The Sphere | Illustrated London News
from the archives of The Illustrated London News
Contact Us
|
Create an Account
Sign In
Main menu
Home
Timeline
Timeline
1914
Franz Ferdinand assassinated
Europe declares war
Recruitment begins
Battle of Mons
Battle of the Marne
Battle of the Aisne
East Coast bombed
1915
Edith Cavell executed
Poison gas introduced
Gallipoli Campaign begins
RMS Lusitania sunk
Munitions Ministry created
1916
Verdun Offensive begins
Battle of Jutland
Somme Offensive begins
1917
USA enters the war
W.A.A.C. established
Battle of Passchendaele
1918
Rationing introduced
Russian Armistice signed
Operation Michael begins
Hundred Days Offensive
Spanish Flu peaks
Armistice signed
1919
Peace Treaty signed at Versailles
Cenotaph unveiled
The ILN at War
Titles
The Illustrated War News
The Illustrated London News
The Sphere
The Tatler
The Bystander
The Sketch
The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News
The Graphic
Buy the Magazine
Topics
War ArtistsAAlfred LeeteAmedee ForestierAnnie FishArthur WattsBBert ThomasBruce BairnsfatherEEdmund BlampiedEdward Tennyson ReedFFortunino MataniaFrank ReynoldsFrederic VilliersGG. H. DavisGeorge BelcherGeorge StuddyHH. M. BatemanHarold C. EarnshawHarry L. OakleyHelen McKiePPercival AndersonPhilip DaddRRaphael KirchnerReginald HigginsRichard Caton WoodvilleSSamuel BeggSteven SpurrierWWill OwenWilliam Heath Robinson
Teaching
Blog
Search
Home
The Sphere
The Sphere
In January 1900, Clement Shorter, formerly editor of The Illustrated London News and The Sketch, launched his own illustrated magazine backed by shipping magnate Sir John Ellerman and Hugh Spottiswood of the printing firm, Eyre and Spottiswoode. Published when the public were keen to receive news of the Second Boer War, The Sphere covered world news and events alongside general interest features.
Each bound six-monthly volume of the magazine carries a design of two women representing East and West, holding a globe aloft between them, along with magazine’s title that symbolises The Sphere’s commitment to its far-reaching reporting. Similar in content to the ILN, the magazine nevertheless feels comparatively modern with engaging pictorial spreads mixing a variety of diagrams, photographs and high quality illustrations.
This format was ideally suited to the multi-faceted reporting demanded by the First World War and The Sphere offers a fascinating week-by-week chronicle of events. Its photographic reproductions are particularly good quality, but illustration holds equal status with work by such fine illustrators as Christopher Clark, Donald MacPherson, Philip Dadd and Paul Thiriat.
Pre-eminent among them was the Italian illustrator Fortunino Matania, the magazine’s “special artist” since 1904. His Sphere depictions of the Great War were prolific and breathtakingly realistic. He visited the Front several times, and The Sphere was keen to emphasise the authenticity of his, and all their published illustrations. It refuted a Daily Telegraph assertion that “war pictures have no relation to accuracy”, declaring that “every detail of the above drawings is guaranteed to be severely accurate”.
Shorter died in 1926 and H. Jesse Heitner took over as editor. The magazine continued until 1964.
Find us onTwitter
History Pin
DiscoverTimeline
The ILN at War
War Artists
Titles
Topics
HelpHow to Use This Site
Terms and Conditions
Privacy
CompanyAbout Us
Contact Us
Copyright and Credits
© 2014 Copyright ILN LIMITED. All rights reserved.
This site uses cookiesOkay, thanksFind out more