In the middle of the 19th century, the media world underwent a disruptive change. Journalistic tasks became a division of labor. What sounds so mundane was a sensation for society at the time. Newspapers and magazines began to systematically publish illustrations. When Herbert Ingram founded The Illustrated London News in 1842, he was well aware of the power of pictures. Even the first issue with sixteen pages contained thirty-two woodcuts. The topics were the war in Afghanistan, misfortunes and social events from the royal house. Readers clamored for the illustrated articles, and soon the magazine employed a staff of draftsmen and illustrators who made sketches on the spot. Probably one of the best known illustrators was Frank Watkins.
At the time of Frank Watkins' birth, industrialization in England had reached a level that made it possible to produce newspapers and books with illustrations of excellent quality. Parallel to this development, an artistic group had formed that belonged to the Arts and Crafts movement. Above all, William Morris and John Ruskin tried to hold on to the conservative way of art and to reduce the machine work to a minimum. What educational path Frank Watkins took has not been handed down. His illustrations tell of great talent and a deft skill. Time and technical level speak for lithographs made by Watkins. With the finest precision, the artist engraved the printing stone with a steel drawing pen and applied a special ink. Frank Watkins managed to depict events and buildings with extraordinary attention to detail. Admirable because his works were not made for display in the salon, but for the moment.
The artist's work tells his biography. Many of his works were created in London. Only a few motifs come from other European countries. Moscow, North America and the south of the continent are among the stations Watkins has visited. A special experience may have been the visit of the Queen in Birmingham, where the artist was present. In 1887, the Queen of England celebrated the 50th anniversary of her reign. An occasion that led to great festivities. Watkins was on site and made a series of snapshots of the celebrations. During this stay, works were also created in the evening, with a special play of light that makes them extraordinary. What is striking is the respectful distance that the reporter reveals. Watkins was present several times at public appearances of the queen. Whether at the invitation of the court or on behalf of the newspaper remains open. Frank Watkins' comprehensive work is a valuable documentation. A close look reveals the care and dedication with which the artist collected information and his great powers of observation.
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.jpg "New Buildings, Temple Gardens by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "New Municipal Buildings, Inverness, Opened by the Duke of Edinburgh by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Completed Buildings of the People")
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.jpg "The New Technical School, Bradford, opened by the Prince of Wales by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "New Headquarters for the Metropolitan Police, Thames Embankment by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic, Queen-Square, Bloomsbury by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Royal Courts of Justice, the Carey-Street Front by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Holborn Townhall by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "New Wesleyan College, Belfast by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Mercers")
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.jpg "The New Hall of the Drapers")
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.jpg "The Holloway Sanatorium, Virginia Water by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Manchester Hotel, Aldersgate by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Empire Theatre, Leicester-Square by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Sir Cowasjee Jehanghier, CSI, Knight by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Sketches at Aldridge")
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.jpg "The Queen")
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.jpg "Study of the interior of the kitchen at Windsor Castle with a visit by the Royal Family, 1886 by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "St Mildred")
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.jpg "Olympia, the New National Agricultural Hall, West Kensington by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Garraway")
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.jpg "The Queen")
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.jpg "The Phoenix Park Murders by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Roman Catholic Chapel of St John of Jerusalem, Great Ormond-Street by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The New Guildhall, Plymouth, Opened by the Prince of Wales by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Mr F Horniman")
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.jpg "Sir Rowland Hill and Penny Postage, a Memorable Jubilee by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The City and Guilds of London Technical Education Central Institute, South Kensington by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Funeral of the Late Mr Charles Stewart Parnell, MP by Frank Watkins")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-958581).jpg "The Constitutional Club, Northumberland Avenue by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Lord Beaconsfield"){kind=tracking}
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.jpg "The Queen in the Riviera by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Prince")
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.jpg "The new city of La Plata, Buenos Ayres, the capital of the Argentine Republic, from The Illustrated London News, 23rd August 1884 by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The West London Jewish Synagogue by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Dalton Hall, Residence for Students of Victoria University, Manchester by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Specimens in the New Glass and Ceramic Gallery, British Museum by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Crisis in Ireland by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Intended Building of the Imperial Institute, South Kensington by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The People")
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.jpg "New General Post and Telegraph Offices, Perth, West Australia by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Royal Palace of Laeken, Brussels, destroyed by Fire by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Improvements at Hyde Park-Corner, and New Statue of Wellington by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Fountain at Hawarden, to Commemorate the Golden Wedding of Mr and Mrs Gladstone by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Trowbridge and its New Jubilee Townhall by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Colony of Victoria by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Phoenix Park Murder Trials at Dublin by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Savoy Hotel by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The British Embassy at Berlin by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The British Association Congress at Southampton by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Madame Tussaud")
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.jpg "The Seamen")
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.jpg "The New Great Hall of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Great Storm of Wind on Friday Week by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Reading and its Neighbourhood by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Columbia Market, Bethnal-Green, Built by Miss Burdett-Coutts, Opened on Wednesday by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Holy Trinity Church, Burton-on-Trent by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "East London Railway, Thames Tunnel Station, Wapping by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Sir Josiah Mason")
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.jpg "The Colony of Victoria at the Paris Exhibition by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Glasgow International Exhibition by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Opening of the New Townhall at Birkenhead, the Mayor Speaking from the Balcony Outside by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "New English Church at Cannes, in Memory of the Duke of Albany by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "New Building at the Brompton Consumption Hospital by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Relics at the Guelph Exhibition, New Gallery, Regent Street by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Vestal Virgins of Rome by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Sleddall Victoria Jubilee Almshouses and Church, Kendal by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Queen")
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.jpg "The Constitutional Club, Northumberland-Avenue, Charing-Cross by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Emmanuel Hospital, Westminster by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Royal Courts of Justice: The Strand Front by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Commencement of the Hull, Barnsley, and West Riding Railway and Dock by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Buenos Aires by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Apprentices")
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.jpg "The National Liberal Club, Whitehall-Place by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Fancy Fair in the Pavilion, Brighton, for the Benefit of the Brighton Dispensary by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Royal Courts of Justice, the Strand Front by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "New Dock-House of the East and West India Dock Company, in Billiter-Square by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The David Sassoon Building of the Elphinstone High School, Bombay by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Westminster Training School and Home for Nurses, Queen Anne")
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.jpg "Proposed Restoration of the Exterior of Westminster Hall by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Memorials in Carlisle Cathedral to the 34th Regiment by Frank Watkins")
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_-_(MeisterDrucke-1019635).jpg "The Savoy Hotel by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The New Chapel, Rugby School by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Roman Catholic Church of the Oratory, South Kensington by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The New Pier at Hastings by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "New Jerusalem Church at Snodland, Kent by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Bellinzona, Capital of the Swiss Canton of Ticino, Scene of the late Revolution by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Specimens of Old Manchester and Salford, from the Architectural Models at the Manchester Exhibition by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Russo-Turkish War by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Great Refracting Telescope constructed at Dublin for the Vienna Observatory by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The New Law Courts at Birmingham, the Foundation-Stone of which was laid by the Queen on Wednesday by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Newgate Prison, about to be demolished by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Paris Exhibition, General View of the Exhibition Buildings, from the Trocadero by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The New Government Offices at Whitehall, Admiralty and War Department by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "St Patrick")
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.jpg "The New Central Station Hotel, Glasgow by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "Ruins of the Gasworks at Nine-Elms after the Explosion by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The Anchor Line SS Austral, Trial Trip from Glasgow by Frank Watkins")
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.jpg "The New Townhall, Dewsbury, Yorkshire by Frank Watkins")
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