Chromo-Lithographs printed by
George Henry Ford & William West (c. 1850–1858)
and
West, Newman & Co.(c. 1859-1918).
  
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley


The initial partnership combined George Henry Ford's artistic drafting skills with William West's technical lithographic printing skills. Based in Hatton Garden, London, they produced detailed plates for major institutions like the Smithsonian Institution. But George Henry Ford was first and foremost a scientific artist rather than a business administrator, and he took the job of illustrating global specimens for the British Museum. This became demanding, and by 1850 the partnership broke down.

Following the dissolution of Ford & West, printer William West initially partnered with Edward Newman, the famous publisher of The Zoologist. After Newman died in 1876, West consolidated operations with Newman's surviving publishing business, and West, Newman & Co. continued as a prominent late 19th and early 20th-century printing, engraving, lithographic, and publishing firm, still based in Hatton Garden. They produced and printed the multi-plate chromo-lithographs required to generate detailed multi-coloured illustrations in scientific transactions for museums, government departments, and learned societies in Britain, India, and South Africa.

Over the years, West's companies were the primary publishers of many entomological publications, including

  • Zoologist: a Monthly Journal of Natural History,
  • Buckler's multi-volume work The larvæ of the British butterflies and moths, and
  • Horace Knight's drawings for George F. Hampson's major multi-volume work Catalogue of Lepidoptera Phalænæ in the British Museum

    Copies of some illustrations printed by Ford & West, and West, Newman & Co. in this website -

    ACENTROPINAE

    Paracataclysta fuscalis


    ACONTIINAE

    Autoba sphragidota

    Carmara subcervina

    Enispa daphoena

    Enispa niviceps

    Eulocastra phaeozona

    Hyposada hydrocampata

    Maliattha ritsemae

    Micrapatetis leucozona

    Ozarba chrysaspis

    Sarrothripa baeopis

    Xanthograpta purpurascens


    ACRONICTINAE

    Calophasidia dentifera

    Data aroa

    Data pratti

    Diplonephra ditata

    Dipterygina babooni

    Eremochroa macropa

    Eremochroa thermidora

    Euplexia polycmeta

    Neumichtis callisina

    Proteuxoa callimera

    Proteuxoa chrysospila

    Proteuxoa cornuta

    Proteuxoa euchroa

    Proteuxoa hydraecioides

    Proteuxoa hypochalchis

    Proteuxoa petrodora

    Proteuxoa sarcomorpha

    Proteuxoa tortisigna

    Thalatha bryochlora

    Thalatha melaleuca


    BOLETOBIINAE

    Acontia detrita

    Acontia nivipicta

    Corgatha minuta

    Eublemma lozostropha

    Eublemma marmaropa

    Eublemma rufipuncta

    Eublemma vestalis


    CHLOEPHORINAE

    Aiteta iridias

    Carea unipunctata

    Vizaga mirabilis


    EREBINAE

    Avatha novoguineana

    Bastilla copidiphora

    Dysgonia solomonensis

    Ophiusa disjungens


    SARROTHRIPINI

    Thriponea nigrostrigata


    SPHINGIDAE

     Agrius convolvuli

    Agrius convolvuli




    WESTERMANNIINAE

    Westermannia argentata

    Westermannia concha

    Westermannia gloriosa




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    (written 10 August 2026, updated 19 August 2026)