9. Collaboration or Coincidence
Despite many similarities, the text itself, the publishing history and the choices of views would all point to a fair amount of coincidence in the publication of these two works on precisely the same day. Ostensibly, we have two publishers experiencing a change in direction in their publishing behaviour at about the same time, both opting for a new technology which needed no small amount of investment and a large degree of confidence. Robert Jennings had produced ephemeral works of a one-off nature before he began to direct his attentions to illustrated guide books. Henry Fisher’s general stock in trade had been religious works when based in Liverpool. With their faith in steel engravings came a desire to make the most of the new technique and the cost-saving opportunities this offered. Letter-press was not what steel plates were used for. They were ideal for printing large numbers of illustrations and both publishers grasped this opportunity.
Nevertheless, both publishers would have been aware of each other’s publications and in the close environment of a London brimming with publishers, engravers and artists as well as authors, word would have spread when it came to larger projects. Both Jennings’ History and Fisher’s Illustrated would have needed a certain amount of planning and artisans. With nearly 50 experienced contributors it is surprising that only one of the artists, W H Bartlett, and one of the engravers, Henry Wallis, produced plates for both works. Artists and engravers may well have recommended each other and Schmollinger and James Bingley were known to have shared accommodation at one point. Last but not least E W Brayley would contribute an impressive amount of text to both projects.
Previous illustrated works had not concentrated on buildings but on views and an interesting aspect is perhaps the variety of dedications in each work. The list of worthies includes many names which occur in both works, but these were the top ten names in Devon at that time and every publisher would have included them if they felt it would improve sales. These also included moderately wealthy landowners with country seats but selected more for their residences than their credentials. They would have been aware of the intending serial publication of a large illustrated work and were more than probably willing subscribers at 1s. per month. The lure of having their property illustrated in a popular work, plus the attraction of being mentioned was possibly sufficient enticement. But these were also people influential enough to advertise the works by word of mouth and, presumably, bring in a few more welcome subscriptions.
The variety of views chosen shows a large number of overlaps but the illustrations are never copied from each other and many views would have been sorely missed if left out. We have seen Fisher was keen to exploit town scenes but the opportunities for this in rural Devon and Cornwall were meagre. The majority of plates depict, when not a stately home or attractive countryside, scenes of more modern developments such as the new town halls, public libraries, bridges and canals.
Both works projected a total of 94 views (of Devon) and maps, however, as we have seen the volume of letterpress for each varied tremendously. Perhaps one had got word about the other´s plans here and copied this arbitrary number. Fisher seems to have planned and stuck to a serial enterprise of 36 issues, exactly 3 years in production with the completed work on sale in 1832, issuing a book which was attractive and readable. It would seem, on the other hand, that Moore overran and although the plates would have been completed after 47 months there was further delay and final binding of volumes could not take place until 1836.
Moore would have been about 63 when the first parts issue was delivered. This was in some ways his “Magnus opus”. He would manage to see his work finally complete, but we do not know for certain how this came about. He mentions in the letter to Oliver that the publishers had severed the partnership, one of whom had since died and the project in the hands of his incompetent son. We may never know the full details of how the book was eventually completed with final letterpress and maps. Perhaps W C Featherstone took over the project. With the added input from local people such as Brown and Colliver, this seems a possibility, given more credence with Colliver´s imprint on the index pages and the last spate of views executed by Brown for the final Parts issues.
Fisher seems to have been content to publish his work from the outset at large quarto format. The two sets of Parts are the same size as the final work when bound. Except for the conundrum concerning the cover designs we see a straight forward publishing pattern. Jennings, on the other hand, chose to try to maximise profit by selling both quarto and octavo Parts, although the views, printed one to a page, would be the same for both. The extra cost for a second set of letter press would have been considerable; however, for printers the cost of paper was the major consideration.
There was obviously a major time problem for Moore´s History and bound copies vary in content. The bound octavo editions suggest some copies were bound incomplete, others that a complete edition appeared sometime later. Only the existence of one quarto volume with altered final gatherings suggests a second printing.
Fisher, however, was able to exploit his plates and the illustrations were reprinted in a number of different publications, as seen in his Drawing Room books. Although among the first of the counties of England to be covered, Devon and Cornwall would not be the last and many other counties followed over the next years.
There was certainly no collaboration; no sharing of plates or text. The plates all vary considerably and the text, even that written in each volume by Brayley, very different in nature from the rival´s contribution.
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