20C British Miniature Portraits

Rosher, Grace - portrait of Edward VIII

2011-09-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

Although there are many photographic portraits of Edward VIII, especially as Prince of Wales, painted miniature portraits of him are believed to be very uncommon. He succeeded his father George V and abdicated in favour of his brother George VI.

It is coincidental that the miniature was acquired for this collection just at the time Madonna released a new movie W.E (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia based upon the romance between Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.

The film features Andrea Riseborough as Wallis Simpson and James D’Arcy as Edward. Bafta winner James Fox plays King George V, Natalie Dormer is the young Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon while Laurence Fox plays Bertie, Edward’s younger brother and the future King George VI.

This miniature was painted by Grace Rosher (?-1980) and is signed "GR 1919". The vendor commented;
This is a miniature painted by my great aunt Grace Rosher, who exhibited some of her work at the Royal Academy, London possibly from early 1920's-1960s. [showing here is Mrs Edward Compton, née Virginia Frances Bateman (1853–1940) by Grace Rosher, Victoria and Albert Museum, painted in 1935.] She wrote two books, 'Beyond the Horizon' and 'The Travellers Return' both were published in the 1960s. You can also see a larger painting by my great aunt Grace in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

The miniature is dated 1919, and signed GR. I believe it is painted on parchment, I don't think it is ivory, and from what I can see it is painted in oils. This was my great aunts usual medium, and there is a slight sheen to the painting. Measures 2 1/2 inches x 2 inches.

She was a great royalist, and whilst Prince Edward VIII was making a public appearance, she approached him to show the Prince this miniature she had been working on. He was apparently impressed, and with my great aunt being rather bold asked if he would sign the back, which he was happy to do for her.

The address of Blomfield Road is where my great aunt resided at that time. The miniature is in excellent condition.

The vendor was a little mistaken, as the miniature is on ivory and is painted in watercolour, not oil.

Apart from being an interesting addition to the collection, I had a personal reason for seeking to acquire the portrait.

Three generations of my ancestors worked at HM Stationery Office over a period of 100 years. I understand that a Grampy Green was the first and was the caretaker at HMSO for many years. My great-grandfather lived in a poorhouse, (about the time of Oliver Twist!) as his parents died when he was very young. I also understand he attended the Blue Coat charity school whose students wore blue coats and yellow stockings as showing here. Grampy Green then arranged employment for him at HMSO and over his career he rose to be Chief Inspector of Waste (the auditor of paper and ink waste!).

His son was my grandfather who also worked for HMSO and, in 1936, was required to go secretly from HMSO to Buckingham Palace on a bicycle, to collect two copies of the signature of King Edward VIII on the day of his abdication, to be used in preparing the formal printed document of the abdication, as depicted here.

One signature was for use, and one as a spare.The spare was not needed and was kept by my grandfather for many years, but after he died, my grandmother destroyed it as she was afraid she would get into trouble!

Hence, the opportunity to acquire a miniature portrait and the signature of Edward VIII, even though as Prince of Wales, and not as King Edward VIII, was impossible to pass up.

Grace Rosher was also a noted British exponent of automatic writing. She was an artist who exhibited miniature paintings in the Royal Academy, London. Her psychic talent became manifest after the loss of her fiancé Gordon E. Burdick, whom she had known for many years. In June 1956, he was serving in the Canadian Navy, stationed at Vancouver, and intended to come to London to marry Rosher. A week before sailing, he died.

Fifteen months later, Grace Rosher had written a letter concerning an aunt and was wondering if she had time to write another letter before tea-time when she had a strong urge to keep her hand on the writing pad. The pen began to move without her conscious volition, and she discovered to her astonishment that it had written a letter in the handwriting of her dead fiancé.

In the course of time, many other such automatic letters followed, stating that this phenomenon would be the means of bringing other people to realize that life continues after death.

Grace Rosher was not a Spiritualist, and sought guidance from the Rev. G. Maurice Elliot, then secretary of the Churches' Fellowshipof Psychic and Spiritual Studies. Elliot enlisted the aid of handwriting expert F. T. Hilliger who studied the automatic scripts and compared them to the handwriting of Burdick when alive.

Although initially skeptical, Hilliger reported that the automatic scripts bore a close resemblance to the genuine writing of Burdick in a large number of different ways, and were so consistent that "the writing reproduced by Grace Rosher was, if it were humanly possible, genuinely inspired by the personality of Gordon E. Burdick."

Rosher subsequently produced many other scripts, including messages from her mother, father, and three sisters, and a relative who had died in 1752.

On one occasion, she produced a communication claimed to be from the famous scientist Sir William Crookes, in handwriting remarkably similar to that of Crookes in his lifetime. For more see: http://www.answers.com/topic/grace-rosher#ixzz1WvkLTBao

The miniature of Edward dates to about the time of his August to November 1919 visit to Canada, as depicted in this cigarette card, where the number of medal ribbons he is wearing appears to be similar.

As this collection of miniature portraits grows, in terms of the range of identified sitters, there are increasing numbers of cross links.

For example appearing here are miniature portraits of some of the Prince of Wales distant cousins from the German and Russian royal families, who were on opposing sides during World War I, despite knowing each other very well.

Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany (View) and Grand Duchesses Olga and Tatiana of Russia (View).

All four cousins were descended from Queen Victoria and it is to be regretted that what was effectively a falling out between the various branches of the families descended from Queen Victoria led to millions of deaths during World War I.

A lot more could be written about the lives of both Edward VIII and Grace Rosher, and may be added here later. 1442

Artist "B H" - portrait of Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer

2011-03-11T13:32:00.000-08:00

Added to the collection is a fine miniature portrait (110mm x 80mm) by an artist only identified as "B. H." The sitter was unidentified when purchased, but by interpretation of his medals and decorations, his identity has become clear as being Field Marshal Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer, 1st Viscount Plumer, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE (13 March 1857 – 16 July 1932), a British colonial official and soldier born in Torquay who commanded the British Second Army in World War I and later served as High Commissioner of the British Mandate for Palestine.

Confirmation of his identity has been kindly confirmed by members of www.westernfrontassociation.com/ who also advise there is a statue of him at one of the barracks in Plymouth in Devon. The location of his birthplace in Torquay is currently unclear. The portrait can also be compared to two other portraits of Plumer.

Plumer married Annie Constance Goss, daughter of George Goss, on 22 July 1884. They had three daughters and a son, Thomas, who inherited the peerage, but as the 2nd Viscount Plumer had two daughters and no son, the title became extinct on his death in 1944.

Educated at Eton. Herbert Plumer was commissioned into the York and Lancaster Regiment in 1876. From 1879 to 1886, an unusually long period, he was Adjutant of his battalion, and in that capacity accompanied it to the Soudan in 1884 in the expedition under Sir Gerald Graham. Captain Plumer was present at the battles of El Teb and Tamai, and was mentioned in Despatches. In 1887 he passed through the Staff College, and from 1890 to 1893 was Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-General in Jersey.

In 1896 he served in the operations in South Africa under Sir Frederick Carrington, when he organized and commanded a corps of Mounted Rifles, subsequently obtaining another mention in Despatches and a brevet Lieutenant-Colonelcy. Colonel Plumer's experiences in this arduous campaign are described in a very interesting manner in his book "With an Irregular Corps in Matabeleland."

After service in South Africa he was appointed Commander of the 4th Brigade within I Army Corps in 1902 before moving on to be General Officer Commanding 10th Division within IV Army Corps in 1903. In 1904 he became Quartermaster-General to the Forces and in 1906 he became GOC 5th Division within Irish Command. Then in 1911 he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Northern Command.

As a senior officer in the British Army Plumer would have known well two other Field Marshalls in the British Army who are represented by miniature portraits on ivory in this collection.

The first of these is an unsigned, but the sitter wearing a red jacket 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. View

Although another miniature portrait on ivory is also unsigned and not of high artistic quality, the identity of the sitter makes it an interesting portrait. The sitter wearing a blue jacket is Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC (24 Jun 1850-5 Jun 1916). View

Later in the war, Plumer was sought by Lloyd George for the position of Chief of the Imperial General Staff as a replacement for William Robertson. Plumer declined the position and leaving no private papers and never having expressed a recorded opinion of the conduct of the war, the lengthy debate over the Generalship in World War I largely passed him by.

He became Commander of the British Army of the Rhine in 1918, Governor of Malta in 1919 and then High Commissioner of the British Mandate for Palestine in 1925 and resisted Arab pressure to reverse commitments made by the British in the Balfour Declaration. His three-year term as High Commissioner is generally noted as the calmest period during the British Mandate. He was replaced by Sir John Chancellor in 1928. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.

He had served in the Second Army in Flanders during World War I, during which he won an overwhelming victory over the German Army at the Battle of Messines in 1917, started with what was described as the loudest explosion in human history, created by the simultaneous explosion of 19 mines by the Royal Engineer tunneling companies. He reportedly said that before the battle commenced; 'Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography.'

Plumer is generally regarded as one of the finest army commanders serving in France during World War I. Like the majority of generals on the Western Front he was from an infantry, as opposed to a cavalry background and deprecated the insistence on the value of the "breakthrough" and the effectiveness of cavalry to exploit the opening and reach the open country beyond the front line. 773, 1405

Unknown - portrait of Fanny Goschen

2008-12-16T15:54:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, this miniature is unsigned, but the sitter is clearly identified on the reverse as "Fanny Goschen - sister of Charles Hermann Goschen".

The Goschen family was a very wealthy British family in the late 19C and early 20C. They were prominent in banking, politics, and diplomacy,

Two ladies named Fanny Goschen have been located. Fanny Eliza Goschen (26 Aug 1843 - JFM 1869) at Saint John, Eltham, Kent, England. She was the daughter of William Henry Goschen (3 Jul Jan 1793 - 28 Jul 1866) and Henrietta Ohmann (c1805 - 14 Mar 1895).

The second Fanny was her niece, Fanny Evelyn Goschen born in 1875 at Hawkhurst, Kent. It seems that Fanny junior was therefore named for her aunt who had died seven years earlier.

The choice between the two is not as clear cut as might be expected, as there were two men named Charles Hermann Goschen. The first born in 1839 and brother to Fanny Eliza.

The second Charles Hermann Goschen was born in June 1867, but seems to have been a cousin of Fanny Evelyn.

Women's hair styles were also sometimes similar in the 1860's and around 1900, so that is not a clear guide either.

After considering the various clues, Fanny Eliza seems more likely and if so her apparent age in the miniature means it dates from around her death in 1869.

But then again, given the colour palette, which is later than 1869, and more from the 20C, it seems likely that the family must have arranged for a miniature portrait to be painted around 1910, as a copy from a photograph. Quite likely from a photograph which was deteriorating in condition.

The reference to Charles Hermann Goschen, rather than his more famous brother, Viscount George Goschen (1831-1907) was puzzling at first. After considering this for a while, a possible reason emerged. Viscount Goschen died in 1907 and Charles in 1915. Thus, if the supposition that the miniature was painted in the 20C, and were painted, say in 1912, it would be logical to refer to a surviving brother, rather than a deceased brother.

Another complication in being certain as to which Fanny is the sitter, is that some branches of the Goschen family lived outside Britain for various periods and so are difficult to trace through BMD and census records.

Although unsigned, the miniature is by one of the best British artists of the Edwardian era as the artistic quality is so high, as can be seen in the close up images.

Fanny was one of a large family of five girls and five boys, including Charles Hermann Goschen (21 Jan 1839 - 22 Mar 1915), the third boy who became a Director of the Bank of England. The eldest boy George Joachim Goschen (10 Aug 1831 - 7 Feb 1907) became 1st Viscount Goschen and was a well known politician, as Member of Parliament, Vice-President of the Board of Trade, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, President of the Poor Law Board, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and First Lord of the Admiralty.

The youngest son, William Edward Goschen (18 July 1847 - 20 May 1924) was also created a Baronet.

He held various political posts and was the British Ambassador to Germany at the outbreak of World War I. He noted in his diary playing violin duets with the Crown Prince of Germany in 1910.

(Coincidentally, a miniature of the Crown Prince has just been added to this collection, seen here, but also seen with more detail at Artist "J T A" - portrait of Crown Prince Willhelm of Germany

Thus Fanny had three famous brothers.

Being such a well known politician, the eldest, Viscount George Joachim Goschen featured in the news and cartoons of the day. Here is a selection of them.

Charles Hermann Goschen, the brother mentioned on the reverse of the miniature was also prominent. In 1872, Charles Hermann Goschen, then Lord Lieutenant of the City of London, purchased the Ballards estate near Coombe, Croydon and built a new mansion, demolishing the old building. In the 1920s, the estate was donated to the trustees of the Warehousemen, Drapers, and Haberdashers Company, as a school.

The new school, built to the side of the mansion, was designed by Sir Aston Webb, architect of Imperial College. The school is now known as Royal Russell School.

Heathfield House was also bought by Goschen in 1872, who rebuilt the former farmhouse and leased it to his brother Henry, one of the last serving members of the East India Company. In 1927 Raymond Riesco bought the property, creating banks of rhododendrons and a walled garden. Riesco arranged for the house, gardens and farmland to be bought by Croydon Council upon his death and donated his collection of oriental ceramics. The house is now the Council's training centre, with the gardens open to the public. The farm is still cultivated, with part used as horse pasture and the Monks Hill estate built on the eastern end. 1362

Bryant, M - portrait of a lady

2008-11-20T14:09:00.000-08:00

This miniature is by an apparently unrecorded British artist named M Bryant who must have been an accomplished amateur.

However, M Bryant does display considerable talent, as can be seen in the close up image. The lace-work on the dress is also well painted.

The miniature is dated on the reverse of the black ebonised frame "March 1908" and so is useful for dating both the artist and the clothing.

The miniature appears to be signed at the lower left "M Bryant", although it is possible that it may read differently.

Sight size is 80mm x 60mm.

Unfortunately the sitter who is wearing a blue dress and a gold locket on a chain is unidentified. 1347

Helzel, Adolf - portrait of Prince Ernst August, Duke of Cumberland

2008-04-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

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

Mist, H - portrait of a lady

2008-03-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

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 (Ovenden?) 1905" but that place reading may be incorrect. Thus any visitor opinions of the artist's correct name and location would be welcome.

Subsequently, a kind visitor has suggested "Dresden" as an alternative interpretation of "Overden". Dresden is a German city where there were many expert miniature painters who also painted on porcelain.

Any biographical information on the artist would be welcome, 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 the Birmingham mark suggests the artist was not from London.

However, it is a little surprising that the frame is several years earlier than the portrait.

This could perhaps be explained by a Birmingham frame being exported to Germany, and later used by an artist based in Dresden.

It is very competently painted and does not appear to be on a photographic base.

Unknown - portrait of Prince George, Duke of Cambridge

2008-03-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

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

Unknown - portrait of Lord Kitchener

2008-03-04T22:52:00.000-08:00

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

Unknown - portrait of Helen Muriel Forshaw

2008-02-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

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

Clark, John Stewart - portrait of John Tweed

2008-01-29T18:52:00.000-08:00

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/other_rodin/index.html

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/oct03/textMM/Wellingt...

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

Important discovery - Later - A kind private collector has forwarded me images of a bust owned by the collector which was sculpted by John Tweed. The bust is inscribed; "" To Mon Ami Docteur Jamerson [sic]" Paris 97 John Tweed ". Despite the spelling, this appears to relate to Dr Leander Starr Jameson and so this an important bust in the history of South Africa. More about Jameson can be seen at Dr Leander Starr Jameson

Darney, Lilian Dalzell - portrait of Elizabeth Henrietta Darney

2007-12-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

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."

Ellis, Rose Annie - portrait of a young lady

2007-10-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

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

Chisholm, Annie - portrait of Mrs Alexander Hall

2007-05-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

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

MacVicar, Elizabeth M - portrait of a bride

2007-05-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

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

Artist TM or MT - portrait of a naval officer

2007-04-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

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

Crichton, Augusta Kate - portrait of Colonel Menzies

2006-12-14T21:43:00.000-08:00

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

2006-07-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

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

Unknown - portrait of a man

2006-05-01T23:27:00.000-07:00

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

2006-05-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

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 grey*?
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, others say "gay". 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/cumbria/john_peel_f.html and also Images Of Cumbria - John Peel 981

More recently, I have been informed by a kind descendent of William Metcalfe that the first line of John Peel correctly reads "grey". Apparently the descendant's mother used to say "Grey, grey, you idiots!" whenever she saw or heard a reference to "gay".

The same kind descendant also tells me; "William Metcalfe died in 1909, survived by
his wife, two sons and seven daughters. Also a brief comment which comes from a short chapter on Metcalfe in Round Carlisle Cross, by James Walter Brown, Charles Thurnam and Sons 1951.

"He was fond of Purcell and came from a line of pupil/teachers going back to Purcell himself. James Walter Brown describes Metcalfe as being rarely equalled as a Cathedral singer, but since he lived next door to Metcalfe, at 35 Chiswick Street, he may have been a little biased!"

Fairfield, Anne - portrait of Arthur Player

2006-05-01T22:23:00.000-07:00

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 girl

2006-05-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

Artist and sitter are unknown. 388

Unknown - portrait of a soldier

2006-05-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

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

2006-05-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

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

Unknown - portrait of a soldier

2006-05-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

The artist and sitter are unknown. 962

Fairhurst, Enoch - portrait of a soldier

2006-05-01T16:48:00.000-07:00

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

2006-05-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is unsigned and the uniform unidentified, but the frame is silver with a London hallmark. 835

Unknown - portrait of navy officer

2006-05-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

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 a soldier

2006-05-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

The artist and sitter are unknown. 592

Unknown - portrait of Lord Cardigan

2006-05-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

The painter of this miniature portrait is unknown. The sitter is Lord Cardigan. 361

Burns, Lillian - portrait of a child

2006-05-01T00:24:00.000-07:00

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

2006-05-01T00:17:00.000-07:00

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

Taylor, M S - portrait of Florence Kinkelin

2006-05-01T00:11:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed on the reverse M S Taylor, but the artist does not seem to be listed, although they must be British. The sitter is identified as "Florence Helene Euphrosyne Kinkelin 1919".

So far little has been discovered about her, except that she was born 5 Sep 1885 at Kings Norton Staffordshire and died unmarried in Mar 1986 at Stroud, Gloucestershire.

The unusual name is that of a Greek goddess, who was one of the three graces. Florence seems likely to be related, perhaps she is a grandchild, of Euphrosyne Kinkelin (1831-1912) who founded a school in Germany that still exists today. 659b

Collings, Keturah - portrait of a man

2006-05-01T00:09:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed "Keturah Collings". Keturah Collings (1862-?) was the wife of Arthur Albert Collings (1859-?).

Before her marriage her name was Keturah Anne Beedle.

Both Arthur and Keturah were miniature painters and photographers and had many notable clients, including members of royalty, such as the King and Queen of Belgium. For a comprehensive biography of them, see Arthur Albert Esme Collings and

Arthur later used the name A Esme Collings. However, neither Arthur nor Keturah are recorded in Blattel.

The sitter is unknown. 748

Kempthorne, Helen Mary - portrait of a girl

2006-05-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait of an unknown girl is signed "H M Kempthorne 1919". This is for Helen Mary Kempthorne who is recorded as active in London 1905-1913. The reflection of the sitter in a mirror is also seen. 21

E G C - portrait of a girl

2006-05-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed "E G C 1921", but the artist has not yet been identified. 39

Unknown - portrait of Edith Eden, Lady Auckland

2006-04-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is of Edith Eden, Lady Auckland (1860-1931). She was the daughter of Sir William Eden 6th Bart and Elfrida Iremonger. She married her cousin William George Eden, 4th Baron and became Baroness Auckland. She was an aunt of Sir Anthony Eden, a British Prime Minister. Auckland, New Zealand and Mt Eden an extinct volcano within the Auckland city limits are named for the family. 1094

Rinzi, Ernest - portrait of Edward VII

2006-04-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is by Ernest Rinzi (1836-1909). It is of Edward VII at the time of his coronation. The detail is amazing, especially on the coat of arms at the left. 871

Harris, Kate - portrait of Queen Alexandra

2006-04-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait of Queen Alexandra is signed "K H 05" for Kate Harris who was active in Richmond Surrey, in the early 20C and died around 1908. Although the image shown here looks like a photograph, it is in fact a painted miniature on ivory.

The image is also shown out of the frame, to try and show the quality of the painting of her diamond necklace, which almost seems to sparkle.

Queen Alexandra (1844-1925) came from Denmark and was the wife of King Edward VII. She was the mother of King George V. For more about her, see Alexandra of Denmark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 1163

A kind relation of Kate has forwarded me this extra information; "Kate (Harriett) Harris was born at Mount Pleasant, Exeter in 1874 and was still living there in 1891. In 1901 she was living in Islington and described in the census as ‘Artist in miniature portraiture’. She married my late father-in-law, Walter Charles Bruin in 1906 at Twickenham and sadly died on 24 Sept 1908. We have records of some of her miniature paintings which were probably copies of those which went to the persons who commissioned them."

Unknown - portrait of Lord Wolseley

2006-04-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

The artist of this miniature portrait is unknown. The sitter is Lord Garnet Wolseley (1833-1913), Commander in Chief of British Forces in the Boer War. For more about him see Field Marshal Viscount Garnet Wolseley 1079

Wainwright, Beatrice - portrait of Princess Elizabeth

2006-04-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is by Beatrice Roberts (nee Wainwright) who was active 1908-1940. The sitter is Princess Elizabeth who later became Queen Elizabeth II. It must have been painted in around 1935. 455

Edwards, Mabel - portrait of Duchess of Kent

2006-04-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is inscribed on the reverse "Duchess of Kent by Mabel Edwards". Mabel Edwards (1884-?) was born in London and worked in Surrey. 22

Halls, Robert - portrait of Augusta Halls

2006-04-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is inscribed on the reverse "Augusta Halls sig. Robert Halls - Exhibited Royal Academy 1905". He was active 1892-1909. The sitter is believed to be his mother. 316

Unknown - portrait of a lady

2006-04-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait appears to be signed with a monogram, but the letters cannot be made out. 244

Hughes, Rose Edith - portrait of Christopher Hughes

2006-04-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is inscribed on the reverse "Christopher Tatham Dewy Hughes - R E Hughes". Rose Edith Hughes was active around 1910. The sitter may be a grandson. 581

Kay, L S - portrait of a lady

2006-04-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait of an unknown lady appears to be signed "L S Kay", but an artist of this name has not been located. 927

Fall, T - portrait of a man

2006-04-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait of an unknown man is signed "T Fall", but the artist appears to be unrecorded. 450c

Carter, Austen - portrait of a man

2006-04-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

This miniature of an unknown man is signed on the reverse "Austen Carter. M Austen Carter is recorded as active from 1880-1911. 790

Carter, Austen - portrait of Mrs Evans

2006-04-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is inscribed on the reverse "Mrs Evans by M Austen Carter Torquay 1915" 443b

Carter, Austen - portrait of Mr Evans

2006-04-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

This miniature is inscribed on the reverse "Mr Evans by M Austen Carter at Torquay Sept 1915". 443a

Unknown - portrait of a man

2006-04-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

Neither the artist nor sitter are known. 406

Loudon, Jane - portrait of a lady

2006-04-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed indistinctly, but it appears to read "J Loudon", probably for Jane B M Loudon who was active around 1940. 31

Kidd, James - portrait of a girl

2006-04-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait of an unknown girl is signed "Jas Kid", presumably for James Kidd, but no record of the artist has been found. 389

Pannell, Lillie - portrait of a young man

2006-04-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait of a young man is signed "Lillie Pannell". She was active in London around 1909-1914. 709

Hildred, Edward V - portrait of a boy

2006-04-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait of an unknown boy is signed "E V Hildred 1925". Edward Hildred was active in London 1918-1922. 621

Brookes, Daysi - portrait of Dame Cecily Courtneidge

2006-04-30T17:45:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is by the Australian miniature painter, Daysi May Brookes (1888-?). The sitter is Dame Cecily Courneidge (1893-1980), who was an actress appearing on stage and in films. The portrait was painted in 1948. For more about her see Cicely Courtneidge 533

Riviere, Annette Louise - portrait of Nora Selina Dobell Williams

2006-04-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed "A L Riviere 1885", for Annette Louise Riviere (23 Jan 1837->1887) and active 1880-1887. She is recorded in Blattel, but not in Foskett. She was christened on 16 Feb 1837, three weeks after her birth at St Marylebone in London.

In the 1861 English census, Annette Riviere then 24, was living with her parents, William (1806-1876) an "artist of painting" and Ann (Jarvis) Riviere who had married on 21 Jun 1830. Her brother Briton Riviere (14 Aug 1840-1920) aged 20 was living in the home as well, also as an "artist of painting".

Annette came from a large family of artists, including her father, William Riviere, who was for some years drawing-master at Cheltenham College, and afterwards an art teacher at Oxford, but he also painted miniature portraits.

In the 1881 census Annette and her mother were living in St John Marylebone London and Annette gave her occupation as artist - painter. To date she has not been found in subsequent census or BMD records.

In most instances frames are not shown in this collection, but this one was an unusual and expensive item, being decorated in Chinoiserie style on a blue lacquer ground. As will be seen below, as Annette and the sitter Nora were related by marriage, as Annette's brother married Nora's sister, Mary Alice Dobell who was also a painter. Annette, therefore must have taken particular care with this miniature of Nora.

The sitter is Nora Selina Dobell Williams (Jun 1841->1924), the rear of the miniature being inscribed "Nora Selina Dobell by A T (sic) Riviere 1885, Nora Selina Williams, nee Dobell." She must therefore be the Nora Selina Dobell who married Edmund Sydney Williams on 4 Aug 1868 at Cheltenham, Gloucester.

Nora was the daughter of John Dobell (c 1798->1878) a wine merchant and his wife Julietta (nee Thompson), was the daughter of Samuel Thompson (1766-1837). Thompson was also a wine merchant and a noted London political reformer who was a leader of the Freethinking Christian set, whose principles proscribed all funeral rites and family mourning.

In 1841 and 1851 John Dobell was living in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, Gloucs. He possibly also had an interest in the Britannia and Fleece Inns in Cheltenham, see View as HTML Nora was the second youngest of at least ten children.

The Dobell family had moved from Cranbrook to Cheltenham in 1836. The earlier members of the Dobell family in Cranbrook had been linen weavers, who had descended from Flemish immigrants arriving in Cranbrook in the 16C and 17C, see Dobell, George and Charlotte Dobell, Edwin King. Henry Dobell, probably the father or brother of John Dobell, built a mill in Cranbrook in 1814 that still exists.

One of Nora's brothers was the poet Sydney Thompson Dobell (1824-1874), see Sydney Thompson Dobell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and Kings and Commoners - Google Books Result

A very kind visitor to the website has pointed out that there is a full and very interesting autobiographical account by Nora's husband at Edmund Sydney Williams 1817 - 1891 Autobiography.

This contains a number of references to his courtship of Nora and of their life together. It includes the following extract which commences in 1867 when Edmund was a 50 year old widower.

"1867
I worked hard this year; I found work a blessing to make me forget my trouble. I often went to the Craiks, they were both so sympathetic. Once, I was driving with Mr. C. from the station, when he said, "You remember the two Miss Dobells that you saw with us." "Yes". "One of them is going to be married" - " The elder, of course." - "No, the younger, and to an artist, a Mr. Riviere (*see note 1 below), and they will come and live near us here at Keston." I was surprised, for the elder, Nora, was so very much more beautiful and then I asked, who they were. I had a notion that they were of some county family in Gloucestershire; I had heard that Mrs Craik had lived with them for years, and I knew that Sydney Dobell, their brother, had been very generous to several young authors, etc. Then he told me that Mr. D. was a wine merchant at Cheltenham. Then Kate's talk about the elder one came into my mind and I thought that I might have an opportunity of seeing her again.

In Oct. I had to go down to Cheltenham to see Mr. Dobson and, having mentioned it to Mrs. Craik, she wished me to go and see the Dobells, and she would write to them. I went to Cheltenham, and on the way stopped at Cirencester to see young Arthur Berckmeyer. I went to the Plough and in the afternoon I went out to Detmore, [Charlton Kings, Cheltenham. Home of John Dobell's family. D.A.S.W.], where they were all very kind and invited me to come and stay with them.

As soon as I saw Nora again I made up my mind to try and win her, as she was so entirely all one could wish for, only I was sure that there must be some reason why she should have grown up to be 26 and not have been caught up. I remained there for a few days and then came home and had a long talk with Mrs. C., who assured me that there was no one else she cared for, or she would have been sure to have known it. I was in too great a hurry, I could not wait and wrote to her, but was very gently but very decidedly refused, and so I thought it was all over and we went on as before - but Mrs. Craik and I had many conversations about her, and Mrs. C. thought that if it could be brought about it would be a very happy thing for both of us and she told me that in the spring her brother Clarence was to be married, and that they would all come up, and Nora would come and stay with her and the sister, Mrs Riviere, who was then married and living at Keston. She wrote to her and asked whether if she came I might come and see them, and to this she consented upon the understanding that it bound her to nothing.

1868
In May 1868, Clarence Dobell was married at Hampstead to Emily Duffield, and Nora went to stay with Mrs Craik. They (the Dobells) had lodgings at Hampstead at first and there I went to see them, and one evening we all went to the Haymarket Theatre together, and I often went to Mrs. Craik's in the evenings and on Sundays and to Keston when she was there, but I could not make up my mind whether she would say Yes, and had written a letter to Mrs. Dobell saying that I feared it was of no use my coming down to Cheltenham, and mentioned to Mrs. Craik that I intended to do so, and at the last moment, when Nora was leaving by the train, she told her of it, but she said "Tell him to come and not to write", which was enough. I went to Detmore the Sunday after this and on the 24th May we were engaged, to the satisfaction of all the family except Dr. Dobell, whose wife behaved very nastily, and we have never had any further intercourse with them (note 2)."

*Note 1. This was Annette Riviere's younger brother, Briton Riviere, who married Mary Alice Dobell in Cheltenham in JAS 1867. He later became a successful painter, specialising in painting animals. In the 1881 census Briton and Mary lived in Oxford with seven children, a governess, and five other servants. For more about him, see Briton Riviere RA (1840-1920)

Note 2. The adverse reaction from Mrs Dobell, was presumably because of the age differential between Henry and Nora, which was 25 years.

In the 1881 census, Edmund Williams then 64 and Nora 39, were living in Bromley Kent. Edmund gave his occupation as publisher and foreign bookseller. Living with them was Fanny 30 from his first marriage and five children from the marriage with Nora, together with six servants.

In the 1901 cenus, Nora was living in Shottermill, Surrey as a widow of independent means, together with three daughters, Juliet N 28 an artist, Katherine C 21, and Ursula A 19 a violinist. 578

Jackson, Albert Edward - portrait of a lady

2006-04-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed Albert Edward Jackson 1910, probably for Albert Edward Jackson (1873-1952), although he is unrecorded as a miniature painter by Blattel. The sitter is unknown. 580

Later - some information has emerged about him;

The work of the English artist ALBERT EDWARD JACKSON, (1873-1952) was featured in the December 1903 issue of Connecticut Magazine, which included several of his miniatures of Hartford residents and described him as "one of the most distinguished of modern miniaturists." The London-born Jackson is also known for his illustrations for children's books.

A E (Albert Edward) Jackson had 5 children, with Peter Montague Jackson being the 5th child! He was living in Hastings, East Sussex at the time of his death and is buried in Hastings Cemetery.

Albert Edward Jackson (1873-1952). Studied at Camden Art College, London. Main illustrative works were for Alice in Wonderland, Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver's Travels, Stories from Shakespear and Water Babies (probably the finest artistically), which typically contain up to 48 colour illustrations. Prolific illustrator in many other publications with either a single colour illustration or small black and white line drawings between chapters. Most of the first editions of the large illustrative works were dated between 1910 and 1920 and contain the finest print quality. Subsequent editions significantly lose definition. He also painted fine art as Albert Jackson.

Jackson worked as a commercial illustrator from 1893 to 1947 using black and white and full colour for his numerous contibutions to children's books and annuals. Alan Horne describes his work as "neither distinguished or distinguishable from other illustrators", which at first seems a bit harsh. However, his work on the Arabian Nights is far too pretty and sentimental. Nevertheless, it must also be pointed out that the text for this edition, which is unacknowledged, has been stripped of all its original toughness and gritty humour. In this instance, therefore, text and illustrations make compatible partners and a pretty book.

One version illustrated by him was Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels ... adapted for the young ... illustrated by A.E. Jackson, London: Ernest Nister; New York: E.P. Dutton, [ca. 1910] Other examples of his book illustrations can be seen at Albert Edward Jackson - Look and Learn picture library

Blades, Daisy - portrait of a child

2006-04-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

This attractive miniature portrait of a young girl is signed "D Blades", probably for Daisy Blades (1858-1936).

Daisy Blades was miniature painter to HRH Princess Victoria. The sitter is unknown. 28

Recently, I have been forwarded by a kind visitor a lot more information about Daisy Blades, as shown in this newspaper cutting and funeral notice.

The visitor also owns several miniatures by Daisy Blades and two of them are shown here.

As can be seen from those images, she was born in Guernsey, Channel Islands, in 1858, the daughter of Colonel Joel Blades of the Royal Artillery, who was the last commanding officer in charge of the The Battery on the Bayle at Folkstone.

One miniature portrait is of him in uniform, but the other sitter is unknown.

Guernsey was where Daisy studied first and then under M Bother in Paris.

She painted a portrait of Queen Victoria which was exhibited in 1887 and also portraits of various other distinguished people.

The secret referred to was apparently a method of using black and white brushwork.

She exhibited at the Royal Academy and the New Gallery.

Her married name was Mrs Mary Jane Myers, so it appears that Daisy Blades was her nickname. She died at age 78, presumably in 1936, at Folkstone, Kent, England.

Since adding the above information, I have been contacted by another kind visitor related to Daisy Blades who has sent me the following extra information. "I am researching into my family history. Daisy's youngest sister, Constance M Blades, who was born in 1878 married Michael J Levenston 1856-1904. Michael was the first manager of the Trafalgar Theatre in London, which later became the Duke of York Theatre. The stage name of Constance was Kitty Gordon, a silent film star before the First World War. Michael and Constance had a daughter who was called Vera. The picture in the miniature of the lady could be Daisy's niece Vera dated around 1905. Daisy's real name was Mary J Blades, her father was born in Spalding, Lincolnshire in 1827, the son of a baker. He joined the army and rose through the ranks to Major and retired in 1882 with the honorary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on full pay."

Unknown - portrait of World War I officer

2006-04-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

Although neither the artist nor the sitter in this miniature portrait are known, it is a fine example from the period. It is housed in a silver gilt frame with London hall marks for 1916. 775

Easton, Reginald - portrait of Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen

2006-04-30T17:32:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is engraved on the frame in two places. Firstly "Reginald Easton - pinxit" and secondly, "Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen afterwards 2nd Lord Brabourne 1872". Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen was born in 1857 and died in 1909, thus he would have been 15 at the time of this portrait. 614

Emslie, Rosalie - portrait of a lady

2006-04-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed "R M E" for Rosalie M Emslie (1854-1932). The name of the sitter is unknown. 491a

Unknown - portrait of a lady

2006-04-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait appears to be signed with initials in red on the right hand side, but they are very indistinct. They may possibly be C H. However, the artist was very skilfull. The sitter is unknown. (There is a chip in the glass to the left.) 319

Cocks, Bertram Henry - portrait of Annie Margaret Bradley

2006-04-30T17:26:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed and dated "B H Cocks 1943", for Bertram Henry Cocks (1883-1959). In the 1891 census, he lived at 36 Howard St Reading with his parents and siblings. His father was a clerk and traveller. In 1912 Bertram married Alice E Harding.

The portrait is inscribed on the reverse "The late Miss A M Bradley, Vice president of Reading Guild of Artists". This for Annie Margaret Bradley (1863-1941). She can be found in the census records and in 1871 was living in Western Elms Ave with her parents, Robert and Eleanor Bradley, her brother and sister, and with her father appearing to be a chartered accountant for various organisations.

In 1891 Annie was a 27 year old art student living with her widowed mother at Easby House, in Western Elms Ave. Reading. She was born in Reading and seems to have lived there all her life. For the 1901 census, she was visiting her sister, Eleanor Skrimshire and her daughters in Farnborough .

The Reading Guild of Artists has very kindly provided the information below which is extracted from the 1980 book by Eric Vernon Watson. "A History of the Reading Guild of Artists 1930 - 1980" published by the RGA, ISBN 0 9507267 0 2

"Miss Bradley was Vice-President of The Reading Guild of Artists from 1939-41 and died in office. She exhibited in the first exhibition in 1930, and served continuously on the RGA Council for the first eight years of its existence. Council meetings were at that time held in her home at 31 Coley Hill, Reading. She is variously described as a sound and competent painter in both oils and watercolour. After her death, her house passed to her niece Miss E May Skrimshire, who was also an active RGA member, and committee meetings still continued there.

Mr Bertram Cocks became Publicity Officer in July 1934 and continued for many years as a prominent and active councillor. In 1934. He rarely missed a meeting, and was voted £2 as publicity officer in 1940. In the exhibition of 1940 he showed four miniatures. By 1942 four works had become the upper limit for members to submit, and "we find Bertram Cocks exhibiting his customary four miniatures." In the same year he was one of a 'hard core' who helped maintain the RGA's activities during the difficult wartime period. The 1944 exhibition included four of his miniatures. In 1947 he resigned as Councillor and Publicity Officer, but then he seems still to be Publicity Officer until February 1952. In the years 1948-51, Bertram Cocks was still showing miniatures every year without fail."

The last mention is as follows (page 113):
"...the loss ... of two very well loved founder members. Bertram Cocks, who long ago had done such sterling work as Publicity Officer and who, year after year without fail, exhibited his beautiful miniatures, was seen no more after 1959." 945

Laidman, Ida - portrait of Hon Margaret Buckmaster

2006-04-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed on the reverse by Ida Frances Laidman (1893->1960) who was active around 1910-1915. On 10 February 1923 she sailed from Southampton to New York, giving her age as 34, occupation as artist - painter, and languages spoken as English, French, and German. Her home address was with her sister Miss C M Laidman of West Wards, Normansland, Surrey. The website showing the transcription of this record suggests she was born in India, although that has not been confirmed. She appears to have never married.

The sitter is identified as Hon. Margaret Buckmaster. Margaret Anna Buckmaster (1893-1929) and born in West Hampstead, London was the daughter of Stanley Owen Buckmaster, 1st Viscount Buckmasrer (1861-1934). On 22 Dec 1921 she married Dighton Nicholas Pollock (1864-1927), a practising barrister and a junior counsel to the Treasury. They had two sons.

There are three photographic portraits of her as Hon. Margaret Anna Pollock in the National Portrait Gallery, London. These were taken at the time of her wedding.

Her father, Viscount Buckmaster, was a Liberal politician and elevated to the peerage in 1915, as Baron Buckmaster to become Lord Chancellor in 1915-1916. In 1933 he was again elevated as Viscount Buckmaster. See Stanley Buckmaster, 1st Viscount Buckmaster - Wikipedia, the free ...

His elevation seems to have been a case of bumping him upstairs, as he was a controversial person in World War I. The official government Press Bureau was established on 7 Aug 1914, but quickly became known as the Sup-press Bureau. This was because the Army had persuaded the Government that the public should not be kept informed on the progress of the War. Thus the Press Bureau's staff of six naval officers, nine military officers, and nine clerks was far more concerned with the mutilation of war news proofs submitted by the newspapers than with providing adequate war news for the nation. Then, after military reverses in 1914, Sir Stanley Buckmaster was appointed as the new Director of the Press Bureau. There were some improvements, but still two schools of "Tell the Truth" and "Hide the Truth", with Sir Stanley in the latter school.

Hints of bad news withheld by the censors began to leak out and the Government was forced to concede reforms in the Press Bureau. The "Times" described him as "one of the leading lights of the pacifist-defeatist cabal". See R.E. Escouflaire. Ireland, an Enemy of the Allies? 1920.Chapters 6-7. As a result, Sir Stanley was removed from the post and elevated to the House of Lords. For much more detail on this see War Reporters

After WWI, Lord Buckmaster was critical of the Treaty of Versailles, when in 1922 he stated: " to induce any nation, however evil and abominable they might be, to lay down their arms on one set of terms, and then, when they were defenceless, to another set, is an act of dishonour which can never be effaced."

Margaret's brother, Owen Stanley Buckmaster (1890-1974), 2nd Viscount Buckmaster was a World War II appeaser in favour of a negotiated peace with Germany. See Lobster: The Journal of Parapolitics In 1969 he wrote an autobiography titled "Roundabout". Given his involvement with appeasement, it seems quite possible he was the model for the fictional character Lord Darlington in the successful book and film about appeasement, titled "Remains of the Day". 675

Partington, Walter - portrait of a lady

2006-04-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed "Walter Partington 1897". Apart from the adjacent portrait, nothing more is known about him. The sitter is unidentified. 812b

Partington, Walter - portrait of a man

2006-04-30T17:19:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed "Walter Partington 1897". Apart from the adjacent miniature portrait, nothing more is known about him. The sitter is unidentified. 812a

Paice, Philip Stuart - portrait of his granddaughter

2006-04-30T01:28:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is inscribed on the reverse "Painted by Philip Stuart Paice, son of George Paice, myself 4 yrs, granddaughter". Apart from the adjacent portraits, Philip Stuart Paice (1884-1940) appears to be unrecorded as a miniature painter. 695

Paice, Philip Stuart - portrait of Ivy Wellesly Paice

2006-04-30T01:22:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is inscribed on the reverse "Painted by Philip Stuart Paice, son of George Paice - of Mother, Ivy Wellesley Paice, daughter of George Paice - on ivory". Apart from the adjacent portraits, the artist is unknown. 697.

Paice, Philip Stuart - portrait of a lady

2006-04-30T01:18:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is inscribed on the reverse "Painted by Philip Stuart Paice (on ivory) son of George Paice. The sitter is not identified, but it may the same person as the preceeding miniature. 696

Dale, Margaret Helen - portrait of a man

2006-04-30T01:14:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is inscribed on the reverse "Portrait of a Man after Frans Hals - Margaret Helen Dale (Miss) The Lawn, Archer's Road, Southampton (GBP)10.10.0". 902

Dale, Margaret Helen - portrait of Elizabethan lady

2006-04-30T01:09:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait has a newspaper cutting on the reverse that refers to the artist as Margaret Helen Dale. She was active in Southampton around 1910. 574

Wood, Annetta T H - portrait of a hand

2006-04-30T00:52:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed "A T H W" for Annetta T H Wood, who was active in Kingston-on-Thames around 1890. It seems certain that the artist has painted a portrait of her own left hand. 800

F K B - portrait of a lady

2006-04-30T00:45:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed "F K B", but the artist has not yet been identified. 890

Hooper, Irene - portrait of a lady

2006-04-30T00:34:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed "Hooper 04", and is thought to be by Irene Hooper who was active 1908-1911. 530

Messer, Mabel B - portrait of a man

2006-04-29T23:59:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed "Mabel B Messer", she exhibited from 1910-1940" 673

G M - portrait of Noel Fellows

2006-04-29T23:56:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed G M but the artist has not yet been identified. On the reverse it is inscribed "Noel C B Fellows, younger son of Hetty (nee Mantell (Marshall?) and Chris Fellows". 998

Unknown - portrait of a school boy

2006-04-29T23:55:00.000-07:00

Artist and sitter are unknown. 602

White, Elsie Maude - portrait of a girl

2006-04-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

Although unsigned, this miniature portrait was acquired at the same time, and is by the same artist, as the following signed one, which is by Elsie Maude White, a New Zealand artist born in 1889. 565

White, Elsie Maude - portrait of a lady

2006-04-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait of an unknown lady is signed "Elsie M White, 1941". She also painted the adjacent one of a girl, which is unsigned, but they were purchased together and are presumably mother and daughter.

A kind visitor who actually knew the artist, has forwarded me the following information about Elsie Maude White (1889->1970) and about some of her work.

"From "Who's Who in New Zealand", 1971 edition:
White, Elsie Maude, miniature artist, Christchurch New Zealand. Born Rangiora 1889, daughter of Thomas Boyd; married 1914 Robert O. White; 3 sons. Educated west Christchurch and Richmond schools; First member NZ Society of Miniaturists; exhibitor Royal Academy, London (first New Zealander to exhibit a miniature); exhibited New York Society of Miniature Painters, Christchurch, Australian Art Societies; first diploma for miniatures, New Zealand Centennial Exhibition 1940; painted miniatures of lady Newall and Queen Mother accepted by Her Majesty; also Dame Sybil Thorndyke, purchased by the Christchurch City Council for the permanent collection in MacDougal Art Gallery."

"I lived in a upstairs flat on her house as a student in 1964-5. She was still painting but still life rather than portraits. I have half a dozen minitures of birds nest, bees, a branceh of a quince tree with leaves and quinces as well as a portrait (not minature) of my wife which she painted 1970. I think that by the time I knew her her eysight was past its best." 566

Watson, Ethel M

2006-04-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait of an unknown girl is signed "E M Watson" for Ethel M Watson who was active in London around 1917-1921. 36

Champein, Amelie - portrait of a girl

2006-04-29T23:35:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait on porcelain of an unknown girl is appears to be signed "Champe". Although included with British miniatures, this may refer to the French artist Amelie Champein who was active in Paris around 1880. 1019

Figgis, Kathleen - portrait of Barbara

2006-04-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is inscribed on the reverse "Miss Kathleen E Figgis 9 Keats Grove, London NW3 - "Barbara" a portrait study". Kathleen E Figgis was active in London around 1904 - 1912. 541

Tayler, Edward - portrait of "Sweet Seventeen"

2006-04-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is signed "E Tayler 1902" for Edward Tayler (1828-1906). The sitter is unknown. 623a

Tayler, Edward - portrait of "The Golden Age"

2006-04-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait of an unknown girl is by Edward Tayler (1828-1906). 623b

Tayler, Edward - portrait of "A Nymph"

2006-04-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

This unsigned miniature portrait is by Edward Tayler (1828-1906). 623c

Tayler, Edward - portrait of a girl

2006-04-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait of an unknown girl is signed "E Tayler" for Edward Tayler (1828-1906). 623d

Tayler, Edward - portrait of a lady

2006-04-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

This unsigned miniature portrait is by Edward Tayler (1828-1906). 623e

Tayler, Edward - portrait of a girl

2006-04-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

This miniature portrait is in pastel. Although unsigned, it is by Edward Tayler (1828-1906). 623f

Comments

2006-04-15T21:39:00.001-07:00

This section is entitled British 20C, but the cut off has been made on stylistic grounds, rather than a defined date of 1900. Thus it includes miniatures from the late 19C through to around 1940.