City of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Large engraving c1867

by The Illustrated London News

Superb antique print of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. This is the finest early view we have ever seen of the beautiful South Island city of Dunedin.

Original large double-page Dunedin panorama wood engraving with names on prominent buildings in Dunedin. With hills and water shown this is a lovely view that was printed in two sections for publication in The Illustrated London News on April 6,1867. It has excellent later hand-colour, and, if preferred, can be cut and joined with upper right joining lower left. 

Herbert Ingram began publishing his illustrated periodical after he noticed when he was a newsagent in Nottingham, that sales were much larger when periodicals included illustrations. With advice from his friend Mark Lemon who was the editor of Punch magazine, Ingram's first publication of The Illustrated London News in May 1842 was comprised of 16 pages with text and 32 woodcut illustrations. Finer scenes were later engraved on woodblocks for publication. The Illustrated London News was such a success that Ingram also began publishing the London Telegraph daily newspaper in 1848.

Woodblock printing was a labour-intensive process for printing pictures. An artist sketched the outline of the picture on a polished block of wood in reverse from a mirror image, then an engraver with chisel and other engraving tools cut away all the wood that was not within pencil lines. Wood engraving was even more skilled and slower, as the engraver carved fine grooves within the outline to illustrate curves and lines, carving thicker and more deeply for sections to appear darker, so that the grooves would retain more ink for printing.

This is a wonderful large view of Dunedin. To be able to print it as large as possible, it has a central vertical fold. It is in very good condition considering its age and size which is approximately 39.5 x 56 cm (15 1/2 x 22 inches).