Hallock Foote was recognized as one of the most talented young illustrators and was a very accomplished illustrator and writer of the later 1800's.

‍

Her talent was recognized early on by her parents, who arranged for professional training and then supported her training at the Cooper Union School of Design in New York City, where she excelled in the very challenging Woodcut illustration technique:

The face of the boxwood block would be prepared with a powered bath-brick wash before penciling in her sketch that would appear as a dark line against a white background. An engraver would then remove the white, engrave on each side of the line and when inked, the sketch would become a print on white paper.

‍

Once Hallock Foote became known in the magazine publishing world, she became a sought-after illustrator with many of her pieces, including very intricate ones like the one on the left, gracing articles and the covers of magazines.

‍

As her work became better known, she became the illustrator for many of the best authors of the times, with her clients including Hawthorn, Longfellow, Tennyson, Alcott, and Whittier. The illustrations were predominately done through woodcut engraving, making her work all that more difficult and the finished products even more amazing.

‍

After marriage, Hallock Foote continued with her illustrations. Her income often supported a growing family as her husband was often between jobs. Her realistic and detailed depictions of the west and the settlers were seen in magazines and had a wide Eastern audience. In her illustrations, women had equal footing with men as she portrayed the reality of the western movement.

‍

Hallock Foote was proclaimed the Dean of Women Illustrators before the woodcut practice lost favor In the late 1800's. She then turned her creativity to writing, where she was equally, if not more, successful.

‍

‍

‍