Database of Mid-Victorian wood-engraved Illustration

Welcome to the Database of Mid-Victorian Illustration (DMVI), which contains records and images of 868 literary illustrations that were published in or around 1862, providing bibliographical and iconographical details, as well as the ability for users to view images at exceptionally high quality.

The database is the culmination of a three-year project, based in Cardiff University’s Centre for Editorial and Intertextual Research, and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The aim of the project has been to examine the feasibility of developing an online database application that would allow users to view images at high quality, as well as providing access to images by accurate bibliographic classifications and an appropriate iconographic taxonomy.

The database can be queried by three search methods:

Keyword search: this allows for a very generalised and broad analysis to be conducted.

Advanced search: this method queries the database using a variety of bibliographic criteria.

Browse iconography: click here to view images by iconographic classification.

Please consult the Copyright, Use & Citation Guide for information about using and citing materials from the DMVI.