The V & A

Thomas Bewick

 

The Museum holds a lot of Bewick material including rare examples of his published work and correspondence,m workshop account books, etc. In June 2008 a group of membeers of the Bewick Society went to the museum by arrangement to see a selection of these materials which we list, with some explanatory notes, below:
(The first three items, asterisked, are of special, unique interest.)

 

***Bewick Correspondence and papers

Pressmarks: Special collections: 86.JJ.17; 86.JJ.18a; 86.JJ.18b; 86.JJ.18c

(We believe that MSS. MSL/1955/3265 and MSL/1955/3250 are in these volumes and do not need to be reserved separately).

 

***Bewick Weekly engraving account books

Pressmark: Special collections: 86.FF.15

(This is an ‘escape’ from the collection held in Newcastle)

 

*** Bewick History of British Birds (1821)

Pressmark: Special Collections RC.N.2. and 3

(This is the copy annotated by Thomas and Jane Bewick)

 

Descriptive and critical catalogue of works illustrated by Thomas and John Bewick (1851)

Pressmark: General collection: 323.C or G.28.F.20

(The first substantial catalogue – by John Gray Bell.)

 

A concise abridgement of natural history in five volumes [1800]

Pressmark:60.Z.281 (a-e)

Chosen partly because we don’t know this)

 

New lottery book of birds and beasts

Pressmark: 60.Z.69(a) and (b)

(One of the very early TB-illustrated books.)

 

Bewick memento

Pressmark: 29.N.8

(Robert Robinson’s elaboration of the 1884 catalogue of the ‘Bewick sale’)

 

Fables of Aesop (1823)

Pressmark: Children’s books: 60.S.143

(The 2^nd, better printed, edition of the third of Bewick’s ‘big three’.)

 

Select fables in three part (1784)

Pressmark: General collection: G.28.Y.6

(A scarce favourite.)

 

A pretty book of picture for little masters and misses (1867)

Pressmark: 60.Z

(Another early work, reprinted)  ?????

 

Goldsmith Vicar of Wakefield (1798)

Pressmark: General collection: G.28.M.4

(One of the less well known Bewick items.)

 

Kendall, The crested wren (1799)

Pressmark: 60.Z.356

(Even more so – we don’t know this at all!)

 

Dovaston, Some account of the life, genius, and personal habits of the late Thomas Bewick

Pressmark: Special collections: 86.FF.23

(This and Atkinson’s were the two earliest substantial biographical accounts after Bewick’s death.)

 

Bewick Cottage tales for little people (Lumsden)

Pressmark: Children’s Books 60.T.178 (or 179,180)

(A representative of the many little-known children’s books in the V&A Bewick catalogue.)

 

Bewick General history of quadrupeds (1790)

Pressmark: General collection G.28.E.3.

(The first edition – selected for those who don’t know it.)

 

Watts, Divine Songs (ca. 1815)

Pressmark: Children’s Books 60.T.87

(Another from the children’s collection – we don’t know it.)

 

Hargrove, History of the castle, town and forest of Knaresborough ...

Pressmark: General Collection 257.D

(Another less well-known item.)

 

Bewick, A new invented hornbook (ca.1771)

Pressmark: Children’s  Books 60.Z.496

(A rare and early Bewick item.)

 

Charnley, E. Memoir of Bewick: with a descriptive catalogue …  (1830) in Newcastle reprints 6. Biography II

Pressmark: Forster 8vo 6435

(We don’t know this and feel we should – it may be awful, or not.)

 

Mother Bunch’s fairy tales (1814)

Pressmark: Children’s books: 60.T.184 or 185

(Another little known ‘Bewick’ children’s book, one of several in the V&A collection issued in Glasgow.)

 

 

From Prints and Drawings

 

****Wood engraving tools used by Thomas Bewick

Pressmark: E.759-832-1940 (Rm207?) difficult to read on the catalogue.

 

57 proofs on India paper

Pressmark: EW.56  (29414.1-19; 30-54)

 

A Lion (proof on paper)

Pressmark: EW.56 (19439)

 

Vignettes by Thomas Bewick. Volume containing 300 tailpieces and vignettes from Birds and Quadrupeds

Pressmark: 95.C.37 (E.969-1274-1896)

 

Wild Bull of the ancient Caledonian breed

Pressmark: EW 56 (19437, 19436, 23539)

 

Solitude by Zimmerman

Pressmark: EW.56

 

£1 note of the Northumberland Bank

Pressmark: N.4.B (E.3839-1953)

 

The Turf Hotel

Pressmark: EW.56 (E.2791.-953)

 

 

 

The British Library

The British Library, St Pancras, 96 Euston Road, London
NW1 2DB

 

Also at:

The British Library, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire
LS23 7BQ

 

Website: www.bl.uk

 

The vast website of the British Library contains about four hundred search entries under the name ‘Thomas Bewick’. These are spread across a number of locations on the website and searchers need patience, ingenuity and imagination to navigate this huge archive satisfactorily. The St Pancras and Boston Spa sites are the two principal locations for printed materials.