George Housman Thomas ( London December 17, 1824 – Boulogne-sur-Mer July 21, 1868), was a British

wood-engraver Wood engraving is a printmaking technique, in which an artist works an image or ''matrix'' of images into a block of wood. Functionally a variety of woodcut, it uses relief printing, where the artist applies ink to the face of the block and pr ...

, illustrator and painter.

Life

He was born in London in 1824 and after an apprenticeship there to a wood engraver, George Bonner, he began work in Paris, first as an engraver, then as a draughtsman on wood. In 1846 he went to the United States to illustrate a New York City paper, and remained there about two years. During this time he obtained a commission from the government of the United States to design banknotes. His health compelled him to return to Europe, and he went to Italy. He was present at the siege of Rome by the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

in 1849, and sent sketches of the siege to the '' Illustrated London News''. After spending two years in Italy he returned to England. Thomas resided at the boroughs of

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

and

Surbiton Surbiton is a suburban neighbourhood in South West London, within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (RBK). It is next to the River Thames, southwest of Charing Cross. Surbiton was in the historic county of Surrey and since 1965 it has ...

till illness caused his removal to Boulogne-sur-Mer, where he died on 21 July 1868. A collection of his works was exhibited in

Bond Street Bond Street in the West End of London links Piccadilly in the south to Oxford Street in the north. Since the 18th century the street has housed many prestigious and upmarket fashion retailers. The southern section is Old Bond Street and the l ...

in June 1869, and his sketches and studies were sold at

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...

in July 1872.

Works

About 1850 Thomas produced a set of woodcuts for Stowe's '' Uncle Tom's Cabin''. He also illustrated other books, including Longfellow's '' The Song of Hiawatha'',

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Trollope The name Trollope is derived from the place-name Troughburn, in Northumberland, England, originally Trolhop, Norse for "troll valley". The earliest recorded use of the surname is John Andrew Trolope (1427–1461) who lived in Thornlaw, Co. Durh ...

's '' Last Chronicle of Barset''. Thomas exhibited his first picture, ''St. Anthony's Day at Rome'', at the

British Institution The British Institution (in full, the British Institution for Promoting the Fine Arts in the United Kingdom; founded 1805, disbanded 1867) was a private 19th-century society in London formed to exhibit the works of living and dead artists; it w ...

in 1851. ''Garibaldi at Rome'', painted from sketches made in 1849, was exhibited at the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...

in 1854, and attracted much attention. His next picture was ''Ball at the Camp, Boulogne'', 1856. Thomas obtained the patronage of Queen Victoria, and painted the following pictures by her majesty's command: *''Distribution of

Crimean Medal The Crimea Medal was a campaign medal approved on 15 December 1854, for issue to officers and men of British units (land and naval) which fought in the Crimean War of 1854–56 against Russia. The medal was awarded with the British version of th ...

s, 18 May 1855'', 1858; *''Review in the Champ de Mars in Honour of Queen Victoria'', 1859; *''Parade at Potsdam, 17 August 1858'', 1860; *''Marriage of the Prince of Wales'', ''Homage of the Princess Royal at the Coronation of the King of Prussia'', and ''Marriage of the Princess Alice'', 1863; *''The Queen and Prince Consort at Aldershot, 1859'', 1866 ; *''The Children of Princess Alice'', 1866; *''The Queen investing the

Sultan of Turkey Sultan of Turkey may refer to: * List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from ...

with the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George C ...

'', 1868, painted from a sketch by

Princess Louise Princess Louise may refer to: ;People: * Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, 1848–1939, the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom * Princess Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife, 1867–1931, the ...

. All these were exhibited at the Royal Academy in the years named. His other exhibits, military or domestic subjects, included ''Rotten Row'' (1862).

Book illustrations

Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and became best known for her novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1852), which depicts the harsh ...

, '' Uncle Tom's Cabin; or Life Among the Lowly: A Tale of Slave Life in America'', with above one hundred and fifty illustrations, drawn by George Thomas, Esq., and T. R. Macquoid, Esq., and Engraved by William Thomas, Esq., London: Nathaniel Cooke, 1853 (a pirated English edition of the original) **Most of the illustration were reused without creditsNew version (1888)
from Uncle Tom's Cabin & American culture ( University of Virginia) in ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'', A New Edition, With Illustrations, and a Bibliography of the Work by George Bullen, Together with an Introductory Account of the Work. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Co., 1888 *

Thomas Campbell Thomas Campbell may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Thomas Campbell (poet) (1777–1844), Scottish poet * Thomas Campbell (sculptor) (1790–1858), Scottish sculptor * Thomas Campbell (visual artist) (born 1969), California-based visual artist ...

,
The Pleasures of Hope: With Other Poems
', with illustrations by

Myles Birkett Foster Myles Birket Foster (4 February 1825 – 27 March 1899) was a British illustrator, watercolourist and engraver in the Victorian period. His name is also to be found as Myles Birkett Foster. Life and work Foster was born in North Shiel ...

, George Thomas e Harrison Weir,

Sampson Low Sampson Low (18 November 1797 – 16 April 1886) was a bookseller and publisher in London in the 19th century. Early years Born in London in 1797, he was the son of Sampson Low, printer and publisher, of Berwick Street, Soho. He served a short ...

and Son, London, 1855 *

Oliver Goldsmith Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Anglo-Irish novelist, playwright, dramatist and poet, who is best known for his novel ''The Vicar of Wakefield'' (1766), his pastoral poem ''The Deserted Village'' (1770), and his pl ...

, '' The Vicar of Wakefield A Tale''. Illustrated by George Thomas. London and New York: Sampson Low & Son; and Bangs, Brother, & Co. 1855 * Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, '' The Song of Hiawatha'', W. Kent, 1860 (
online
' from Google Book Search) *

, ''Household Song. Collection of lyrical pieces. With illustrations by B. Foster, G. H. Thomas, S. Palmer, etc.'', 1861 *Gilbert Percy, ''Piccalilli: a mixture'', (illustrations by George Housman Thomas & Thomas R. Macquoid, engraved by Edmund Evans), London, Sampson Low Son & Co., 1862 *

Anthony Trollope Anthony Trollope (; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the '' Chronicles of Barsetshire'', which revolves ar ...

, '' Last Chronicle of Barset'', Smith Elder, 1867
online
at Internet Archive) *

Thomas Moore Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...

, ''Lalla Rookh: an oriental romance'',

George Routledge and Sons Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...

, 1868 * ''The Life and Adventures of Dr. Livingston: in the interior of South Africa... Illustrated with portrait, map, and sixty engravings, etc.'',

Henry Gardiner Adams Henry Gardiner Adams (c.1811–1881) was an English druggist and chemist, known as an author and anthologist. He wrote juvenile literature under the pseudonym Nemo. Life Adams acted as secretary to the Mechanics Institute at Chatham. He was also ...

, William Harvey, F. G. Sargent, George Houseman Thomas, J. Blackwood & Co., 1868 *Wilkie Collins, Armadale, in Cornhill Magazine, November 1864 - June 1866....

Notes

References

* Obituary: , '' The Times'', July 30, 1868 *'' G. H. Thomas - Obituary'', '' The Gentleman's Magazine'', new series, vol. 225, June–November 1868, p. 568 ;Attribution *

External links

*
George Housman Thomas
at ''

Royal Collection The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world. Spread among 13 occupied and historic royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King Charles III and overseen by the ...

''
"Thomas, George Houseman"
at the ''

National Art Library The National Art Library (NAL) is a major reference library, situated in the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), a museum of decorative arts in London. The NAL holds the UK's most comprehensive collection of both books as art and books about art, ...

''
"George Housman Thomas"
at the

Bridgeman Art Library The Bridgeman Art Library, based in London, Paris, New York and Berlin, provides one of the largest archives for reproductions of works of art in the world. Founded in 1972 by Harriet Bridgeman, the Bridgeman Art Library cooperates with many a ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, George Housman English engravers 19th-century English painters English male painters English illustrators People of the Victorian era 1868 deaths 1824 births 19th-century English male artists