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The life and works of John Cooke Bourne

Lost years

In between the publication of his "London & Birmingham Railway" and "Great Western Railway" work, little is known of John Cooke Bourne's life. However certain key achievements have been identified since new research has been undertaken.

During this period Bourne produced a few single railway lithographs such as "Viaduct over the valley of the Weaver, on the Chester & Crewe Railway", as well as a volume of lithographs of Cairo from some original, conventional sketches by Robert Hay, Owen B Carter and C Laver, published by Tilt and Bogue in 1840. These lithographs were vast improvements on the initial sketches and highlighted Bourne's compositional and technical skills. In 1844 he moved further away from railway imagery and lithographed the plates for F Catherwood Architects' book entitled "Ancient Monuments in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan".

View of the Viaduct over the valley of the

View of the Viaduct over the valley of the Weaver on the Chester & Crewe Railway.
© Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust

Bourne also produced images of Russia during this period. In 1846 the engineer Charles Blacker Vignoles (1743-1875) heard that Czar Nicholas I of Russia intended to build a road bridge across the Dnieper River at Kiev. This would be the world's largest suspension bridge. Vignoles commissioned Bourne to produce an artist's impression of the intended bridge in watercolour and become the resident artist. In 1847, they travelled to Russia together and Vignoles was chosen to construct the bridge. The official opening of the Dnieper Bridge was in 1853. Some watercolours produced during this period have survived, including one of the Kremlin, the Lavra monastery at Kiev, and Russian peasants. Bourne also lithographed four plates for Edward Pelt Thomson's book "Life in Russia".

In July of the same year, Bourne turned his attention to producing images for the book, "A Sketch of the Origin and Progress of Steam Navigation", lithographed by C Cheffins. Text was written by Bennet Woodcroft and published by Taylor and Walton.

Frontispiece of A Sketch of the Origin and Progress of Steam Navigation by Bennet Woodcroft

Frontispiece of "A Sketch of the Origin and Progress of Steam Navigation" by Bennet Woodcroft. © Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust

In 1852 Bourne continued his partnership with Vignoles in Russia. This involved an excursion with Bourne to take daguerreotype photographs of the total eclipse at Ooman, a hundred miles south of Kiev.

In 1855 Bourne helped Vignoles to organise an exhibition of photographs of Russia, and it is likely that most of the images on display were taken by Bourne. However after this date, reference to his life and work is sparse.

View of a steam locomotive crossing the Knaresborough viaduct, in Yorkshire

View of a steam locomotive crossing the Knaresborough viaduct, in Yorkshire.
© Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust

In 1866, at age 52, John Cooke Bourne married Catherine Cripps, the daughter of an official at Buckingham Palace and the couple moved to Teddington. Bourne died in the district of Brentford in February 1896 and was described in his death certificate as "Artist - (painter)".