George Cooke (engraver)

George Cooke (22 January 1781 – 27 February 1834), was an English line engraver.

Cooke was born in London in 1781. His father was a native of Frankfurt, Germany, who in early life settled in England and became a wholesale confectioner. At the age of fourteen, George Cooke was apprenticed to James Basire (1730-1802). Around the end of his apprenticeship he engraved many plates for Brewer's Beauties of England and Wales, some in conjunction with his elder brother, William Bernard Cooke.

Afterwards, he produced engravings for Pinkerton's 16-volume "Collection of Voyages and Travels", during which his brother William made plans for the first edition of "The Thames", to which George Cooke contributed two plates. This work was followed by "Picturesque Views on the Southern Coast of England", from drawings made principally by Turner. It was commenced in 1814 and completed in 1826, and George Cooke engraved fifteen plates, nearly one-third of the total, and some vignettes. Next appeared an improved edition of The Thames, for which he engraved the 'Launch of the Nelson' and the 'Fair on the Thames,' after Luke Clennell, and the 'Opening of Waterloo Bridge,' after Philip Reinagle.

Between 1817 and 1833 he produced, in connection with Loddiges of Hackney, London a number of plates for the "Botanical Cabinet",' and about the same time he engraved some of the plates, after Turner, for Hakewill's "Picturesque Tour of Italy", 1820, and Sir Walter Scott's "Provincial Antiquities and Picturesque Scenery of Scotland", 1826, in which latter work should be especially noted "Edinburgh from the Calton Hill". To these were added plates for Thomas Allason's "Antiquities of Pola", 1819, John Spencer-Stanhope's "Olympia", (pub. Rodwell and Martin, 1824), and D'Oyly and Mant's "Bible", as well as some of those for John Hughes' "Views in the South of France, chiefly on the Rhone", after Peter De Wint.

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