EXTRACTS: illustrators issue 2 © 2012 The Book Palace (96 PAGES in Full edition))

5 to up his income, he realised that he needed to break away from the family studio and launch himself as a full time independent illustrator. To do this, he would have to acquire an agent and the most desirable of these for a young illustrator seeking advancement in the heady world of advertising and publishing, was the London firm of Rogers and Co. The firm was run from its Chancery Lane office by the Wall family, comprising Jack and Dick and their father who, at the time Wright crossed their threshold, oversaw the whole operation. Jack Wall dealt primarily with the magazine and newsprint side of the operation whilst Dick specialised in the growing market for illustrated children’s books. The offices were, as befitted their location just off the cramped and bustling locale of Chancery Lane, accessed by the narrow street of Bishop’s Court. Once a visitor had entered the unprepossessing doorway they would find themselves in the reception area, with Kathleen the secretary seated to their immediate left and the Wall brothers seated behind a large table to their right. Further activity was dimly visible through a succesion of windows surrounding the octagonal All images on this page courtesy of the Mary Evans Picture Library ABOVE: More examples of Wright’s early work created while he was still working at his uncle Gilbert’s studio.