Joseph Crawhall II was a man of many talents. As well as a wood engraver and writer, he was a businessman, patron of the arts, campaigner for the preservation of architecture, collaborator of Charles Keene, book designer, collector of antiquities, and keen angler, as well as becoming secretary of the Newcastle Arts Association in 1880. Fully absorbed in the life of a thriving and productive city, he made a significant contribution to Newcastle in every area of interest that he pursued.