George Virtue

George C. Virtue (1794 – 8 December 1868) was a 19th-century London publisher, well known for printing engravings. His publishing house was located at 26 Ivy Lane, Paternoster Row, London, EC.[1]

W. H. Bartlett, "THE NARROWS, (From Fort Hamilton)," R. Wallis. London, Published for the Proprietors, by Geo. Virtue, 26, Ivy Lane, 1839.
W. H. Bartlett, "THE FERRY AT BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.", G. K. Richardson. London, Published for the Proprietors, by Geo. Virtue, 26, Ivy Lane, 1838.
American Scenery, 2 vols. 1840, W. H. Bartlett, "YALE COLLEGE" (Newhaven), J. Sands. London, Published for the Proprietors, by Geo. Virtue, 26, Ivy Lane, 1838.

Pictorial publisher

Virtue selected accomplished artists, employed the best engravers, and produced books that were rarely surpassed in elegance and correctness for the period. Chief among his publications were the following, all illustrated by William Henry Bartlett: Switzerland, by William Beattie, 2 vols. 1836; Scotland, by W. Beattie, 1838; The Waldenses, by W. Beattie, 1838; American Scenery, 2 vols. 1840; Description of the Beauties of the Bosphorus, by Julia Pardoe, 1840; and The Danube, its History and Scenery, by W. Beattie, 1844. Virtue created a prodigious business, issuing upwards of twenty thousand copper and steel engravings through his career.

Magazine publisher

In 1848, Virtue purchased two magazines. One was an art publication, The Art Union, which had been founded in 1839 by Hodgson & Graves, then purchased in 1847 by Chapman & Hall. The second purchase was controlling interest in Sharpe's London Magazine, a literary and cultural magazine, Arthur Hall publisher. In 1849, Virtue renamed the art magazine The Art Journal and, in time, it became known as the premier art publication of Great Britain. Also in 1849, he created a new firm with Arthur Hall called "Arthur Hall, Virtue & Co.".[2]

Publishing houses

Family

Virtue's wife was named Helen.[3]

Their oldest son, George Henry Virtue (d.1866), FSA, Esq., was Treasurer of the Royal Numismatic Society for several years.[4]

When Virtue retired from his publishing business in 1855, his second son, James Sprent Virtue, took over the business, having spent many years in the United States overseeing the Virtue's New York publishing house.

In 1861, the youngest son, William Alexander Virtue (d.1875), was promoted to Lieutenant, vice Turney, with the 39th Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps..[5] In 1865, he became a partner in the Virtue's City Road and Ivy Lane publishing houses before moving to the United States and taking over the Virtue's New York publishing house, including "Virtue and Yorston" with Charles H. Yorston.[6]

[7]

Virtue's daughter, Frances Virtue (d.1878), married the English essayist and historian, James Augustus Cotter Morison in 1861. They had one son, Theodore Morison, principal of Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College from 1899-1905 which later on became Aligarh Muslim University and member of the Council of India from 1906; and daughters Helen Cotter, and Margaret.[8]

Community service

Virtue was a common councilman for the ward of Farringdon Within, and later was the Deputy of his ward. He was a member of the court of the Stationers' Company and a director of the Great Central Gas Company.

Legacy

Virtue retired in Oatlands Park.[9] He died in 1868 at the home of his daughter, Frances Morison, on Porchester Square, London.[10] [11][12] Much of his correspondence and other family records are archived in the Smithsonian through a donation of documents by Virtue's great-great-grandson, Michael Virtue.[1]

Partial bibliography

Musical scores
Pictorials

References

  1. 1 2 Brancato, Justin (December 1, 2004). "Eugene C. Worman Research Material on William H. Bartlett". Smithsonian, Archives of American Art. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
  2. ↑ "Original Drawings by W. H. Bartlett". Retrieved 2008-03-05.
  3. ↑ Graves, Algernon (1972), The Royal Academy of Arts; a complete dictionary of contributors and their work from its foundation in 1769 to 1904, New York: B. Franklin, p. 27, ISBN 0-8337-1425-2, OCLC 403069
  4. ↑ The Gentleman's Magazine, 215, F. Jefferies, July–December 1863, p. 169
  5. ↑ Bulletins and other state intelligence (pdf), London gazette, 1861, p. 282, retrieved 2008-03-06
  6. ↑ Thompson, I. G.; Cook, R. D. (1874), Cases determined in the Supreme Court of New York. (pdf), Albany, N.Y.: J.D. Parsons, p. 441, OCLC 8423698, retrieved 2008-03-06
  7. ↑ Jacobi, C. T., Pennell, J., & Jacobi, C. T. (1892). Some notes on books and printing: a guide for authors. London: Chiswick Press, C. Whittingham; et al., OCLC 3680682 Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ↑ "MORRISON/GILMOUR BIOS". gosc.sl.bizhat.com. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
  9. ↑ The Gentlemen's Magazine, Printed by F. Jefferies, 1866, p. 415
  10. ↑ The art journal for 1869. New series., London: J.S. Virtue & Co., January 1869, p. 25, OCLC 54759600.
  11. ↑ The register and magazine of biography : a record of births, marriages, deaths and other genealogical and personal occurrences, London: Nichols and Sons, February 1869, p. 133, OCLC 181819611.
  12. ↑ "Personal and Literary" (PDF). New York Times. 1868-12-12. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Virtue, James Sprent". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 

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