Note - This miniature has been in the European section of the collection as an unidentified German officer. However, as a kind visitor has now identified him for me, and as he was a British Prince, British Peer, and British Army General, he has now also been included in the British section. He must have been perhaps the only British Army General who was on the German side in World War I !!
This miniature is signed "A Helzel Berlin" for Adolf Helzel who owned a Berlin porcelain painting works. He was active around 1894.
The portrait is painted in enamel on copper. This is a very demanding technique, as the colours have to be put on separately as they need to be fired at different temperatures and also they change colour when they are fired. (Apologies for the scanner glare.)
When first listed here, the sitter was unknown, but I am now very grateful to the kind visitor who has provided the following information.
"The sitter is H.R.H. Ernst August, Duke of Cumberland (1845 - 1923), formerly the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Hanover. He was a great grandson of King George III of England. He wears the uniform of the Austrian Infantry regiment of which he was honorary Colonel."
This has enabled me to expand the description and provide a link to more about him at Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover - Wikipedia, the free ...
History records Crown Prince Ernst August II of Hanover, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale, (Ernest Augustus William Adolphus George Frederick; 21 September 1845–14 November 1923), was the eldest child and only son of George V of Hanover and his wife, Marie of Saxe-Altenburg.
His title at birth was His Royal Highness Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg, Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
When his father King George V of Hanover died in Paris on 12 June 1878, Prince Ernst August succeeded him as Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale in the Peerage of Great Britain and Earl of Armagh in the Peerage of Ireland. Queen Victoria created him a Knight of the Garter on 1 August 1878.
Ernst August had the misfortune of being deprived of the thrones of Hanover upon its annexation by Prussia in 1866 and later the Duchy of Brunswick in 1884.
Queen Victoria appointed the Duke of Cumberland a major general in the British Army in 1886 and promoted him to lieutenant general in 1892 and general in 1898. Although he was a British peer and a prince of Great Britain and Ireland, he continued to consider himself an exiled monarch of a German Principality, making his home in Gmunden, Upper Austria.
The similarity of the British and Hanover royal standards can be seen here in these two flags.
On 13 Nov 1914 the New York Times reported from Copenhagen; "Prince Ernst August, Duke of Cumberland, father of the Duke of Brunswick, the son-in-law of the Kaiser, has been discovered wandering about in a demented condition. It is reported that the horror's of the war have affected the Prince's brain and he is now confined in an asylum. The Duke of Brunswick has been reported missing for several weeks." However, it seems that the Duke was later found and lived until 1953.
Although he was the senior male-line great grandson of George III, the Duke of Cumberland was deprived of his British peerages and honours for having sided with Germany in World War I. 1185
Wednesday
Helzel, Adolf - portrait of Prince Ernst August, Duke of Cumberland
Monday
Mist, H - portrait of a lady
This very well painted miniature portrait is a little frustrating as, although well signed on front and rear, the artist's signature is very hard to decipher.
It appears to read on the front "H Mist 1905", but no artist of that name has been found.
On the rear, it may read "H C Mist - Overden 1905" but that place reading may be incorrect.
Thus any visitor opinions of the artist's correct name and location would be welcome.
As would any biographical information on the artist, as the reference books do not seem to include her/him.
The case has a silver hallmark for Birmingham with a "y" dating the frame to 1898/99, with a maker's mark "C S * F" or "C S * E". Thus it suggests the artist was not from London.
However, it is a little surprising that the frame is several years earlier than the portrait.
It is very competently painted and does not appear to be on a photographic base.
Sunday
Unknown - portrait of Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
This miniature portrait was described by the seller only as "Victorian miniature portrait of a military gentleman", but it has been possible to determine the identity of the sitter as Prince George, Duke of Cambridge (26 Mar 1819 – 17 Mar 1904).
The miniature is unsigned and unfortunately it seems the artist used a fugitive red colour for the jacket, which has changed to a dark red-brown over time, with traces of bright red only apparent at the extreme edges where the frame covered the paint.
To try and identify the sitter, it was noted that the sitter is wearing the blue sash of the Order of the Garter. Therefore a search of holders of the order was the first step.
There is a list of all holders of this decoration at List of the Knights of the Garter (1348-present) It looks a dauntingly long list to work through, but by taking a stab at 19C holders who appeared to be soldiers, the first guess turned out to be correct and was confirmed by comparison with other images of the Duke of Cambridge, including the photo here taken in 1890 of him in full dress uniform.
A kind fellow researcher has indicated they agree with the attribution. It seems unlikely the miniature was painted from life, but no source has been located to date. Nevertheless, given his apparent age it must have been painted at the end of the 19C. Perhaps for Queen Victoria's Jubilee in 1897 or the coronation of Edward VII in 1902.
Prince George was born at Cambridge House in Hanover, Germany. His father was Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, the 10th child and 7th son of King George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
Like his father, he embarked upon a military career. In November 1837, after he had served for a short time in the Hanoverian army, he received the rank of colonel in the British Army. He was attached to the staff at Gibraltar from October 1838 to April 1839. After serving in Ireland with the 12th Royal Lancers (the Prince of Wales's), he was appointed colonel of the 17th Light Dragoons (now Lancers), in April 1842. From 1842 to 1845, he served as a colonel on the staff in the Ionian islands.
The Duke of Cambridge became Inspector of the Cavalry in 1852. He held that post until 1854, when, upon the outbreak of the Crimean War, he received command of the 1st Division (Guards and Highland brigades) of the British army in the East. In June 1854, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General. He was present at the battles of the Alma, Balaclava and Inkerman, and at the siege of Sevastopol.
On 5 July 1856, the Duke was appointed general commanding-in-chief of the British Army; a post that was retitled commander-in-chief of the forces by Letters Patent in 1887. In that capacity he served as the chief military advisor to the Secretary of State for War, with responsibility for the administration of the army and the command of forces in the field. He was promoted to the rank of field marshal on 9 November 1862.
The Duke of Cambridge was the longest serving head of the British Army, serving as commander-in-chief for 39 years. He was forthright in his reluctance to adopt change: "There is a time for everything, and the time for change is when you can no longer help it."
However, over time, there were increasing calls for change and in 1890 a royal commission led by Lord Hartington (later the 8th Duke of Devonshire) criticized the administration of the War Office.
The Duke of Cambridge was forced to resign his post on 1 November 1895, when he was succeeded by Lord Garnet Wolseley (1833-1913) , whose duties were considerably modified, see View and as seen in this miniature in this collection.
The Duke of Cambridge made no secret of his view that "arranged marriages were doomed to failure." He married privately and in contravention of the 1772 Royal Marriages Act at St. John's Church, Clerkenwell, London on 8 January 1847 to Sarah Fairbrother (1816-12 January 1890), the ninth child and fifth daughter of John Fairbrother, a partner in a family printing firm in Bow Street.
Sarah Fairbrother became an actress in 1830, performing at Drury Lane, the Lyceum, and Covent Garden Theatre. She is shown here as Abdullah in 1848. As can be imagined it was highly unusual to see a woman's legs in the middle of the 19C.
As the marriage did not exist in British law, the Duke's wife was never titled Duchess of Cambridge nor accorded the style Her Royal Highness. Instead, she was known as "Mrs. FitzGeorge." She was not regarded as a member of the British Royal Family.
The Duke was distraught by her death, leading the mourning at her burial in Kensal Green Cemetery, and regularly marking the anniversary of her death. The Duke of Cambridge and Mrs. FitzGeorge had three sons, two of whom were born before their marriage, invalid as a result of the Royal Marriages Act 1772, and all of whom pursued military careers.
Like many members of royalty, the Duke possessed an important collection of snuff boxes. After the Duke's death a Louis XV gold snuff box from his collection was sold at auction for £ 2000. 1315
Tuesday
Unknown - portrait of Lord Kitchener
Although this miniature portrait on ivory is unsigned and not of high artistic quality, the identity of the sitter makes it an interesting portrait.
The sitter is thought to be Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC (24 Jun 1850-5 Jun 1916).
However there is some slight reservation over this, as the sitter is wearing a blue uniform jacket, whereas images of Kitchener normally show him in a red or khaki army uniform jacket.
Perhaps a kind visitor to this site will help me by identifying the uniform and the medals and thus confirming or otherwise the sitter as Kitchener.
Kitchener was born in Ballylongford, County Kerry in Ireland, son of Lt. Col. Henry Horatio Kitchener (1805 – 1894) and Frances Anne Chevallier-Cole (d. 1864; daughter of Rev John Chevallier and his third wife, Elizabeth, née Cole). The family were English, not Anglo-Irish as his father had only recently bought land in Ireland.
His military career commenced when he was commissioned into the Royal Engineers on 4 January 1871.
Kitchener attained the rank of Field Marshal and held several commands including;
- Mahdist War (1884-1899)
- Second Boer War (1900–1902)
- Commander-in-Chief, India (1902–1909)
By chance Kitchener was in Britain on leave at the outset of World War I.
Taking advanatge of this, the Prime Minister, Herbert H. Asquith, quickly had Kitchener appointed Secretary of State for War; as Asquith himself had been filling the role on a temporary basis.
Against cabinet opinion, Kitchener correctly predicted a long war that would last at least three years, require huge new armies to defeat Germany, and suffer huge casualties before the end would come.
It is doubtful that even he realised how devastating it would become, culminating in the rise of Communism, and later the Nazi Party.
Kitchener also stated that the conflict would plumb the depths of manpower "to the last million." Tragically, he was correct with his predictions and millions of soldiers lost their lives fighting a new kind of war for which they were poorly trained and ill equipped.
His view was the opposite of that held by a large number of people who embarked upon the war believing "the war would be over by Christmas."
In the early part of World War I, the three most important members of the British armed forces were Kitchener, Admiral Jellicoe, and Sir John French shown together here.
There is also a miniature portrait of Sir John French in this collection, see View.
A massive recruitment campaign was began in 1914, which soon featured a distinctive poster of Kitchener himself, taken from a magazine front cover.
There were several versions of the poster and it is one of the most famous posters of all time. The basic format has been used for many other posters and advertising campaigns since then.
At the end of 1915, the new Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Sir William Robertson, took office only on condition that he was granted the right to speak for the Army to the Cabinet in matters of strategy, leaving Kitchener solely with responsibility for manpower and recruitment.
In May 1916, preparations were made for Kitchener and Lloyd George to visit Russia on a diplomatic mission. Lloyd George was otherwise engaged with his new Ministry and so it was decided to send Kitchener alone.
At Scapa Flow, Lord Kitchener embarked aboard the armoured cruiser HMS Hampshire for his diplomatic mission to Russia. On 5 June 1916, while en route to the Russian port of Arkhangelsk, Hampshire struck a mine laid by the newly-launched German U-boat U-75 (commanded by Curt Beitzen) during a Force 9 gale and sank west of the Orkney Islands. Kitchener, his staff, and 643 of the crew of 655 were drowned or died of exposure. His body was never found.
For much more about him, see Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener - Wikipedia, the free ... 1314
Sunday
Unknown - portrait of Helen Muriel Forshaw
This charming miniature portrait on ivory is signed, but so far the signature has not been deciphered.
The sitter is Helen Muriel Forshaw (1908-2002), who was generally called by her second name, Muriel and lived for many years in Leamington Spa. Apparently, she never married.
Most usually, the miniature is accompanied by a photograph of Muriel taken in 2000, which was kindly provided by the vendor together with some extra information about Muriel.
Thus the miniature is unique in this collection in having an accompanying portrait, showing the sitter nearly 90 years after the date of the original miniature.
Knowledge of her name has enabled the location of her birth record, which was 16 April 1908 at Richmond, Surrey, England.
In the 1911 census record for Canada she is recorded as living with her parents Thomas Guy Forshaw (22 Apr 1881-?) and Ethel Norah Forshaw (Apr 1876-?) at 1721 Cosmos St, Vancouver, BC. where her father was a company manager and agent, in the automotive industry. The family had arrived in Canada in 1909. At that time Thomas must have have been a pioneer in the industry.
Her death notice read "Forshaw, Helen Muriel dies peacefully in her sleep on Friday 30, August 2002 a the Westminster Nursing Home aged 94 years. Muriel Forshaw requested before her death, that the cremation which will be held at the Oakley Wood Crematorium at 3.15pm on Tuesday 10th September, 2002 be attended by three people only who have been notified directly and that no flowers accompany her body to, or be sent to, the Crematorium."
Although from the image here, it looks a little as if there is a photographic base, I do not think that is the case. In the flesh, it looks more like a painting.
The signature is very indistinct and about the only apparent letters are a double "ll", such as would appear in the name Collins.
The vendor of the miniature befriended Muriel in her old age and she told him a little about her past.
The family had arrived in Canada in 1909, but in 1912 they returned to England and Muriel remembered being told she was emigrating across the Atlantic with her parents at the exact same time as the Titanic sank, but fortunately on a course a few hundred miles further south. 1310
Tuesday
Clark, John Stewart - portrait of John Tweed
Although this is quite a large miniature portrait on ivory at 122mm x 90mm and of a "boring old man" instead of a "pretty young lady", it has proved interesting to research, especially as no information about the sitter came with the miniature, apart from the inscription on the reverse.
It is signed on the front "John Stewart Clark" and on the rear is inscribed "No 2 Miniature - John Tweed Esq - by John Stewart Clark - Studio 50 West St - Gateshead on Tyne".
The miniature is of some importance, as the sitter has been identified as John Tweed (21 Jan 1869-12 Nov 1933) one of the most famous British sculptors of the early 20C, who, despite being born in Glasgow, Scotland, is described as "the English Rodin" by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, see Other Sculptures by Rodin in the V&A - Victoria and Albert Museum The miniature can be compared to a photo of Tweed which dates to around 1905/1910.
The National Portrait Gallery in London has four photographs of Tweed dating to 1921/1922, see Sitter in 4 portraits but no painting of him. Based upon a comparison with the various photographs, it would seem this miniature by Clark dates to around 1915.
To date not a great deal has been found out about the artist John Stewart Clark (1883-1956) but he seems to have been born at Gosforth, near Gateshead.
He appears in the 1891 census for Blaydon as the third of four children of Joseph D Clark (1852-?), an animal painter, and his wife, Mary A Clark (1854-?). Joseph seems to have been an artist who worked in the Gateshead area.
In the 1901 census, John Clark still lived with his parents, but at Whickham, Durham, where Joseph described himself as a landscape painter. John was now 18 and described himself as a photographer's apprentice.
Clark also painted in oils and this portrait of a child with a rabbit (49cm x 39cm) was offered for sale by Lawrences in May 2002.
Information about John Tweed has been easier to locate and there is even a 1936 biography of his life titled "John Tweed, Sculptor, a Memoir" written by his daughter Lendal Tweed (JFM 1898-1968) with the assistance of F Watson.
He was born in Glasgow in 1869, the eldest son of a publisher, John Tweed (1826-1885) and his wife Elizabeth (1836-?).
In June 1893 Tweed went to Paris in the hope of studying with Rodin, but he found the four-year commitment that Rodin demanded of his pupils more than he could undertake.
On returning to London, he became associated with Alfred Stevens and other exponents of the New Sculpture movement.
In JAS 1895 Tweed married and moved into 108 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London with his new wife Edith Caroline Clinton (JFM 1870-?) of Farnham. She was the daughter of William Clinton, a successful Aldershot auctioneer in 1881 employing 14 men, who had many children and in 1881 had five servants. Initially Edith was a daily governess, but later became secretary to the Women's Suffrage Society. They lived in Cheyne Walk for the rest of Tweed's life.
This bronze of "Mother and Child" is in the V&A. It probably dates from the mid 1890s as a plaster study signed by Tweed and dated '94' and is inscribed 'To Edie' as a reference to Edith. As such it is an early example of his work, which later tended to concentrate on monumental bronzes.
While studying in Paris Tweed had met Auguste Rodin and they became close friends, with Rodin always staying with the Tweeds on his trips to London. The letters of John and Edith Tweed to Rodin are in the Musee Rodin and Edith penned most of them.
In 1902 Tweed made this bronze portrait of Rodin, which is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, see www.vam.ac.uk/.../rodin/
Also in 1902 Tweed organised a banquet in London in Rodin's honour. The event took place when the cast of "Saint John the Baptist" was presented to the South Kensington Museum by a committee of subscribers.
After the presentation, the students of the Slade School of Fine Art unharnessed the horses from Rodin's carriage and pulled the carriage through the streets.
Over the years Tweed maintained his friendship and admiration for Rodin, and championed his work in Britain. He was largely responsible for negotiating the loan of Rodin's sculptures to the V&A in 1914, and shortly afterwards a gift to the museum.
This miniature portrait of Rodin standing by his famous sculpture "The Thinker" is by Frank L Nicolet (1889-?) and shown here, and is part of this collection. Although the miniature is larger than usual, the head of Rodin is the size of a normal miniature.
More about the portrait can be seen at View
On Rodin's death in 1917, it was Tweed who loyally organised a memorial service at St Margaret's, Westminster, for admirers who were not able to travel to Meudon for Rodin's funeral on account of the war.
Tweed's training was completed while working with Hamo Thornycroft on the frieze for the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Much more about Tweed's life can be found at
Mark Quinlan - Remembrance and British War Memorials - extracts ...
A selection of Tweed's work is shown here. It tended towards memorial sculptures and hence as those commemorated fade into history, Tweed's work is being forgotten and now rarely comes on to the market. If he had been like Rodin and concentrated more on artistic pieces, rather than memorials, it seems likely he would be better known today.
His work includes a sculpture of Lady Londonderry owned by the Reading Foundation for Art. Another item is a sculpture of the navigator Captain James Cook which is located in Whitby, with another version being in Victoria, Canada.
Other examples shown here include a bronze of Sir George White (1835-1912) on horseback and famous as the defender of Ladysmith in the Boer War which is in Portland Place, London.
Two World War I memorials are the Rifle Brigade Memorial Grosvenor Place near Victoria Station, London and the Kings Royal Rifle Corps Memorial which stands outside Winchester cathedral.
There is a statue in Newcastle to Joseph Cowan (1829-1900) a local notable.
Additional works by John Tweed, but not shown here include; the Peers War Memorial in The House of Lords, the Monument to Lord Clive in King Charles Street, London - see Clive by John Tweed , a reredos in Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Street, London, and a bust of Chamberlain in Westminster Abbey. Also Van Riebeck for Cape Town and Cecil Rhodes for Bulawayo. Other sculptures included Queen Victoria and Benjamin Disraeli.
A major work by Tweed is in St Paul's Cathedral. It is part of a memorial inside St Paul’s Cathedral London dedicated to the Duke of Wellington.
The concept of the monument was the work of Alfred Stevens, who also, between 1858 and 1875, carried out much of the work, but left it uncompleted at his death. The monument stood originally in what is now the Chapel of St Michael and St George. It was moved to its present site in 1906.
Above the arch is a large block in the shape of a chest, which serves as the plinth for an equestrian statue, realised by John Tweed from studies by Stevens, and made between 1899 and 1911.
For more about the memorial see www.explore-stpauls.net/
There was much controversy about whether Tweed should complete the memorial which had been commenced in 1857 based upon Stevens design and was uncompleted at his death in 1875. GBP14,000 had been voted to pay for the memorial, but it was not enough and Stevens used his own money to help pay for it until his death. In February 1903 the New York Times reported that the Daily Telegraph and other newspapers questioned Tweed's ability to complete the bronze, although at the same time the Scottish newspapers defended Tweed.
NYT observed that the Government would pay the GBP2000 needed for completion, and somewhat optimistically stated, "in view of the controversy it is likely there will be little further delay in completing the statue", see WELLINGTON'S MONUMENT; Proposed Completion of the Work in St ...
However, this view was optimistic and it took Tweed until 1911, another eight years to complete the memorial. 1307
Saturday
Darney, Lilian Dalzell - portrait of Elizabeth Henrietta Darney
This miniature portrait is signed and dated 1895 by Lilian Dalzell Darney (1872-1966) who was active from 1891-1895. In the 1901 census, she is recorded as living with her brother-in-law in Ordsall, Notts, England.
As shown below, the sitter is described on the reverse as Queenie Darney and she has been identified with the assistance of kind visitors as Lilian's younger sister, Elizabeth Henrietta Darney (31 Oct 1881-1974), for which I am very grateful.
The visitor has also sent me a copy of a sketch in Lilian Darney's sketchbook which is the basis for this miniature of Queenie.
The frame is made from copper, which is fairly unusual, but is a sign of the arts and crafts movement which was an important influence around the end of the 19C. According to the "Dictionary of British Artists 1880-1940", Lilian exhibited as follows: Colinton, Edinburgh 1894, Witney, Oxon 1909, Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts (twice), Royal Academy (three times) and the Royal Scottish Academy (six times).
Interestingly, the miniature is dated 1895, but Lilian's sketchbook dates the portrait at 1891. It seems the miniature was painted several years later than the initial sketch, perhaps when Lilian felt more confident of her own painting ability. 813
"Lilian Dalzell Darney and Queenie (Elizabeth Henrietta) Darney were sisters, and were my great-aunts. Lilian lived from 1872 to 1966; Queenie from 1883 to 1974. They had two other sisters (only one of whom married), and one brother (my grandfather, John Darney)."
"Lilian's sisters were nurses -- one of them became the matron of an insane asylum in Edinburgh that is now a historical site due to the fact that Mary Queen of Scots visited one of her "Mary's" there.
"Lilian's miniatures were shown at the Royal Academy, London, in Glasgow, and possibly in Liverpool (although it might have Manchester or Sheffield). She also painted watercolours, of which I own several dated from 1902 to 1912, which were not shown as far as I know."
"I also have many original sketches of her miniatures. My sister has a few finished miniatures, one of our dad at a young age, and one that is of an ancestor of ours, one of the investors who started up "The Scotsman". This was Alexander Dalzell Abernethy (1777-1853), whom she must have copied from an earlier painting. Lilian painted another copy of that and gave it to The Scotsman in 1962 in honour of their 150th anniversary."
"When we were kids in the 1950's "The Aunts" sent us a Xmas parcel each year filled with second-hand books, stamps for our stamp collections, bits of tapestry made into all sorts of useful items (needle cases come to mind), and one time a pair of 19th C women's boots that required a boot-hook tool to do them up. Our feet didn't fit in and I have no idea whatever happened to them."
"Queenie has a great resemblance to many of my nieces, and to my own daughters. When our kids are young, they all seem to have a very strong Darney "look" about them. Nice to see that it went back that far."
Sunday
Ellis, Rose Annie - portrait of a young lady
This large miniature portrait is unsigned on the front, but the backing paper is signed "Rose Ellis - Clifton Green, York".
The miniature is quite large at 125 mm x 100 mm. The signature is probably for Rose Annie Ellis (Mar 1883-?) who is unrecorded as a miniature painter, but was obviously an accomplished artist.
It seems she is almost certainly the Rose Ellis aged 18, recorded in the 1901 census living at "The Limes, Clifton,York" with her parents; Fred and Elizabeth Ellis, where Fred Ellis was a horse dealer, apparently owning livery stables.
In 1901 he would still have been a busy man supplying horses to his clients, but must have had little inkling of how his world would turn upside down with the introduction of the motor car.
The sitter is unknown. 336
Friday
Chisholm, Annie - portrait of Mrs Alexander Hall
This miniature is signed inside the case as shown, "Miss A Chisholm, 105 Southwood Lane, Highgate - "Mrs Alexander Hall" ". Foskett records little about her, other than that a Miss Annie Chishom exhibited at the RA and NWCS between 1890 and 1903.
A search has been made for her in the census records. It seems most likely she is the Anne Chisholm (Annie Chisholm) (March 1842-?) recorded in both the 1881 and 1891 census living in Yerburg Rd, Islington, London with her spinster sister Emily J Chisholm (1834-?) and a servant.
Annie was born in Edmonton, Middlesex and in 1881 gave her occupation as "Artist - Painting & etc." and in 1891 as "artist - drawing and painting".
Despite the Highgate address shown on the reverse of the miniature, Ann Chisholm has not yet been located in the 1901 census.
The sitter is obviously a Mrs Alexander Hall, and the miniature possibly painted around 1910, but nothing more of her is known for certain. However, in 1901 an Alexander J Hall (1869-?), a solicitor born in Highgate was living with his widowed mother, sister and two servants. Thus he would have been the right social background to have a miniature painted of his wife. Highgate is the address given here for Annie Chisholm. Also an Alexander J Hall married Hannah French in Dec 1913 in London, so it is just possible this sitter was Hannah French prior to her marriage and the miniature was painted to commemorate that event. 1233
Thursday
MacVicar, Elizabeth M - portrait of a bride
Portraits of brides are very uncommon. This is the only one in the collection, and is therefore a very special addition.
It was purchased along with the adjacent portrait of a young boy, believed to be her brother.
It is signed on the front "E M M 1916" and on the reverse "Elizabeth MacVicar 1916".
Elizabeth M MacVicar seems to be an unrecorded artist, but was obviously very talented.
As the portraits came from Canada and the name MacVicar seems to be more prevalent there, it is possible the artist was Canadian.
Unfortunately, the sitter is unknown. 1236
MacVicar, Elizabeth M - portrait of a boy
This miniature of a young boy was acquired together with the adjacent portrait of a bride and seems most likely to be a portrait of her younger brother. Perhaps he was a page boy at her wedding.
It is signed on the reverse by Elizabeth M MacVicar 1916 and on the front "E M M 1916".
The case is marked for 9ct gold, Birmingham, and maker EMLtd, but the date letter does not seem to be that for 1916. It is a capital B and looks most like the 1850 date letter, although 1926 would seem a more likely date.
No record of the artist has yet been found, but as the pair came from Canada, it is possible the artist was Canadian. MacVicar seems to be more prevalent as a name in Canada.
The sitter is unknown. 1237
Monday
Artist TM or MT - portrait of a naval officer
This miniature is signed with a monogram
that appears to read TM 57 or MT 57, bur so far the artist has not been identified.
The sitter appears to be a British merchant navy officer, although he may be Royal Navy. He is wearing medals ribbons that look as if they are from World War II. His identity is otherwise unknown. 1210
Thursday
Crichton, Augusta Kate - portrait of Colonel Menzies
This miniature is clearly signed on the front "A K Crichton 1908" and on the reverse as Mrs Augusta Kate Crichton, Leonard Stanley, Stonehouse, Glos. Augusta is unrecorded as an artist, but by this example she was very talented.
Augusta Kate Tweddell was born in 1869 in Karachi, then in India, where her father was Major Francis Tweddell of the 10th Regiment of the Bengal Infantry and himself born in West Bengal, India in 1829. Her mother was Matilda von Dulken, who was related to Polish nobility. In 1881 Augusta had been living at "Blair Athol", Colby Road, Camberwell, London, England and she married Richard Trevor Crichton at Karachi, India 18 Oct 1891.
The sitter is Colonel O Menzies and he is wearing mayoral robes. The regalia is clearly marked ER VII for Edward VII. Colonel Oswald Menzies has been located in the 1901 census and in the Indian Army Quarterly List for 1 Jan, 1912. He was born 30 August 1837 in Capetown, South Africa. He was first commissioned 26 Aug 1854, made a colonel 26 Aug 1880 and retired 26 Aug 1884. In 1901 he was living in Ealing as a widower, with two daughters Alice and Elizabeth, together with several grandchildren and servants.
The boroughs of Acton, Ealing, and Southall merged in 1965 to form the new Borough of Ealing. New mayoral regalia were created at that time and for comparison the new chain of office can be seen at Badges and chains of office However, the new Borough of Ealing has kindly confirmed that Colonel Oswald Menzies was indeed Mayor in 1904/05. The old regalia he is wearing here is still on display at the Borough offices. 1188
Unknown - portrait of Field Marshal Sir John French
This miniature portrait is unsigned, but the sitter is Field Marshal Sir John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres (1852-1925) who was an important British military commander during World War I and Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force. He was succeeded in December 1915 by his then deputy Sir Douglas Haig. French subsequently held the position of Commander of the British Home Forces.
He was born in Ripple Vale Kent on 28 Sep 1852 and married Eleanor Anna Selby-Lowndes (1845-?) the daughter of a Buckinghamshire magistrate in 1880, she being seven years his senior. They had one son.
For more about him see Sir John French, which is part of an excellent website about the First World War at First World War.com - A multimedia history of World War One
The miniature was probably copied from another portrait, but the original has not yet been located. 773
Monday
Unknown - portrait of a man
The artist and sitter in this miniature portrait are unknown, but the portrait is, unusually, on a porcelain base. 803
Unknown - portrait of William Metcalfe
The artist of this miniature portrait is unknown, but the sitter is William Metcalfe (1830-Jun 1909) who was born in Norwich, Norfolk, as was his wife Mary (1828-?).
In the 1881 census William and Mary lived with seven children and two servants at 33 Chiswick St, Carlisle. Judging from current house price records it was a terraced house and a reasonable size, as in May 2007, 37 Chiswick St, no doubt a similar property, was sold for GBP225,000, see CHISWICK STREET CARLISLE CA1 - House Prices
In the 1891 census, he lived with his wife, Mary, and three daughters; Mary, Florence, and Constance still at 33 Cheswick St, Carlisle where he was teaching of pianoforte. He was still teaching for the 1901 census.
William Metcalfe was for 50 years lay clerk at Carlisle Cathedral and also a musical composer. He is best known for his arrangement of the popular hunting song "D'ye Ken John Peel", which commemorated the fox hunting exploits of John Peel (1776-1854).
Metcalfe first heard the song sung at a dinner in Carlisle in 1868. He was inspired by the words, but thought he could compose a more musical arrangement of the melody.
The following year, he sang his new version at a Cumberland Benevolent Society dance in London. The romantic image of Cumberland country life in the words, coupled with a catchy tune, proved an instant hit in Victorian London society. Soon, song sheet copies of John Peel were common in drawing rooms and assembly rooms across the British Empire.
The first verse and chorus are the best known:
D'ye ken John Peel with his coat so gay*?
D'ye ken John Peel at the break o' day?
D'ye ken John Peel when he's far, far a-way.
With his hounds and his horn in the morning?
Chorus
For the sound of his horn brought me from my bed,
And the cry of his hounds which he oftime led,
Peel's "View, Halloo!" could awaken the dead,
Or the fox from his lair in the morning.
*Some believe the end of this line to be 'grey', due to the colour of his coat made from local Herdwick wool. The words were written by Peel's friend John Woodcock Graves, 1795-1886, in Cumbrian dialect.
An arrangement of the tune can be heard at An arrangement of the tune For more about the song and John Peel seewww.stevebulman.f9.co.uk/
Fairfield, Anne - portrait of Arthur Player
This miniature portrait of a man is signed "Anne Fairfield, Aug 1870". With help from a fellow collector who owns three portraits painted in the early 1860's by this artist, she has now been identified as the Anne Fairfield (c 1806-1883) who was the wife of James Fairfield (ca 1804-1868). She died at Birkenhead, Liverpool in 1883, aged 87.
There are a further four portraits by Mrs Anne Fairfield painted in 1866/1867, depicted in "A Perfect Likeness" by Julie Aronson and Marjorie E Wieseman, where they comment that dated miniatures are known from 1851-1867 and say that she was in all likelihood an amateur artist. To date no other reference to her has been found in reference literature.
However, given that the number of portraits by her painted must be in double figures, and her active period can now be adjusted to 1851-1870 by the date of this portrait, it seems likely she painted many portraits and was likely to have been more than just an amateur. Certainly, this portrait is very skillfully painted.
The sitter is identified as Arthur Player and the case is marked for C Asprey, the jeweller. 166
Unknown - portrait of a soldier
Neither the artist or sitter are known, but the uniform is from around the time of the Boer War. 372
Unknown - portrait of Herbert Sotheby
This miniature portrait is unsigned and there is a second portrait inside the case. They are identified as "Lt Col Herbert George Sotheby DSO commanded 10th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders", the girl is his daughter "Lucy Elizabeth Sotheby". 323
Fairhurst, Encoh - portrait of a soldier
This miniature portrait is signed by Enoch Fairhurst (1874-1945). The soldier's label badge is inscribed "The King's Own". 333
Unknown - portrait of a soldier
This miniature portrait is unsigned and the uniform unidentified, but the frame is silver with a London hallmark. 835
Unknown - portrait of navy officer
This miniature portrait is unsigned, but would have been painted in Hong Kong or Shanghai by a Chinese artist. There is an inscription in Chinese on the reverse. The sitter is unknown. 767
Unknown - portrait of Lord Cardigan
The painter of this miniature portrait is unknown. The sitter is Lord Cardigan. 361
Burns, Lillian - portrait of a child
This miniature portrait is signed with the monogram LB and the date 1909. There is an accompanying note that says "Finely painted miniature on ivory by Lillian Burns exhibited 1910 Royal Academy". Thus it appears the portrait was exhibited in 1910. Lillian Burns is recorded as active in London 1908-1911. 35
Holroyd, John Newman - portrait of a clergyman
A helpful comment from a fellow collector who owns a portrait by this artist has now clarified the artist's name. There appeared to be two names on the front of this miniature portrait, but it is now believed there is just one which reads J Newman Holroyd R B N.
There seems to be little known about him, but his full name appears to be John Newman Holroyd. Blattel mentions him as being active around 1903-1905 in Newport, Isle of Wight. Also a portrait signed by this artist and dated 1916 was sold in 1999. Judging by the case work, this miniature would seem to have been painted around 1910.
The identity of the clergyman is unknown. 181