Illustrations by James Mahoney for Charles Dickens's Works

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The 1910-12 "Centenary" thirty-six volume edition published jointly by Chapman and Hall, London, and Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, was intended to mark the centenary of Charles Dickens's birth. It was illustrated by such new hands as Marcus Stone, James Mahoney, Fred Walker, F. A. Fraser, Harry French, Townley Green, and Charles Green, the engraving work having been executed by E. G. Dalziel. Mahoney was also involved in Chapman and Hall's 1871-75 initiative to issue a wholly new edition of Dickens's works, to be illustrated entirely by new hands, the lead illustrator being Fred Barnard.

James Mahoney (1810-79) ARHA, born in Cork, the son of a joiner, worked as a graphic artist in his native Ireland until 1859, when he moved to London, where freelanced as a book- and magazine-illustrator. He had been well-known to British readers not for his watercolours, exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy (1842-6), but for his telling images of the Irish Famine (1841-46) published in The Illustrated London News and based on on-the-ground sketches Mahoney made in Clonakilty and Skibbereen in West Cork. From age 50 until his sudden death from apoplexy. Mahoney exhibited watercolours at the Royal Academy while continuing to work for with The Illustrated London News both as a draughtsman and an illustrator, and for several other London journals and newspapers. In terms of his commissions to illustrate books, he is best remembered for his work on the team that illustrated the Household Edition of Charles Dickens's works.

Mahoney's initial-signature used in his illustrations

A Child's History of England

• "The Finding of the Body of Rufus"
• "The Intercession of Queen Philippa for the Citizens of Calais"
• "Queen Margaret and the Robber"
• "Charles I. Taking Leave of His Children"

Christmas Stories from Household Words and All The Year Round

• "The Haunted House"
• "Mugby Junction"

Our Mutual Friend (1875) from the Household Edition

• The differences between the British and American printing of Mahoney's illustrations
• Lizzie, looking for her father, saw him coming, and stood upon the causeway . . . .
• Vignette [Lizzie Hexam]
• Untitled for Ch. 1 [Lizzie and Gaffer Hexam on the Thames]
• "Show us a picture," said the boy.
• Witnessing the agreement.
• "Here you are again," repeated Mr. Wegg, musing.
• After holding her to his breast with a passionate cry, he took up his bundle....
• "You're casting your eye round the shop, Mr. Wegg.
• Mr. and Mrs. Boffin in Consultation.
• That he knew it as well as she, she knew as well as he. . . .
• Mr. and Mrs. Lammle
• An ill-looking visitor, with a squinting leer. . . .
• It was a little window of but four pieces of glass, and was not curtained."
• "They had opened the door at the bottom of the staircase giving on the yard. . . ."
• "Come here, Toddles and Poddles."
• "Mr. Bradley Headstone, highly certificated school-master, drew his right forefinger through one of the buttonholes . . . ."
• He stood leaning at the door at Lizzie's side.
• "One thing, however, I can do for you," says Twemlow; "and that is, work for you."
• Ah! Here was Alfred. Having stolen in unobserved, . . . .
• "Perched on the stool with his hat cocked on his head and one of his legs dangling, the youth of Fledgeby hardly contrasted to advantage . . . ."
• "Come up and be dead!"
• "Good-evening, Mr. Wegg. The yard-gate lock should be looked to. . . .
• "You never charge me, Miss Wilfer," said the Secretary, encountering her by chance alone in the great drawing-room. . . ."
• "Now, you may give me a kiss, Pa."
• "A kiss for the boofer lady."
• "Meaning," returned the little creature, "every one of you, but you. . . . ."
• And now, as the man held out the bottle to fill all around, Riderhood stood up, leaned over the table to look closer at the knife. . . .
• "Yet the cold was merciful, for it was the cold night air and the rain that restored me from a swoon. . . ."
• The dark look of hatred and revenge with which the words broke from his livid lips. . . .
• Mrs. Lammle, on a sofa by a table, invites Mr. Twemlow's attention. . . .
• It was an edifying spectacle, the young man in his easy-chair taking his coffee. . . .
• Jenny twisted her venerable friend aside to a brilliantly lighted toy-shop window. . . . [Frontispiece in Harper's]
• "It's summut run down in the fog."
• "Oh, indeed, sir! I fancy I can guess whom you think that's like."
• Feigning to be intent on her embroidery, she sat plying her needle . . . .
• "He can never be going to dig up the pole!" whispered Venus. . .
• There'll shortly be an end of you," said Wegg, threatening it with the hat-box.
• "Let me wet your lips again. Am I to open it? To read it?"
• "Oh, Mr. Rokesmith, don't be hard with me, don't be stern with me. . . .
• They almost ran against Bradley Headstone.
• She shook that emphatic little forefinger of hers in his face at parting.
• Mr. Wegg preparing a grindstone for Mr. Boffin's nose.
• With a parting kiss of her fingers to it.
• "Yes, I am yours."
• After carefully reading the dingy scrap of paper handed to him, . . . Eugene tells out the money.
• Plashwater Weir-Mill Lock.
• The credulous little creature again embraced Mrs. Lammle most affectionately.
• To see this salt old Gruff and Glum waving his shovel hat at Bella.
• "Now, you are something like a genteel boy!" [no image yet]
• "He had sauntered far enough" [no image yet]
• He then went to the river's edge, and flung it in [no image yet]
• She beheld the extraordinary spectacle of Mr. Fledgeby in his shirt, a pair of Turkish trowsers, and a Turkish cap [no image yet]
• Miss Jenny gave up altogether on this parting taking place between the friends [no image yet]
• "Potterson! Look! Look there!" [no image yet]
• "It makes a pretty and promising picter; don't it?" [no image yet]
• Bradley . . . placed his usual signature, enlarged, upon the board [no image yet]
• Riderhood went over into the smooth pit backward, and Bradley Headstone upon him [no image yet]
• "There, there, there!" said Miss Wren. "For goodness' sake, stop, giant [no image yet]

Bibliography

“James Mahoney,” Encyclopedia of Irish and World Art. Viewed 1 September 2010.

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Last modified 28 March 2013