The Illustrated Catalogue Of The Valuable Collection Of Pictures, And Other Works Of Art Of The Egyptian, Greek, Roman, And Mediæval Periods; Also, A Choice Collection Of Coins, And Medals, Of that eminent Connoisseur, John Watkins Brett, Esq., Of Hanover Square, Deceased: Which Will be Sold by Auction, by Messrs. Christie, Manson & Woods, At Their Great Rooms, 8, King Street, St. James's Square, On Tuesday, April 5, 1864, And Nine following Days; On Monday, April 18, 1864, At One O'Clock Precisely. - May be viewed Friday, Saturday, and Monday preceding, and Catalogues had, at Messrs. Christie, Manson and Wood's Offices, 8, King Street, St. James's Square, S.W. Price Five Shillings.
[T.p.] - Conditions Of Sale - Catalogue [with plates] - [Colophon].
Responsibility Note
The printer is named in the colophon: 'London: Printed by W. Clowes and Sons, 14, Charing Cross'.
Summary Note
The catalogue lists 2051 items. The sale raised ca. £14,500. The plates are mounted albumen photographs by Stephen Ayling (see Anthony Hamber, A higher branch of the art, Amsterdam 1996, p. 249). This is the earliest known instance of the use of photographs to illustrate a sale catalogue.
Provenance
With the front free-endpaper inscribed in ink, 'Presented to John Marshall Esqre. by Jacob Brett'. Presented to the Royal Academy's Library by John Marshall in 1884 (see RA Annual Report for 1884, p. 58).
Binding Note
19th-century green cloth-covered boards, upper cover decorated in gilt, lower in blind, upper cover llettered 'Catalogue Of The Brett Collection 1864.'; spine lettered 'Catalogue Of The The Brett Collection'.
Paintings - Works of art - Antiquities - Coins - Medals - History
Collections - Auctions - Great Britian - 19th century
Sales catalogues - Auction catalogues - Great Britain - London - 19th century
Pictorial works - Photographs - Photomechanical prints - Great Britain - 19th century