Dalziel Brothers was a Victorian publishing company, established in 1840 as a wood-engraving company by George and Edward Dalziel, later joined by their brother Thomas. The company was founded at a time when illustrated magazines like Punch and the Illustrated London News were first appearing, and soon expanded their repertoire to more serious illustrated books, trade catalogues and technical publications, becoming the largest engraving firm in London and employing many engravers.
By the 1870s they had acquired a range of comic papers, including Fun, Judy and Hood's Comic Annual, which Edward's son Gilbert ran, launching Ally Sloper's Half Holiday in 1884. Gilbert bought out the firm's ownership of Judy in 1888 and published it himself. The firm was bankrupt by 1893, but their printing business continued operating until 1905, run by Edward's sons Harvey and Charles.
References[]
- Anthony Burton, "Dalziel family (per. 1840–1905)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 11 May 2013
- Dalziel, Edward, Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, Vol. 1, p. 463, 1912