WITH AN ILLUSTRIOUS PROVENANCE
The collection of rare prints & illustrated works, removed from strawberry hill for sale in london. A catalogue of the extensive and most valuable collection of engraved portraits, of the most illustrious and other eminent british characters that figure in the annals of history and biography...as originally collected by horace walpole, earl of orford; which will be sold by auction...
[London].
Smith and Robins, [1842].
First edition.
Quarto.
vi, [3]-131pp, [1]. Later half-calf, marbled paper boards, lettered in gilt to spine, T.E.G. A trifle rubbed and marked. Marbled endpapers, manuscript note to verso of FFEP: 'This catalogue was given to me by Mr. Schulze, who had it from Mr. Morgan, who had it from Smith of Lisle Street, the famous printseller, & friend of Beckford of Fonthill. I had it bound by Mr. Bain of the Haymarket'. Priced in manuscript.
The catalogue, priced-up in manuscript in a contemporary hand, of the sale by auction, commencing 13th June, 1842, of the print and drawing collection of author, politician, and patron of the arts Horace Walpole, fourth Earl of Orford (1717-1797), formerly held at his Strawberry Hill estate.
Strawberry Hill House was constructed as Walpole's summer residence. At his death he bequeathed the house to sculptor Anne Seymour Damer (1749-1828) as his executor and residuary legatee; she lived there from 1797 to 1811. Damer frequented theatrical and literary circles, and maintained Strawberry Hill as artistic haven. The house later passed to George Edward Waldegrave, seventh Earl Waldegrave (1816-1846) who, heavily in debt, resolved to sell Walpole's collection. The resulting twenty-four-day sale left the house practically bereft of its contents.
The catalogue being poorly compiled, coupled with widespread disapproval at the intent to disperse some of the collections en bloc, resulted in the contents of the seventh and eighth days' sale - comprised of prints, drawings, and illustrated books - were withdrawn. They were recatalogued and disposed of at a sale at Robins's rooms at Covent Garden, between the 13th and 23rd of June. The sale at Strawberry Hill realised £29,612. The ten-day London, comprised of 1331 lots - the tenth day of which was comprised predominantly of works by Hogarth - netted £3,837.15.6.
The previous owners of this copy apparently include William Smith (1808-1867), printseller and founding member and trustee of the National Portrait Gallery. Throughout his distinguished career, Smith acted as intermediatory for numerous substantial transactions between the British Museum's department of prints and drawings and private collectors; he notably assisted the institution in acquiring the valuable prints from the collection of Bond Street bookseller Joseph Harding, and, in 1848, works from the illustrious collection of William Beckford.
£ 1,250.00
Antiquates Ref: 26440
Strawberry Hill House was constructed as Walpole's summer residence. At his death he bequeathed the house to sculptor Anne Seymour Damer (1749-1828) as his executor and residuary legatee; she lived there from 1797 to 1811. Damer frequented theatrical and literary circles, and maintained Strawberry Hill as artistic haven. The house later passed to George Edward Waldegrave, seventh Earl Waldegrave (1816-1846) who, heavily in debt, resolved to sell Walpole's collection. The resulting twenty-four-day sale left the house practically bereft of its contents.
The catalogue being poorly compiled, coupled with widespread disapproval at the intent to disperse some of the collections en bloc, resulted in the contents of the seventh and eighth days' sale - comprised of prints, drawings, and illustrated books - were withdrawn. They were recatalogued and disposed of at a sale at Robins's rooms at Covent Garden, between the 13th and 23rd of June. The sale at Strawberry Hill realised £29,612. The ten-day London, comprised of 1331 lots - the tenth day of which was comprised predominantly of works by Hogarth - netted £3,837.15.6.
The previous owners of this copy apparently include William Smith (1808-1867), printseller and founding member and trustee of the National Portrait Gallery. Throughout his distinguished career, Smith acted as intermediatory for numerous substantial transactions between the British Museum's department of prints and drawings and private collectors; he notably assisted the institution in acquiring the valuable prints from the collection of Bond Street bookseller Joseph Harding, and, in 1848, works from the illustrious collection of William Beckford.
