Research Papers of David Addison

The papers include Addison's handwritten research notes, annotated articles and catalogues, and correspondence relating to collectors in Bristol and Gloucestershire from the late eighteenth to the nineteenth century.

The collection is formed from the papers of David Addison, an art historian, artist and priest, who previously worked at the Bradford City Art Gallery before becoming the Director of Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum in the 1970s.

The papers are divided into two series; one focused on the Northwick family (NGA28/1), specifically the collector and art connoisseur John Rushout, 2nd Baron Northwick [hence forth referred to as Lord Northwick] (1770-1859).

The second series, entitled: 'Papers re collectors, Bristol and Gloucestershire' (NGA28/2) relates to less prominent collectors in the area and is mainly composed of handwritten notes and photocopies of catalogues concerning specific individuals and families. These notes formed the basis of Addison’s M.Litt. Thesis: 'Picture Collecting in Bristol and Gloucestershire c1800-c1860' which was submitted to the University of Bristol in 1992.

Addison originally provided a box list with a mix of numerical and alphabetical references. This has been altered to numerical references with the prefix NGA28. Items within files remain in the order they were accessioned; however in the second series, files relating to a specific individual or family have been arranged alphabetically to aid retrieval.

Open

The most recent and complete list is held on CALM ALM.

Catalogued by Rachael Merrison, January 2014.

The papers were collected together by David Addision during the course of his research. They were donated by David Addison to the National Gallery on 16 September 2013 and were deposited in the archive on 24 October 2013.

Further accruals may be received on an ad hoc basis.