The Sketch, 1893-1958 - Key Data

First published in 1893, The Sketch belonged to a series of periodicals under the ownership of The Illustrated London News (ILN). Clement Shorter and William Ingram (former editor and managing director, respectively, of the ILN) established the magazine, which centred primarily on British High Society and attracted a wealthy audience. Replete with photographs and illustrations, and featuring contributions on fashion, literature, and gossip, The Sketch provided extensive coverage of aristocratic and celebrity culture for nearly seven decades. This collection contains almost 170,000 images from approximately 3,500 issues of The Sketch, published between January 1893 and December 1958.

The Sketch generally adopted a light-hearted tone, targeting "the cultivated people who in their leisure moments look for light reading and amusing pictures, imbued with a high artistic value". Over the course of its existence, it printed the work of many eminent artists, including the renowned watercolourist Helen Allingham, celebrated crime novelist Agatha Christie, and George E. Studdy, creator of the famous "Bonzo the Dog" cartoons. Nevertheless, as with several other publications owned by the ILN during this period (notably The Sphere, 1900-1964 and The Bystander, 1903-1940), The Sketch remained a staunch defender of Britain’s imperial project, and often reflected the racist and xenophobic attitudes widely prevalent in Britain during these years. Therefore, whilst this collection provides useful material for those studying and researching the history of art, literature, and print culture, it also sheds light on the history of imperialism, colonialism, and slavery, and their representation within Britain’s most affluent circles.