Journeys Through the Pages: Travels and Tales from The Omnibus Magazine

Each front cover of the Omnibus magazine was uniquely designed and hand-drawn by a contributor, showcasing their artistic talent and creativity. These covers reflect the personal touch and collaborative spirit that defined the publication.

M. E. F[orsaith], Front cover, Omnibus, Vol. 2, Iss. 8, Summer 1900, p.251 (HCB A/1/2/4)

The majority of the Omnibus Magazine Society’s members and their family, taken at the O.M.S social gathering on 16th July 1904 at the Haggis family home in Heathfield, Church End, Finchley.

This was the second of four gatherings for the O.M.S., and included a number of, especially female, members outside of the Haggis and Barnard families.

H.C. Barnard at aged 20, is pictured back row, third from left. Barnard would go on to be a professor at Reading University.

‘O.M.S. Social Gathering Photos July 16th 1904. No.1 – The Whole Party’, Omnibus, Vol. 7, Iss. 23, Autumn 1904, p.85 (HCB A/1/9/1)

Now a National Trust site, Chiddingstone near Sevenoaks in Kent, was one of the first travel items in Omnibus. This photograph of its Tudor main street featuring ‘The Castle In’ was accompanied by description of the village and its historical significance.

This issue was published in 1898, and the photograph’s quality is testament to the skill and dedication of the writer in producing this short essay.

? R. F., ‘A Quaint Village’, Omnibus, Vol. 1, Iss. 1, September 1898, p.23 (HCB A/1/1/1)

Part of a long essay on the key places to visit in the Isle of Wight, the page seen here is the introduction to the section focusing on Carisbrooke Castle. The centre image depicts the window where Charles I was meant to escape from imprisonment during  the English Civil War.

The essay also includes a floorplan of Carisbrooke Castle, intended to be used as a guide for the readers when planning to visit the castle, as well as detailed information about the Castle’s layout and key features.

A. Josiah Haggis, ‘Interesting Places in the Isle of Wight – Carisbrooke Castle’, Omnibus, Vol. 1, Iss. 2, Christmas 1898, p.82 (HCB A/1/1/2)

This ink drawing of Boulogne Cathedral, known as the Basilica of Notre-Dame, shows the main tower, dome and frontage from a distance, drawn within a circle in the centre of the page.

It is part of an essay describing H. C. Barnard and two members of the Haggis family’s travel from London in August 1899, sailing on the “Princess of Wales’ to spend the day in Boulogne-sur-mer.

H. C. Barnard, ‘Six Hours in France’, Omnibus, Vol. 3, Iss. 9, p.58 (HCB A/1/3/1)

Drawings from an essay on the author’s month-long journey around Brittany as part of a group of 10 women between 20 and 67 who wanted to holiday together to sketch.

These three watercolours present both the landscape and the people of Brittany, with the first image, ‘Blanchisseuses at Lehon’ (near Dinan), showing women in the foreground to a river and hilly landscape. The other two paintings entitled ‘Outside the Market (Quimperlé) are of young people, the first knelt down with baskets, and the second a young figure with the subtitle “Dessinez-moi” (Draw me).

Senectuta, ‘A Tour of Brittany (1897): A Few Incidents and Illustrations’, Omnibus, Vol. 4.2, Iss. 14, Spring 1902, p.139 (HCB A/1/5/1)

Two watercolour paintings from D. Barnard’s travel in Venice, Italy with special attention paid to sailing and water landscapes.

These two watercolours are particularly striking for their distinct and dramatic background landscapes, and the attention paid to such small artworks, each being about a normal 6”x4” photograph size.

D. Barnard, ‘View on Lake Lugano & View on Grand Canal, Venice’, Omnibus, Vol. 5.1, Iss. 16, Autumn 1902, p.3 (HCB A/1/6/1)

Following from the watercolours of Lake Lugano and the Grand Canal, this photograph of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice shows the square with a number of people, alongside the base of the Campanile – the tallest structure in Venice.

This photograph, from around 1902, is of particular quality for its age, with the detail of the architecture of St Mark’s Basilica being notable.

‘St Mark’s, Venice’, Omnibus, Vol. 5.1, Iss. 16, Autumn 1902, p.42 (HCB A/1/6/1)

The first page of a long essay on visiting the small village of Holmrook, between Ravenglass and Whitehaven in Cumbria as part of the writer’s cycling tour of the Lake District.

Like in all the Omnibus editions, this essay is entirely handwritten, and the detail and thought with which this has been done can be seen in the image, particularly with there being nothing crossed out or corrected.

A. Grace Fry, ‘A West Cumberland Village’, Omnibus, Vol. 5.1, Iss. 16, Autumn 1902, p.151 (HCB A/1/6/1)

Photograph of two people ‘performing some difficult evolution’ on a Skating Rink in Germany.

This is part of a small collection of photographs sent to the editor by B. H. Ellis with accompanying text in German. The editor, H. C. Barnard, writes that he translated it, though there may be errors due to his ‘rusty’ German.

B. H. Ellis & H. C. B[arnard], ‘Photos of Berlin and places in its vicinity’, Omnibus, Vol. 5.2, Iss. 18, Spring 1903, p.45 (HCB A/1/7/1)

Four photographs cut to make a design on the page showcasing images of Meifod in North Wales. The three landscape images are complemented by the image on the bottom left of two unnamed people standing outside a cottage with a dog. The design of the page shows how the contributor has attempted to make them aesthetically pleasing, in contrast to earlier photographs that are presented singly on a page.

This is part of a two-page series of images, the others from Matlock in Derbyshire which have a similar style.

A. S. Wright & A. J. Haggis Jnr., ‘Pictures from Meifod (N. Wales), Omnibus, Vol. 5.2, Iss. 18, Spring 1903, p.156 (HCB A/1/7/1)

A detailed watercolour painting of The Ladies’ Tower in Elie, Fifeshire. The tower is situated on the cliff edge, and the painting shows small boats in the sea set against a very green landscape.

This was painted by [Mrs] A. D. Henderson and, although being a member since 1901, only contributed this artwork to the Omnibus magazine throughout its existence.

A. D. Henderson, ‘The Ladies’ Tower, Elie, Fifeshire, N. B.’, Omnibus, Vol. 6, Iss. 20, Summer 1903, p.32 (HCB A/1/8/1)

Two photographs displayed together to show the panoramic view from Dent du midi mountain range in Switzerland from 10,600ft.

The images are labelled with the key points of interest that can be seen in the panorama, including Mont Blanc, Mont Buet, and the Glacier de Trient.

B. H. Ellis, ‘Panorama from Dent du Midi (10,600ft), Omnibus, Vol. 6, Iss. 21, Winter 1903, p.251 (HCB A/1/8/2)

Front cover of a memoir essay about Mont. St Michel which formed one of the last parts of the writer’s tour of Northern France.

The ink drawing shows Mont St. Michel from the causeway leading up to its walls, which has been cut into a circle. The memoir essay describes in detail the author’s experiences at Mont St. Michel, and there are two other drawings included that show the walls and other buildings on the tidal island.

N. Parley, ‘Mont St. Michel’, Omnibus, Vol. 7, Iss. 23, Autumn 1904, p.32 (HCB A/1/9/1)