Frederick William Fairholt
Encyclopedia
Frederick William Fairholt (1814 – 3 April 1866) was an English
antiquary
and wood engraver.
. His father, who was of a German
family (the name was originally Fahrholz), was a tobacco
manufacturer, and Frederick was at first employed in the business. He then worked as a drawing-master, and later as a scene-painter. Ink copies made by him of figures from William Hogarth
's plates led to his being employed by Charles Knight
on several of his illustrated publications.
. He published an edition of the dramatic works of John Lyly
in 1858.
His principal works are Tobacco, its History and Association (1859); Gog and Magog (1860); Up the Nile and Home Again (1862); many articles and serials contributed to the Art Journal, some of which were afterwards separately published, as Costume in England (1846); Dictionary of Terms in Art (1854). These works are illustrated by numerous cuts, drawn on the wood by his own hand. He also illustrated Evans
's Coins of the Ancient Britons, Frederick William Madden's Jewish Coinage, Halliwell
's folio Shakespeare
and his Sir John Maundeville, Charles Roach Smith
's Richborough, the Miscellanea Graphica of Lord Londesborough, and many other works.
, London.http://www.brompton.org/Residents.htm
; his general library he desired to be sold and the proceeds devoted to the Literary Fund.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
antiquary
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
and wood engraver.
Early life
He was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His father, who was of a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
family (the name was originally Fahrholz), was a tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
manufacturer, and Frederick was at first employed in the business. He then worked as a drawing-master, and later as a scene-painter. Ink copies made by him of figures from William Hogarth
William Hogarth
William Hogarth was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist who has been credited with pioneering western sequential art. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects"...
's plates led to his being employed by Charles Knight
Charles Knight
Charles Knight is the name of:*Charles Knight , English author and publisher*Charles Knight , British civil servant*Charles Knight , New Zealand filmmaker, actor and stuntman...
on several of his illustrated publications.
Career
His first published literary work was a contribution to Hone's Year-Book in 1831. His life was one of almost uninterrupted quiet labour, carried on until within a few days of death. Several works on civic pageantry and some collections of ancient unpublished songs and dialogues were edited by him for the Percy Society in 1842. In 1844 he was elected fellow of the Society of AntiquariesSociety of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
. He published an edition of the dramatic works of John Lyly
John Lyly
John Lyly was an English writer, best known for his books Euphues,The Anatomy of Wit and Euphues and His England. Lyly's linguistic style, originating in his first books, is known as Euphuism.-Biography:John Lyly was born in Kent, England, in 1553/1554...
in 1858.
His principal works are Tobacco, its History and Association (1859); Gog and Magog (1860); Up the Nile and Home Again (1862); many articles and serials contributed to the Art Journal, some of which were afterwards separately published, as Costume in England (1846); Dictionary of Terms in Art (1854). These works are illustrated by numerous cuts, drawn on the wood by his own hand. He also illustrated Evans
John Evans (archaeologist)
Sir John Evans, KCB, FRS was an English archaeologist and geologist.-Biography:John Evans was the son of the Rev. Dr A. B. Evans, headmaster of Market Bosworth Grammar School, and was born at Britwell Court, Buckinghamshire...
's Coins of the Ancient Britons, Frederick William Madden's Jewish Coinage, Halliwell
James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps
James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps was an English Shakespearean scholar, and a collector of English Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales....
's folio Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
and his Sir John Maundeville, Charles Roach Smith
Charles Roach Smith
Charles Roach Smith , FSA, was an English antiquarian and amateur archaeologist who was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, and the London Numismatic Society. He was a founding member of the British Archaeological Association...
's Richborough, the Miscellanea Graphica of Lord Londesborough, and many other works.
Later life
Fairholt died in 1866 and is buried in Brompton CemeteryBrompton Cemetery
Brompton Cemetery is located near Earl's Court in South West London, England . It is managed by The Royal Parks and is one of the Magnificent Seven...
, London.http://www.brompton.org/Residents.htm
Legacy
His books relating to Shakespeare were bequeathed to the library at Stratford-on-Avon; those on civic pageantry (between 200 and 300 volumes) to the Society of Antiquaries; his old prints and works on costume to the British MuseumBritish Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
; his general library he desired to be sold and the proceeds devoted to the Literary Fund.
External links
- Costume in England, Vol. 2, Frederick William Fairholt, 1885, 3rd edn. (George Bell & Sons, London)