Photographs from early German engravings in the Douce Collection, Oxford
RA Collection: Book
Record number
18/928
Imprint
s.l.: s.n., n.d.
Physical Description
86 unnumbered leaves of plates: illus., ports.; 454 mm.
General Note
Francis Douce (1757-30 March 1834) was a British antiquary and museum curator. In his will he left his printed books, illuminated manuscripts, coins etc., to the Bodleian Library; in 1863, many of the prints and drawings from the enormous Douce bequest were transferred from the Bodleian Library to the Ashmolean Museum.
This volume was presented to the Royal Academy Library in 1877 by George Smith in memory of his brother, William Smith F.S.A., and this probably accounts for the presence in the volume of an engraved portrait of 'Wm Smith, Esqre F.S.A.' loosely placed at the beginning (signed by W. Carpenter 1858 in the print). According to the entry for this acquisition in A catalogue of books added to the Library of the Royal Academy of Arts London between 1877 and 1900, this work contains 542 photographs of early German engravings.
There is no letterpress text within the volume; the title is taken from the front cover of the book.
Provenance
An inscription in pencil on the Royal Academy of Arts bookplace states, 'Presented by George Smith in memory of his brother William Smith F.S.A. Ack'd 9 Jan. 1877 (CM XV, 101)'.
Binding Note
Bound in red leather with the title on the front cover in gilt lettering, 'Photographs From Early German Engravings In The Douce Collection Oxford'; the spine is lettered in gilt, 'Douce Collection Oxford'.