Tenniel, Sir John 1820-1914
English cartoonist and illustrator

Born in London, he was a self-trained artist, and was selected in 1845 to paint one of the frescoes (Dryden's 'St Cecilia') in the Houses of Parliament. He was on the staff of Punch for 50 years (1851-1901), succeeding John Leech as chief cartoonist in 1864. His most celebrated cartoon was 'Dropping the Pilot' (1890), referring to Bismarck's dismissal. His main claim to fame, however, are his delicate illustrations for Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking Glass (published in December 1871, dated 1872). He also illustrated Aesop's Fables (1848), Thomas Moore's Lalla Rookh (1861), and Richard Barham's Ingoldsby Legends (1864), amongst others.

Bibliography: Rodney K Engen, Sir Robert Tenniel: Alice's White Knight (1991)