Libraries

On Saturday, 14 May 1842, a publishing revolution occurred. The world's first pictorial weekly newspaper was born: The Illustrated London News. Its founder, Herbert Ingram, was an entrepreneurial newsagent, who noticed that newspapers sold more copies when they carried pictures. The inaugural issue covered a fire in Hamburg, Queen Victoria's fancy dress ball, the war in Afghanistan and the latest fashions in Paris. The ILN commissioned a galaxy of great artists and draughtsmen to cover wars, royal events, scientific invention, and exploration. In 1855 it launched the world's first color supplement. Over the years the publication played host to distinguished contributors, including Robert Louis Stevenson, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Wilkie Collins, Rudyard Kipling, and Agatha Christie; and artists such as Melton Prior, William Heath Robinson, F Matania, Mabel Lucie Atwell and H.M. Bateman. The ILN was ground-breaking at launch and continued to push the boundaries of journalism throughout its history. (OCLC-- publisher)

The Illustrated London News is fully searchable by the entire article, caption, contributor, document number and all metadata. Other limiters include advertising, law, sport, royalty, letters to the editor and obituaries. The full text of the articles and the illustrations for which the News was famous are available and can be downloaded as pdf files.