| AdminHistory | Vanity Fair was founded in 1868 by Thomas Gibson Bowles (1842-1922) the magazine’s long-term editor and owner. It was not immediately successful and struggled with competition from rival publications. On 16 January 1869, Bowles promised his readers ‘Some Pictorial Wares of an entirely novel character’ and two weeks later appeared a full-page caricature of Benjamin Disraeli by Carlo Pellegrini. It was reproduced by Vincent Brooks - an expensive and highly regarded lithographer - and was the first of over 2,300 caricatures to be published by Vanity Fair. |