George Frederick Browning, scrapbook

Scrapbook assumed to have been assembled by George Frederick Browning, it contains letters written to Browning from clients - many of them thanking him for portraits completed or relating to commissions. The first half of the volume sees the letters arranged in the album according to sender with the name of the sender inscribed on the related pages in the volume, the second half of the volume does not have the names of senders inscribed on pages. Among those writing to Browning were: Sir Ralph Anstruther of Balkasie, Fifeshire; Elizabeth, Duchess of St Albans; Sir Hugh Hume Campbell of Marchmont; Catherine Marsh of Beckenham; The Countess of Yarborough; The Duchess of Manchester; Sir Robert Peel, 3rd Baronet; Reverend Dr Vaughan (Head master of Harrow) and the Hon. Rev. A S. Wilde, rector of Greatford, Lincolnshire. The scrapbook includes some portrait sketches and photographs of female sitters, no names are attached to these images. The front of the volume contains several inserts, including a list of correspondents to Browning; invitations to the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Academy of Arts; a notice signed by G. F. Browning of Blackfauls in 1864 regarding trespassing; and stuck onto the front page of the volume a newspaper cutting of "Lines on the death of Elizabeth Barrett Browning." The inside cover of the volume contains a drawing of a coat of arms.

George Frederick Browning was a portrait artist who exhibited 9 works at the Royal Academy between 1854 and 1873. Between 1854-1860 he was living at 14 Montagu Street; in 1871 he was living at 2 Chester Terrace, by 1872 however he was living at 5 Chilworth Terrace. Browning painted portraits of the artistocracy as well as other landed families and clergymen. From the letters contained within the scrapbook it appears that many of the portraits he undertook were of children.

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