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Rudolph Ackermann
(1764-1834) pioneered lithography
and produced some of the best early
colour printing in Britain, publishing
numerous fine illustrated volumes, and
magazines .
He was born on April 20, 1764 in
Stolberg. Apprenticed to his father a
coach-builder, he moved first to
Dresden, then to Paris and eventually
to London whilst still working at
coach-building. In 1795 he married and
set up a print shop at 96 The Strand,
moving the following year to 101 The
Strand. He had already taken over a
drawing school originally established
at this address by William Shipley, the
founder of the Society of Arts, and
maintained it until 1806.
The first major colour plate book he
published was The Microcosm of London;
(or London in Miniature) which appeared
in monthly parts between 1808 and 1810.
Printed on hot-pressed handmade paper,
books were illustrated using coloured
aquatints. The architectural
backgrounds were drawn by Augustus
Pugin and the figures were drawn by
Thomas Rowlandson. Ackermann originally
planned to issue the book in
twenty-four numbers at 7/6d a number,
but he soon found himself obliged to
raise the price to 10/6d, and the
number of parts to twenty-six.
Successful production techniques and
methods of marketing by subscription
prompted him to follow the same plan
with his next
publications.
For the reproduction of the
drawings by Pugin and Rowlandson, five
different engravers were used to
produce the plates: fifty-four by J.
Bluck, twenty-nine by J.C. Stadler, ten
by T. Sutherland, ten by J. Hill and
one by Harraden. From 1790 - 1830 the
principle process in book illustration
was aquatint engraving. Once the
drawing and the engraving had been
made, the colour process began. The
engravings might be printed in two
colours, perhaps brown for the
foreground and blue for the sky and
distance, the remaining colour would be
applied by hand. Ackermann employed
colourists and engravers at his
'Repository of Arts' but like most
publishers he would also have used
pieceworkers. Bundles of sheets to be
coloured would be distributed to
workers who would do the work in their
own homes. Often the work was done by
children, but sometimes whole families
would work together at home by
candlelight.Handcolouring can save
money when printing large plates
although people like Ackermann stressed
the high cost of hand finishing. He
used poorly paid French refugees and
later hand coloured plate producers
used children and stencils.
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Carleton House. Pall Mall, London. /
Carlton House
Rowlandson & Pugin
del et Sculpt. J.C. Stadler Aquat.
London, Pub. Full page Original
Aquatint from .The "Repository of Arts,
Literature, Commerce, Manufactures,
Fashions and Politics, commonly known
as Ackermann's Repository, after
Rudolph Ackermann, its publisher ....
first appeared in London in 1809 as a
monthly publication Dated 1811 at 101
Strand Image 20 x 12 cm Page 54 x 36 cm
so Full margins ! £105
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The Staircase, Carlton House. Pall
Mall, London.
Rowlandson & Pugin
del et Sculpt. J.C. Stadler Aquat.
London, Pub. Full page Original
Aquatint from .The "Repository of Arts,
Literature, Commerce, Manufactures,
Fashions and Politics, commonly known
as Ackermann's Repository, after
Rudolph Ackermann, its publisher ....
first appeared in London in 1809 as a
monthly publication Dated 1811 at 101
Strand Image 20 x 30 cm Page 54 x 36 cm
so Full margins ! £115 also
another cropped copy mounted at
£85
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Carlton House. Pall Mall,
London.
Rowlandson & Pugin
del et Sculpt. J.C. Stadler Aquat.
London, Pub. July 1st July, 1809 at R.
Ackermann's Repository of Arts 101
Strand. for the Repository of Arts
Vol/Plate: 6/19. In addition to the
impression in Select Views(Papworth)
City of Westminster Library have three
versions of this print, one of the
outline etching only; one with outline
etching and aquatint, uncoloured; and
one with the outline etching and
aquatint coloured Coloured aquatint.
full borders /full page £125 Image
32 x 13 cm Page 54 x 36 cm so Full
margins !
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34. Russell Institution, Great Coram
Street
Full page Original Aquatint
from .The "Repository of Arts,
Literature, Commerce, Manufactures,
Fashions and Politics, commonly known
as Ackermann's Repository, after
Rudolph Ackermann, its publisher ....
first appeared in London in 1809 as a
monthly publication Dated 1811 at 101
Strand. Rowlandson & Pugin del et
Sculpt. J.C. Stadler Aquat. London,
Image 20 x 13 cm Page 54 x 36 cm so
Full margins ! £95
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101. South Sea House, Dividend
Hall
from ACKERMANN'S
MICROCOSM OF LONDON (1808) 104
Handcoloured aquatints in three
volumes, issued in parts between 1808
and 1810. Published by Rudolph
Ackermann, this series is of interest
in setting a new standard for the
figures "staffage" in topographical
prints. This was achieved by an
exceptional partnership between
Augustus Pugin, who made the
architectural drawing, and Thomas
Rowlandson, who added the figures,
frequently caricatures. The majority of
the plates were aquatinted by J. Bluck
and Joseph Stadler . . this one is by
Sutherland . This series of prints is
Series 99 as catalogued in London
Illustrated 1604-1851 by Bernard Adams.
The image is The Long Room, Custom
House. This is the earlier sepia
aquatint as sold £95 good margins
let ito a larger sheet of paper
'window' style to protect it probably
years
ago
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The Royal Mint
pub18o9
by Pugin & Rowlandson for Ackermann's
MICROCOSM OF LONDON (1808.. 1810) The
partnership between Augustus Pugin, who
made the architectural drawing, and Thomas
Rowlandson, who added the figures,
frequently caricatures. The majority of
the plates were aquatinted by J. Bluck and
Joseph Stadler. Condition still bright
framed at present
£88
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the Post Office
pub1809
by Pugin & Rowlandson for Ackermann's
MICROCOSM OF LONDON (1808.. 1810) The
partnership between Augustus Pugin, who
made the architectural drawing, and Thomas
Rowlandson, who added the figures,
frequently caricatures. The majority of
the plates were aquatinted by J. Bluck and
Joseph Stadler. Condition good still
bright framed at present
£88
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Salmon Fishing at
Lurley
pub1820
by Pugin & Rowlandson for Ackermann's
Repository £88
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The
Horse Armoury at the Tower
pub1810
by Pugin & Rowlandson for
Ackermann's MICROCOSM OF LONDON (1808..
1810) The partnership between Augustus
Pugin, who made the architectural
drawing, and Thomas Rowlandson, who
added the figures, frequently
caricatures. The majority of the plates
were aquatinted by J. Bluck and Joseph
Stadler. Condition some age staining
from the old wooden backboard framed at
present £68
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