The Chronicler of a Vanishing Era John Charles Maggs (1819–1896) stands as a singular figure in Victorian art history, celebrated primarily for his meticulously rendered coaching scenes—a genre that captured the spirit of Britain’s burgeoning railway age and cemented his reputation as one of and the era's foremost illustrators. Born into an artistic lineage in Bath, Somerset, Maggs was the son of James Maggs, a skilled furniture japanner. This heritage of meticulous craftsmanship and decorative precision profoundly shaped the artist's own sensibilities, instilling in him a lifelong devotion…