Henry Théophile Hildibrand

An Election Day in New Orleans - Original Lithograph by H.-T. Hildibrand - 1880

1880

Henri Théophile Hildibrand was born on June 19, 1824, in Paris. This French wood engraver is one of the main interpreters of Gustave Doré and illustrator of the Hetzel and Hachette editions. He began studying engraving in the Atelier ABL, founded in Paris in 1832 by John Andrew, Jean Best and Isidore Leloir, to create the Vignettes du Magasin pittoresque. In the early part of his career, he was an associate of François Pannemaker and he became one of the best-known engravers of the works of Gustave Doré. In 1845, he was part of the group of engravers who composed The Mysteries of the Inquisition, and other secret societies of Spain by Féréal, a highly successful book published in Paris by Boizard, which includes over 200 illustrations. According to the Bénézit, he exhibited for the first time at the 1866 Paris Salon and received an honorable mention at the 1872 Paris Salon. Some of his engravings have been published in magazines such as Le Tour du monde, where many of his engravings were inspired by photographs. He died on August 13, 1897, in Pacy-sur-Eure.