Old Coloured Books

Old Coloured Books by George Paston invites listeners into the vivid world of illustrated books and coloured plates that shaped British taste from the late 18th century through Victorian times. Paston traces the rise of the engraver’s art — from Ackermann’s fashionable prints to the riotous satire of Thomas Rowlandson and the Cruikshank brothers — and explores how technology, commerce, and social life transformed illustration, publishing, and collecting. Part memoir, part art history, this nonfiction study examines key figures (George Cruikshank, Henry Alken, Robert Seymour and more), the print trade’s evolution, and the role of coloured engraving in political satire, sporting prints, and popular literature such as the Pickwick illustrators. Paston’s elegant prose reconstructs the bookish culture of London: print shops, subscription rooms, and the markets that made illustrated books both art objects and mass entertainment. Perfect for listeners who love art history, book history, illustration, or antique collecting, Old Coloured Books offers illuminating context for collectors, students, librarians, and anyone curious about the visual culture behind Britain’s most cherished illustrated works.