George du Maurier

Harry Furniss (1854-1925) produced this drawing of George du Maurier (1834-1896), illustrator and novelist. Du Maurier was born in Paris and studied art in France and Germany before moving to London where he established himself as an illustrator. His work appeared in the Cornhill Magazine and the Illustrated Times. In 1864 he joined the staff of Punch, where he became known as a gentle satirist of middle and upper-class society. He also wrote and illustrated three novels, Peter Ibbetson (1891), the best-selling, Trilby (1894) and The Martian (1897).

Harry Furniss, son of an English engineer, was born in Wexford, Ireland, and worked as an artist. He moved to England in 1876 and worked highly successfully for the Illustrated London News. He began contributing to Punch in 1880 and in 1884 he joined its staff, illustrating (for example) the 'Essence of Parliament' as well as supplying articles, jokes, illustrations and dramatic criticism. He left Punch in 1894 when it sold the copyright of one of his drawings to Pears Soap for advertising and started his own cartoon magazine, Like Joka. When it failed he moved to the USA and worked in the film industry with Thomas Edison. In 1914 Furniss helped pioneer the animated cartoon film.