English Wood-Engraving 1900-1950, Paperback

"A wonderful look at the many styles of wood engraving from the time period 1900-1950. The illustrations are sublime, and there is a lot of variation both in theme, execution and style. I really enjoyed looking at the engravings, and the text was interesting and very readable." -- Jefferson-Madison Regional Library System
At the turn of the twentieth century the art of wood-engraving enjoyed a flourishing revival among English artists. These works were so fundamentally different from their predecessors, in both design and technique, that they formed a new branch of the art. This volume showcases five decades' worth of magnificent wood engravings in a series of finely wrought black-and-white and color images, selected from a wide array of sources that includes lesser-known works from temporary exhibitions and limited editions.
An informative history of the art precedes the illustrations, tracing the development of wood-engraving from the art form's earliest days through its decline and resurgence of popularity. A chronological presentation of striking, intricately detailed images follows, featuring the works of such noted artists as Eric Gill, Iain Macnab, Eric Ravilious, John Nash, and Clare Leighton, in addition to scores of others. Ranging from vignettes of animals and rural life to street scenes, portraits, and episodes from literature, this survey offers a magnificent overview of the vibrant era in the art of wood-engraving.

A scion of the Whatman papermaking family, Thomas Balston (1883-1967) was a director of the Duckworth & Company publishers and a noted scholar of English book production and illustration.