{"id":1670,"date":"2024-12-16T22:23:33","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T22:23:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/?p=1670"},"modified":"2025-07-08T13:40:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T12:40:19","slug":"john-proctor-the-artist-who-famously-turned-down-lewis-carroll","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/eternal-1670-john-proctor-the-artist-who-famously-turned-down-lewis-carroll","title":{"rendered":"John Proctor: The Artist Who Famously Turned Down Lewis Carroll"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The success stories of talented individuals are inspiring, filling us with hope that anything is possible. Reading about their achievements inevitably makes one reflect on their own career, leading to thoughts of self-improvement, development, and honing professional skills. At the same time, the biographies of famous figures are also fascinating from a human perspective. It\u2019s hard to disagree that learning about the lives of particular individuals is incredibly interesting. Find out more at <a href=\"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\">edinburghski<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this respect, Edinburgh is a special city, as it has been home to many successful people who made a name for themselves on the world stage. John Proctor is one of them. This British artist achieved enormous fame, driven not only by his numerous illustrations and paintings but also by his <strong>political caricatures<\/strong>. It was these that made the artist truly renowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His work is also known for his book illustrations. Notably, Lewis Carroll himself favoured Proctor&#8217;s candidacy to create the unique pictures for his book <em>Alice Through the Looking-Glass<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the collaboration between these two talented men never came to be. Why? You can read about that just below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3798921f332\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3798921f332\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/eternal-1670-john-proctor-the-artist-who-famously-turned-down-lewis-carroll\/#Training_Relocation_and_the_Start_of_a_Career\" >Training, Relocation, and the Start of a Career<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/eternal-1670-john-proctor-the-artist-who-famously-turned-down-lewis-carroll\/#Collaboration_with_Major_Publications\" >Collaboration with Major Publications<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/eternal-1670-john-proctor-the-artist-who-famously-turned-down-lewis-carroll\/#A_Failed_Business_and_a_Return_to_His_True_Calling\" >A Failed Business and a Return to His True Calling<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/eternal-1670-john-proctor-the-artist-who-famously-turned-down-lewis-carroll\/#A_Pseudonym_as_a_Form_of_Creative_Expression\" >A Pseudonym as a Form of Creative Expression<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/eternal-1670-john-proctor-the-artist-who-famously-turned-down-lewis-carroll\/#Turning_Down_a_Famous_Author\" >Turning Down a Famous Author<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/eternal-1670-john-proctor-the-artist-who-famously-turned-down-lewis-carroll\/#A_Fine_Balance_of_Work_and_Leisure\" >A Fine Balance of Work and Leisure<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Training_Relocation_and_the_Start_of_a_Career\"><\/span>Training, Relocation, and the Start of a Career<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The future artist was born in Edinburgh on 26 May 1836. Although John&#8217;s parents were far from artistic, this did not stop the boy from showing considerable ability in this area from an early age. He eventually became one of the best pupils of William Banks, under whom he studied the art of engraving for six years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1859, John decided to move to London. At that time, he described himself as a man with a very limited artistic education but with grand ambitions and numerous sketches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Proctor&#8217;s first independent career steps were as a graphic journalist for the <em>Illustrated London News<\/em>. However, word of the young artist&#8217;s talent soon spread far beyond London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result, in 1874, John received an invitation to St. Petersburg to use his talent to depict the best moments of the royal wedding of Prince Alfred and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Collaboration_with_Major_Publications\"><\/span>Collaboration with Major Publications<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Between 1861 and 1867, Proctor was a regular artist for the major book publisher Cassell. He also periodically collaborated with <em>Cassell&#8217;s Illustrated Family Paper<\/em> and, of course, worked on illustrations. Notably, he created pictures for <em>Bright Thoughts for the Little Ones<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, John also worked with <em>The London Journal<\/em> and the <em>Seven Days Journal<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Failed_Business_and_a_Return_to_His_True_Calling\"><\/span>A Failed Business and a Return to His True Calling<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is worth noting that in the 1860s, Proctor, along with Charles Gibbon, became the owner of the newspaper <em>Empire<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, as it turned out, an <strong>entrepreneurial streak<\/strong> was not John&#8217;s greatest skill. Despite his enthusiasm and efforts, the publication never became successful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.edinburghski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/61\/2024\/12\/ad_4nxfvvito7zpfr33lkxbavv7cwmb4_ezsgp-2vnj8zkoy-zxcyet6annyvecfy3ka20iy1r_rxmqc58fl_gljprfonqhskclkfaz3eouc_njl_cb7no-r0faxcjqovbxaotyx4dy8fakeykknxgp-m26_wz1vaorsbv_4x.jpg\" alt=\"An example of 19th-century caricature art.\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having finally recognised his true artistic calling, the artist began creating caricatures for <em>Judy; or, the London Serio-comic Journal<\/em> in 1867. From 1868, he started illustrating the weekly periodical <em>Moonshine<\/em>, a collaboration that lasted until 1877.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John achieved great success with his work for the publications <em>Young Folks<\/em> and <em>Funny Folks<\/em>. These later gained the status of being the <strong>first British comics<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Pseudonym_as_a_Form_of_Creative_Expression\"><\/span>A Pseudonym as a Form of Creative Expression<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like many creative people, John tried &#8220;trying on&#8221; pseudonyms during his career. Notably, many of his significant works for the journal were signed as &#8220;Puck&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among Proctor&#8217;s most vivid and famous illustrations are the drawings for the book <em>Giant-land; or, The Wonderful Adventures of Tim Pippin<\/em>. Their importance in the artist&#8217;s career was immense, and the edition itself was periodically reprinted right up until the 1940s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Turning_Down_a_Famous_Author\"><\/span>Turning Down a Famous Author<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.edinburghski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/61\/2024\/12\/ad_4nxfp5-nma1k5jppszmrogmp7eochtpkx5gtokyvzwsow8djqyiaxx-aayvp7uauzdlmcmmixfmgjvaasfcxngwe74qqssnejqvq7mqkwr6ql97w1wpffvhauylfrpjwku1s1q0rsqwkeykknxgp-m26_wz1vaorsbv_4x.jpg\" alt=\"An illustration reminiscent of Victorian-era children's books.\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The year 1868 marked an important event for John. It was then that Lewis Carroll himself approached him. The artist was commissioned to illustrate the book <em>Alice Through the Looking-Glass<\/em>. Proctor replied that he was very busy and, unfortunately, had to decline. In his place, the drawings for the famous work were created by John Tenniel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Proctor later revealed that the real reason for his refusal was that Lewis Carroll was <strong>notoriously difficult to work with<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Fine_Balance_of_Work_and_Leisure\"><\/span>A Fine Balance of Work and Leisure<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, it is worth noting that John&#8217;s popularity at the end of the 19th century was colossal. He was invited to illustrate many books, often having to complete at least two large commissions a week. But despite his tight schedule, Proctor always knew how to find time for rest and entertainment. He was a member of both The Whitefriars Club and The Savage Club, where he socialised with famous actors, artists, and other members of the Victorian bohemian scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.edinburghski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/61\/2024\/12\/ad_4nxetmt7n0vv0obytsdlr4rgqtjt1sduulvt_6ryxk9vs2ou4a-rtlimfklsceac5kd6r8d_xdyovefppaleqzqqhjjabsumvssjj_s5xokihtmjrqhevtavat1mpajh93xjr50nxyakeykknxgp-m26_wz1vaorsbv_4x.jpg\" alt=\"A depiction of a Victorian-era social club.\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thus, John Proctor can rightly be called one of the most brilliant representatives of the creative elite of his time. His illustrations demonstrated his undeniable talent, and his numerous commissions proved his widespread recognition and respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/john-adcock.blogspot.com\/2009\/11\/john-proctor-1836-1914.html?m=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/john-adcock.blogspot.com\/2009\/11\/john-proctor-1836-1914.html?m=1<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/john-adcock.blogspot.com\/2012\/11\/humorists-of-pencil-john-proctor.html?m=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/john-adcock.blogspot.com\/2012\/11\/humorists-of-pencil-john-proctor.html?m=1<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.victorianweb.org\/art\/illustration\/proctor\/bio.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.victorianweb.org\/art\/illustration\/proctor\/bio.html<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.grantonline.com\/proctor-family-genealogy\/proctor-adam-1797\/children\/john-proctor-1836.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.grantonline.com\/proctor-family-genealogy\/proctor-adam-1797\/children\/john-proctor-1836.htm<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The success stories of talented individuals are inspiring, filling us with hope that anything is possible. Reading about their achievements inevitably makes one reflect on their own career, leading to thoughts of self-improvement, development, and honing professional skills. At the same time, the biographies of famous figures are also fascinating from a human perspective. It\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":398,"featured_media":1674,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[190],"tags":[],"motype":[196],"moformat":[244],"moimportance":[30,33],"class_list":["post-1670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-success-stories","motype-eternal","moformat-c-l","moimportance-golovna-novyna","moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/398"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1670"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1675,"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1670\/revisions\/1675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1670"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=1670"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=1670"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburghski.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=1670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}