John Thompson. John Thompson was a British wood-engraver.
He is best known for his contribution to William Yarrell's 1843 History of British Birds. He was described as the most distinguished wood-engraver of his time.
Thompson also engraved the design for the 1839 penny postage envelope, on a brass plate; and the design for the iconic figure of Britannia which appeared on British banknotes. Thompson was born in Manchester to a London merchant, Richard Thompson.
He trained under the wood-engraver Allen Robert Branston, and then collaborated with the artist John Thurston. He engraved around 900 of Thurston's designs from 1814 onwards including illustrations for Butler's Hudibras in 1918.
He is described as Branston's most celebrated pupil. He illustrated many books, becoming in the words of Freeman Marius O'Donoghue in the Dictionary of National Biography the most distinguished wood-engraver of his time, and perhaps the ablest exponent that has ever lived of the style of wood engraving which aimed at rivalling the effect of copper. He is thanked by William Yarrell in the preface to History of British Birds for engraving the original drawings by Alexander Fussell, nearly five hundred of the drawings on wood here employed, in what was a very long series of engravings. As well as wood-engravings for books, Thompson engraved the design for the penny postage envelope in relief on brass in 1839, and
He is best known for his contribution to William Yarrell's 1843 History of British Birds. He was described as the most distinguished wood-engraver of his time.
Thompson also engraved the design for the 1839 penny postage envelope, on a brass plate; and the design for the iconic figure of Britannia which appeared on British banknotes. Thompson was born in Manchester to a London merchant, Richard Thompson.
He trained under the wood-engraver Allen Robert Branston, and then collaborated with the artist John Thurston. He engraved around 900 of Thurston's designs from 1814 onwards including illustrations for Butler's Hudibras in 1918.
He is described as Branston's most celebrated pupil. He illustrated many books, becoming in the words of Freeman Marius O'Donoghue in the Dictionary of National Biography the most distinguished wood-engraver of his time, and perhaps the ablest exponent that has ever lived of the style of wood engraving which aimed at rivalling the effect of copper. He is thanked by William Yarrell in the preface to History of British Birds for engraving the original drawings by Alexander Fussell, nearly five hundred of the drawings on wood here employed, in what was a very long series of engravings. As well as wood-engravings for books, Thompson engraved the design for the penny postage envelope in relief on brass in 1839, and
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