ',poor old priest6 ,what a shrew he has got in in his house1'7