Jupp catalogues

16 vols

Edward Basil Jupp, FSA, lawyer and antiquary, the son of the lawyer Richard Webb Jupp, was born in London in 1812. He became a partner in his father's firm and clerk of the Carpenters' Company in succession to his father in 1852. He was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and compiled a history of the Carpenters' Company in 1848. He is principally known as a collector of catalogues of English art exhibitions, which he grangerised and supplemented with related material. He published descriptive lists of his collections in 1866 and 1871. His notable collection of the work of Thomas Bewick was sold at Christies in 1878. He died at Blackheath in 1877.

The volumes consist of the pages printed catalogues of Royal Academy exhibitions, interleaved with letters, engravings and original sketches and drawings. The collection was built up from purchases in the sale rooms, gifts from friends, and in many cases, gifts from the artists themselves. Notable groups include receipts to Alderman John Boydell from contributors to the Shakespeare Gallery, five letters from Gavin Hamilton to Charles Townley about his excavations at Rome, and a group relating to the architect, William Porden and his family, including letters from John Linnel Bond.

Although many of the single items were collected purely for their signatures - a large number of letters merely list titles of paintings for forthcoming exhibitions - there are a number of letters of particular interest. For example, a letter from Joseph Bonomi to the Earl of Buchan describing James Barry's last illness (JU/4/123-4); Sir Richard Westmacott to James Elmes giving an account of his career, particularly his studies in Italy as a young man (JU/6/154-5); and a letter from Luke Clennell in 1816, perhaps hinting at the insanity which overtook him the following year [JU/10/217].

The pages of the RA exhibition catalogues for 1787-8 show numerous ms annotations identifying the subjects of portraits. They provide much information about individual portrait sitters not present in the annotations of the bound Royal Academy illustrated catalogues for these years. Further annotated catalogues: 1795, 1796 and 1797.

Presented to the Royal Academy by the Leverhulme Trustees in 1936.

The arrangement of the 1973 finding aid, which listed the items in the order which they appear in the volumes, has been retained. All purely visual, non-archival material has been omitted. As in the earlier list, the page number serves as the item reference code.

Historical Manuscript Commission National Register of Archives list, 1973.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB).