Isle of Wight

23x16 cm

GLYPHOGRAPH PRINTED MAP 

THE ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS. September 7, 1844.
ISLE OF WIGHT
Glyphographed by John Dower, Pentonville London

NORRIS CASTLE, ISLE OF WIGHT.

Glyphograph printed map by John Dower printed on the upper half of the page (27x40cm) from The Illustrated London News with typeset text description of the Isle of Wight and woodblock engraved view of Norris Castle below.

Glyphography was a printing process involving drawing the image through a waxed plate to expose the metal and electro-plating the plate to create a raised image that could be used in a conventional printing press.
The view of Norris Castle below is unsigned and was produced by wood engraving, the wood cut away to leave raised lines to produce the image, again to be used in a conventional printing press.

John James Dower (1825-1901), born in London on 1st January 1825, the son of engraver, publisher and printer, John Crane Dower (1791?-1847). He is recorded as an engraver at the age of 15 on the 1841 census. On the death of his father he inherited the business with his brother Frederick James Dower (1827-1887). He was elected to the Royal Geographical Society 9th January 1854. He traded as Dower & Davis in 1859 and John Dower & Co. from 1860 to 1861. Married to Mary Ann Augusta from Clerkenwell, he is recorded on the 1871 Census, living with his wife and three children. In 1891 he is still recorded as an engraver, now a widower, lodging in Wanstead. 

Good condition with Illustrated London News One Penny stamp to lower left corner. Text description of the Isle of Wight is incomplete.