Mary Byfield

Mary Byfield (baptized 11 November 1795 – 1871) was an English book illustrator and wood engraver.

Mary Byfield
Born1795
London
Died1871 (aged 75–76)
Islington, London
NationalityBritish
Known forBook illustration and printmaking

Biography

Byfield was born in London into a family of wood engravrers. Taught by their father, Mary Byfield often worked with her brothers John (1788-1841) and Ebenezer (1790-1817) to produce engraved illustrations for books.[1][2] These included several volumes for the writer Thomas Frognall Dibdin.[3] Mary and John Byfield also produced illustrations for the Chiswick Press, notably for the works of William Pickering.[3][4] Working alone, Mary Byfield also produced engravings for several other volumes and designed a version of the Oxford University arms that became, for a time, the mark of the Oxford University Press.[3] She worked for the printer Charles Whittingham and his nephew, Charles at the Chiswick Press throughout her life.[4] As well as full page illustrations, her work included engraved alphabets for the first letter of a page, head and tail pieces, decorative borders and vignettes.[3] Byfield taught several other members of her family, and members of the Whittingham family, wood engraving techniques.[3] For most of her life, Byfield lived in the Holloway area of London, notably at Canonbury Place and Liverpool Road.[3]

Works illustrated

Works illustrated in whole, or part, by Mary Byfield include,[3]

  • Bibliotheca Spenciana by Thomas Frognal Dibdin, 1814, 4 volumes, with John Byfield
  • Bibliographical Decameron, 1817, with John Byfield
  • Typographical Antiquities by Thomas Frognal Dibdin, 1819
  • Icones veteris testamenti, 1830, with John Byfield
  • South Yorkshire by Joseph Hunter, 1831
  • The Dance of Death by Francis Douce, 1833, with John Byfield
  • Reminiscences of a Literary Life, 1836, with John Byfield
  • Memorials of Cambridge by Orlando Jewitt, 1841
  • A Summer's Day at Windsor, or A Visit to Eton by Edward Jesse, 1841
  • Bibliotheca Spenciana by Thomas Frognal Dibdin, 1842
  • History of the Orders of Knighthood by Nicolas, 1842[4]
  • First Book of Elements of Euclid, 1847
  • Queen Elizabeth's Prayer Book of 1569, 1853.

References
  1. "Mary Byfield (1795-1871)". Royal Academy of Arts. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  2. Benezit Dictionary of Artists Volume 3 Bulow-Cossin. Editions Grund, Paris. 2006. ISBN 2-7000-3073-7.
  3. HCG Matthew & Brian Harrison (Editors) (2004). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Vol 9 (Burt-Capon). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-861359-8.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  4. Sara Gray (2019). British Women Artists. A Biographical Dictionary of 1000 Women Artists in the British Decorative Arts. Dark River. ISBN 978-1-911121-63-3.
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