Imperial Representation in The Illustrated London News
Cover Images & the Portrayal of Privilege
How size and placement of illustrations send messages about the importance and prestige of their subjects
Issue Cover Pages
​ Patrick Collier states in his work, "Imperial/Modernist Forms in The Illustrated London News", “illustrations are among the ILN's most valued textual commodities, and in the paper's spatial hierarchy of value the front-page illustration is the most valued single item in any given issue.” (Collier, 504). It is therefore important to examine what people and events the ILN believed belonged in that honorable cover spot.
-
Upper left and center are both illustrations of the Zulu War. One depicts a brutal battle between Zulu forces and British soldiers, while the other is the Commander of the Zulu Army at Isandlwana and brother of King Cetewayo. Both the conflict, as well as the opponent of the Empire, are given attention and importance in their cover illustrations.
-
The upper right image contains information on the "War In China", with a minute caricature of a Chinese man. Rather than giving the events in China visual and spatial importance, the Prussian Ministers are awarded half of the cover space.
-
Both bottom images pertain to the Indian population in the months after the Great Mutiny. While the Indian culture and people are given spatial importance, the Indian people's first attempt at independence is not present on any of the newspaper covers. ​
After comparing the differences in representation of various cultures on the ILN cover, what might be the reason behind advertising some events, while others are neglected or replaced with something else? Is it enough to portray importance of other cultures and races, or must their hardships with the British Empire also be valued on the cover? What is the selection process for the cover image, and is the omission of certain cruelties intentional or not?
Zulu War: Attack on an Escort of the 80th Regiment at Intombi River - May 1879
Bottom: The Prussian Ministers - June 1847
(Click on an image to magnify in new tab)
Dabulamazi, Brother of King Cetewayo, Commander of Zulu Army at Isandhlwana - April 1879
Hinroo Dance---From a Native Drawing - Dec. 1857
The Akali of the Sikhs - Nov. 1857
The Eldest Son of the King of Delhi, and his Treasurer & Physician - Sept. 1857
(Click on an image to magnify in new tab)
Cetewayo, The Zulu King - Feb. 1879
Top: Ex-King and Queen of Oude (Lucknow)
Bottom: Rajah Odetnuraan of Benares and Queen of Nepael - Nov. 1857
Hien-Fou, Emperor of China - Oct. 1860
The People of Power
In his writing, Collier explains that the cover page is not the only location in the paper that signifies value to readers. He states, “The spatial organization of The Illustrated London News is value-laden…by assigning value through the arrangement and assignment of space, marking an imprecise but comprehensible measure of value on individual components...based on their location in the newspaper,” (Collier, 493). When illustrations are allotted more page space, the paper sends a message to viewers that the subject in the image is of greater importance. Following this line of thinking, observe the leaders of various cultures and races from the ILN to the left. ​
-
The top left image is a depiction of the eldest son to the king of Delhi, and top right shows current and former rulers of India. Kings, queens, and other high-status individuals of India received full-page illustrations in the ILN more than once.
-
Cetewayo, the Zulu king, is given a full-page cover illustration, and unlike others in this section, there is nothing else on the page or in the image to detract from his appearance of power. In other periodicals of the time, such as Punch, Cetewayo is made to look weak or unintelligent, but the ILN draws him in a respectful and accurate manner.
-
On the other hand, the portrayal of the emperor of China, Hien-Fou, is much smaller and placed in the midst of Chinese scenery in a half page illustration. ​
While the African and South Asian rulers had more prominent spots and space in the paper, the Emperor of China, someone with unquestionably more power and wealth, is in a more diminished position.
Why did these individuals earn this level of visual and spatial respect in the Illustrated London News? Given the pejorative othering witnessed in the previous page of this exhibit, inclusion of such powerful illustrations of important figures of "other" cultures may be surprising. Cannadine can nuance out understanding of the images when he says, “the British Empire was not exclusively about race or colour, but was also about class and status…glory and chivalry, horses and elephants…about thrones and crowns, dominion and hierarchy…" (Cannadine, 126). So while othering may have been a relevant theme throughout The Illustrated London News for the lower classes of other countries, the images of the above leaders display that it was not as prevalent for figures of significance and status. It is images like this that complicate the othering that was happening in the British press.