Charles Henry Bennett was a prolific Victorian illustrator who pioneered techniques in comic illustration. He was born at 3 Tavistock Row in Covent Garden and was the eldest of the three children of Charles and Harriet Bennett. At the age of twenty, Charles married Elizabeth Toon, and attempted to support his family by selling newspapers. Charles and Elizabeth's family kept growing and moving, and by 1861 they were living in Wimbledon with their six children.
As an adult, Charles became part of the London bohemian scene, and was a founder member of the Savage Club. He contributed small illustrations to several magazines. 1858 saw the publication of the first of more than a dozen children's books illustrated by Charles Bennett. Among his best known and best loved books were his Shadows series. The collection of shadow pictures was reprinted several times in coloured versions without the accompanying text and seems to have been something of a best seller.
The Illustrated Times published his weekly series of Studies in Darwinesque Development in 1853. These circular drawings, in which various animal species evolve into human beings, were published posthumously in the book, Character Sketches, Development Drawings and Original Pictures of Wit and Humour, in 1872. The most reprinted of Charles Bennett's books has been his illustrated version of Aesop's fables.
In 1865 Charles was invited to join the Punch Council, which included Mark Lemon (Editor), Shirley Brooks and John Tenniel. By March 1866 he was a regular attendee and contributed nearly 200 drawings, identified by his characteristic CHB monogram.
By the beginning of 1867, Charles' health was failing and he died on 2nd April 1867 between eight and nine in the morning.
(source: wikipedia)