Benjamin Pollock

Benjamin Pollock was a printmaker and illustrator active around 1870, specializing in producing imagery for the popular Victorian entertainment known as the toy theater. His known output focuses specifically on detailed character sheets and scene designs intended for home assembly and play.

Fifteen Benjamin Pollock prints are represented in institutional holdings, establishing his significance as a commercial artist who contributed to popular culture during the late nineteenth century. A substantial portion of his documented work centers on the juvenile dramatic repertoire. This includes multiple sequential plates illustrating the story of Jack and the Giant Killer, such as Characters and Scenes, from Jack and the Giant Killer, Plate 1 for a Toy Theater, alongside corresponding works like Characters, from Jack and the Giant Killer, Plate 3 for a Toy Theater.

The importance of Pollock’s historical work is underscored by its inclusion in permanent collections, notably at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of their historical date and specialized nature, many of these Benjamin Pollock prints are accessible to scholars and collectors. These works, now largely considered part of the public domain, are preserved and reproduced by institutions, often available as high-quality prints documenting this niche theatrical form.