An increasing interest in genre paintings and the improvement of printing techniques, led to the popularity of pictures of ordinary people by artists such as W.H. Pyne and J.W. Harding. Some prints were an attempt to record costume while others were designed to influence fashion; a few were just sentimental or fanciful. Watercolours by amateurs supplement the range of available illustrations.

This exhibition took place at the National Library of Wales between 21 June and 4 October 2008.