William Dickes ( 1815 - 1892)

William Dickes (1815-1892) was an English illustrator, engraver, printmaker and lithographer. He worked as an apprentice to the wood-engraver Robert Edward Branston, Allen Robert Branston’s son, in about 1831. He studied at the Royal Academy Schools in 1835 and displayed examples of oil-colour printing at the Great Exhibition. He founded William Dickes & Company in London in about 1864, his workshop and office being at 48 Salisbury Square, Fleet Street, London (1846–48); 4 Crescent Place, Bridge Street, Blackfriars, London (1849–51); 5 Old Fish Street, Doctor’s Common, London (c.1852); 109 Farringdon Road, London (c.1867-1875).

Dickes collected many awards for the quality of his lithography. Although starting with wood-engraving, he moved to, and developed new processes in colour lithography using copper plates. His work was exhibited at International Exhibitions in London, Dublin and Paris in the 1860s. He had also been a Baxter licensee.