William Theodore Parkes

William Theodore Parkes was an Irish-born artist and writer who died in 1908. Reference sources identify him as the son of Isaac Parkes, and note that he began his career as a medallist before working more broadly as a draughtsman and designer.

He exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy in the early 1880s and later worked in London. Alongside his visual art, he wrote and illustrated books including The Spook Ballads and Comic Snap Shots from Early English History, works that show his fondness for comic verse, parody, and lively historical or supernatural subjects.

Parkes seems to have moved easily between image and text, which helps explain the charm of his books today: they feel handmade, mischievous, and full of personality. Even when dealing with ghosts or old legends, his tone is more amused than solemn, making him an appealing voice from the late nineteenth century.