British Illustrated Periodicals, 1869-1970

Founded in 1842, The Illustrated London News (ILN) became a pioneer in global print media, not only constituting the first illustrated magazine in the world but also, in 1855, printing the first colour newspaper. With time, the ILN acquired and launched several other publications, which produced some of the most remarkable media content of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and documented key events and developments in both British and global history. Arranged into carefully curated collections, and incorporating more than a million images, British Illustrated Periodicals, 1869–1970 includes material from nine of these ‘sister’ titles: The Graphic (1869–1932); Sporting and Dramatic News (1874–1970); The Sketch (1893–1959); The Sphere (1900–1964); The Tatler (1901–1965); The Bystander (1903–1940); Illustrated War News (1914–1918, and 1939); Britannia and Eve (1929–1957); and London Life (1965-1966).   

Spanning over a hundred years of the ILN’s history, these titles illuminate a wide variety of events, topics, and social trends, such as High Society in the late Victorian, the World Wars, international sports, and the cultural milieu of Britain’s ‘Swinging Sixties’. Prominent contributors to these publications include the celebrated illustrator, Louis Wain (famous for his anthropomorphic and psychedelic depictions of cats); the crime novelist, Agatha Christie (creator of the popular Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot detective stories); and Bram Stoker (author of the acclaimed gothic horror, Dracula). Due to their eclectic nature, these collections yield crucial material for researchers and students working in many disciplines, such as politics, history, art history, gender studies, and war studies. Encompassing a diverse range of media forms (including satirical cartoons, art deco illustrations, and photography), they supply insights into the development of contemporary print culture in Britain and and further afield.

Dates Covered