Wylam - Photographs

Portrait of Thomas Bewick, the nineteenth century wood engraver. Bewick was first apprenticed to, then in partnership with, Ralph Beilby, a noted Newcastle engraver. Bewick's engravings in his volumes "British Birds", taking careful note of both subject and surrounding landscapes, are one of the reasons he is still so well remembered today. This illustration comes from part of the vast collection of material belonging to the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, which has been deposited with the Northumberland Archive Service. The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne is the oldest provincial antiquarian society in England. Founded in 1813 with a total of 68 members, its membership is now spread across the globe while its journal, Archaeologia Aeliana, can be found in libraries throughout Europe, the USA and Australia. For nearly two centuries, through its meetings and its publications, the Society has encouraged a deeper understanding of the history and archaeology of north-eastern England. Though much of its activity has been focussed on Hadrian's Wall, both prehistoric and medieval periods are well represented in its work - and there is a strong interest in industrial archaeology.

 

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Northumberland Archives Service holds over 120,000 photographic images relating to the history of the county of Northumberland. The quality of the photographs mounted on this website has been reduced. High quality photographic or digital copies of these, and of other photographs from our collections, are available by contacting the Archives Service.

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