Great Spotted Woodpecker

Artist: Alexander Francis Lydon

Engraver: Benjamin Fawcett

Date: 1875

Style: Hand Coloured Prints

Paper Size: Approximately 25cm x 17cm

Condition: Very good to excellent. Minor imperfections may be present due to age. Please examine the image carefully and contact us with any questions. 

Description: 

The meticulous production of this remarkable work was centered in the small North Country village of Driffield, the home and workshop of Benjamin Fawcett. From this seemingly unassuming location, the printed and bound volumes were even shipped to London in tea chests. The book achieved resounding success, representing a pinnacle of cottage industry craftsmanship.

The enduring desirability and excellent preservation of this work are largely attributable to Fawcett's exceptional skills and techniques, many of which are now sadly lost. He exercised meticulous care in selecting, grinding, and mixing his inks. Only the finest quality, heavy paper stock was utilised, often imported from France. This superior paper has remarkably resisted the ravages of time, exhibiting only minor marginal foxing while retaining its beautiful ivory hue and subtle sheen. The illustrations themselves were a testament to Fawcett's artistry, being colour-printed using separate wood blocks – sometimes up to four for a single image – further enhanced by delicate hand-colouring.

Alexander Francis Lydon stands out as one of Fawcett's principal engravers, making significant contributions to both the technical execution and the artistic design of the illustrations.