Nigel Tattersfield's book is the first to establish John Bewick as an artist-engraver in his own right. It draws upon largely unpublished correspondence which has come to light during the last few years, John Bewick's own ledger of commissions dating from 1791 (previously unidentified) and a painstaking investigation of the extensive collection of Bewick material presented to the British Museum by his niece Isabella Bewick in 1883." "Fully illustrated, with a brief but revealing biography and a comprehensive catalogue, this work represents a significant contribution to the history not only of early children's books but also of popular art in the late eighteenth century."--BOOK JACKET.