Mary Byfield

• Name — Mary Byfield • Born — 1795 • Birthplace — London • Died — 1871 • Place of death — Islington, London • Known for — Book illustration and printmaking

Byfield was born in London into a family of wood engravers. Taught by their father, Mary Byfield often worked with her brothers John (1788-1841) and Ebenezer (1790-1817) to produce engraved illustrations for books. These included several volumes for the writer Thomas Frognall Dibdin. Mary and John Byfield also produced illustrations for the Chiswick Press, notably for the works of William Pickering. Working alone, Mary Byfield also produced engravings for several other volumes and designed a version of the Oxford University arms that became, for a time, the mark of the Oxford University Press. She worked for the printer Charles Whittingham and his nephew, Charles at the Chiswick Press throughout her life. As well as full page illustrations, her work included engraved alphabets for the first letter of a page, head and tail pieces, decorative borders and vignettes. Byfield taught several other members of her family, and members of the Whittingham family, wood engraving techniques. For most of her life, Byfield lived in the Holloway area of London, notably at Canonbury Place and Liverpool Road.