About: Samuel William Fores
Samuel William Fores, often credited as S. W. Fores (1761 – 3 February 1838) was an English illustrator and publisher/printer based in Piccadilly, London. Fores, the son of a cloth merchant, began his career publishing his illustrations in 1783. He operated from premises at No 3 Piccadilly from 1785 and moved to 50 Piccadilly from 1795. He specialised in caricature, typically hand-coloured, singly issued prints. He became successful at marketing his works, which he often sold wholesale. Fores acquired a particularly large collection of caricatures, and at one time was said to have "the completest collection in the kingdom" in his Caricature Museum. He died in February 1838 at the age of 77 and was buried in his family vault at St. James Church in Jermyn Street.
