Original pen and ink sketch by Reginald Cleaver for The Graphic c1900

CLEAVER, Reginald (1870-1954). Original pen-and-ink drawing displaying modern industrial technology for The Graphic, c.1900.
 
Original pen-and-ink illustration on paper, approximately 220 × 240 mm. Signed by the artist in the lower right. A finished publication drawing composed as a two-part scene, intended for reproduction in the illustrated press. Some surface toning and handling marks, with editorial and later pencil notations to the verso; overall in good condition.
 
An original ink sketch by Cleaver, a regular illustrator for The Graphic, depicting modern industrial technology and its practical application. The upper panel shows a large centrifugal ventilator or pump, with figures positioned to demonstrate scale and the force of the machinery in operation; the lower panel depicts workmen in a barge or enclosed dock environment, with a horse being led along a quay or towpath, emphasising the coexistence of mechanised power and traditional animal labour. The composition is typical of The Graphic’s late-Victorian and Edwardian coverage of engineering, docks, tunnels, and other large-scale infrastructural works.