I am researching the history of a colour Lithograph I received...I
can't really make out the artist, but in very small text, one can make
out "Thof Gilks Litho." It is titled "Montes the Great Matador" and
has small text indicating "Richard Bentley, London 1843."  The image
is a pose where the matador (standing alone, facing to the right) is
ready to strike and the colours are quite vibrant (purple and gold
pants, blue and gold jacket).

The frame is old - worn, gold with a purple velvet matting.  The image
is about 8"x6" in size and the frame is about 12"x8"

My questions:
Where can I find out more about this work?
How much should it be insured for?

---

Clarification of Question by kylegruen-ga on 16 Feb 2006 11:25 PST

I have narrowed down the search through publishers records:

Archives of Richard Bentley & Son, 1829-1898. [116 microfilm reels]
Cambridge, England: Chadwyck-Healey, 1975-1976.
Microfilm 1-1917 
Richard Bentley & Son became extremely well known for their Standard
Novel series together with two very successful periodicals. Among
their authors were Dickens, Bulwer-Lytton, Wilkie Collins, Marie
Corelli and Mrs Henry Wood. The archive brings together the
collections at the British Library, the University of Illinois and the
University of California, Los Angeles making one of the largest and
most comprehensive sets of British publishing documents ever to be
made widely available.

However, I do not have access to the mirofilm collection or the kind
of information contained within...

I could also email a picture of it...

---

Clarification of Question by kylegruen-ga on 16 Feb 2006 11:59 PST

Even better would be to access:

Lists of the Publications of Richard Bentley & Son, 1829-1898 
An unrivalled source of information on both bibliographical and
literary aspects of Bentley publications, the lists include title page
transcripts in full together with detailed notes on each title.
microfiche with printed index 
ISBN 0 85964 013 2 
Index and Guide to the Lists of Publications of Richard Bentley & Son, 1829-1898 
by Michael L. Turner 
1975 338pp. 225x148mm clothbound 
ISBN 0 85964 012 4

You've possibly mistaken an old-fashioned "s" for an "f", and the
artist of your engraving is Thomas Gilks. ("Thos" used to be a common
abbreviation of "Thomas".) Gilks was active in the mid-19th century;
and if you do a Google search on "Thomas Gilks" artist OR illustrator,
you'll find several references to him and his works.

Sorry, but separate searches on "Thomas Gilks" artist, and "Thomas
Gilks" illustrator, seem to work better.