The "Illustrated London News," 1842-52

Abstract

The Illustrated London News was one of the most popular journals of the Victorian era. Its wide circulation was due primarily to its innovation in illustrated journalism; it was Britain’s, and the world’s, first illustrated newspaper. Illustrations from woodcuts had for many years appeared in newspapers and journals on special occasions, but the Illustrated London News, which began publication on May 14, 1842, was the first newspaper to employ artists and engravers on a regular basis and to provide its readers with numerous illustrations in every issue, illustrations sketched at the scene by special artists, rushed through the process of engraving, and reproduced at the week’s end for the edification and enjoyment of its readers. The breadth and variety of the paper’s contents were also responsible for its success. The journal clearly saw its mission as the presentation of a panorama of the life of the times.