Imperial Representation in The Illustrated London News
Illustrating British Imperialism
Observing themes of representation of the British Empire and its colonies through images in the
Illustrated London News 1842-1902
Background of The Illustrated London News (ILN)
The Illustrated London News, the primary source utilized in this exhibit, was created by British journalist and politician Herbert Ingram. Ingram had various types of experience in journalism before deciding to create a paper of his own. After two years as a journeyman in a printshop, he and Nathaniel Cooke opened their own printing-office and newsvendor shop in Nottingham. His inspiration for creating an illustrated newspaper came when he noticed, "that whenever a cheap paper like The Weekly Chronicle carried a woodcut engraving… sales of those numbers skyrocketed well beyond the paper’s normal circulation.” The first edition of The Illustrated London News was published May 14, 1842, and, “For sixpence, readers acquired sixteen pages covered with thirty-two woodcuts, large and small, accompanying forty-eight columns of news.” (Leary, 2-3). The paper covered events happening at home and abroad, such as wars and political votes, as well as works of fiction and literature. Eventually the paper would also include a Ladies Page and advertisements, showing the fashion and products popular for the time. The sixpence price of the newspaper made it unattainable to the working class population, and instead was, "widely read by a large middle-class reading public" (Mackenzie, 51).
The first issue of the paper sold 26,000 copies, and by December circulation had reached 66,000. When the stamp duty on newspaper was finally abolished in 1855, circulation reached 130,000. Just seven years later, in 1862, sales were at 300,000 (Leary, 6).
First issue of Illustrated London News May 14, 1842
Herbert Ingram: Creator of the ILN
This Exhibit
This exhibit explores the imagery of British colonialism and imperialism of the nineteenth century using content from The Illustrated London News. There is a specific focus on comparison in visual representations of various regions, cultures, and races under the control of or in conflict with the British Empire. Edward Said's Orientalism provides the framework for the analysis of this exhibit; however, his argument is placed in dialogue with David Cannadine's Ornamentalism.
The Loras College Special Collections has every issue of the ILN between 1842-2001. This study limts itself to the examination of the major imperial events between the years 1842-1902, specifically:
China: The Opium Wars - 1842-1861
India: First Indian War of Independence (Great Mutiny, Sepoy Mutiny, Indian Rebellion) - 1857
Natal, Southern Africa: Zulu War - 1879
Transvaal, Southern Africa: South African (Boer) War - 1899-1902
The exhibit is divided into themes for discussion, with a goal of stimulating inquiry and questioning. This project was created through the research of an independent study, with Dr. John Eby in the summer of 2024.
Why study newspapers and images?
​Why study British imperialism through newspaper illustrations? Why not simply read scholarly texts and written primary documents of the 19th century?
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As the Bonn-Institute explains, "In journalism...images can evoke strong emotions and have a great impact on...audiences." (Alpuim). There are a variety of ways that pictures and visual media can have a stronger affect on viewers than simply the written word. Images are processed more immediately than articles, and they can impact emotions faster and more powerfully than words. Not only are pictures comprehended quicker than writing, but visuals also stick with viewers longer than something they read. Arguably the most important aspect of images in journalism is their ability to enhance a sense of truthfulness for viewers (Alpuim). Regardless of the reliability of illustrations, fabricated or framed, audiences believe that news is more truthful if it is accompanied by an image.
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​John Mackenzie explains the importance of the newspaper in the nineteenth century in his book, Imperialism and Popular Culture. He argues, "If historians are to arrive at a clearer understanding of the manner in which this world view was communicated to the British public...then there must be more studies of popular cultural forms." (Mackenzie, 9). The media the British public was consuming assisted in the construction of their thoughts and beliefs about the world and empire. Mackenzie also poses the questions, “to what extent were popular culture elements suffused with the ideology of imperialism...? How successful were popular cultural vehicles in conveying an imperial world view to the British public?" (Mackenzie, 10). This exhibit gives potential answers to these questions, using observations and hypotheses from the images of a highly circulated newspaper of the British public.
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Explore the themes
Othering or Representation?
Using arguments from Edward Said's Orientalism, this page discusses whether images in ILN portray proper representation of other cultures, fascination with different races and ethnicities, or if they attempt to make other populations appear "backwards" compared to Britain. It also asks the question if these assertions are dependent on the viewer, or if certain images are more intentional in their "othering".
