Suppressed Plates, Wood-engravings, &c. Together with Other Curiosities Germane Thereto; Being an Account of Certain Matters Peculiarly Alluring to the Collector

This volume opens a vivid corridor of Victorian visual culture, gathering together the plates that never reached the public eye. From a lost “Pickwick” cricket match to a cancelled portrait of Charles Dickens, the pages reveal wood‑engravings, etchings and early colour experiments by names such as Cruikshank, Hogarth and George Cruikshank. Each illustration is accompanied by a brief scholarly note that explains the circumstances of its suppression, offering listeners a sense of the editorial politics and commercial anxieties that kept these images hidden.

Organised in numbered sections, the book moves from literary curiosities—unpublished frontispieces for “Death in London” and “Oliver Twist”—to satirical cartoons that were deemed too bold for their time. The author’s witty dedication to his sons frames the collection with a personal touch, while the commentary on cancelled designs by Charles Keene and others adds a layer of intrigue. As you listen, you’ll be guided through a gallery of “what‑might‑have‑been” artworks, discovering why these plates remain prized objects for collectors and historians alike.