1808 Antique Aquatint; Great Subscription Room at Brooks's

Description: On offer: an original (i.e. not a later reproduction) sought after and scarce antique print "Great Subscription Room at Brooks's, St James's Street.", London. Offered with original colour. A view of the Great Subscription Room at Brooks's gentlemen's club in St James's Street, London. DATE PRINTED: 1808 (dated on print) SIZE: The printed area including titles is approximately 26.5 x 22.5 cm, 10.5 x 8.75 inches (medium) plus margins. ARTIST/CARTOGRAPHER/ENGRAVER: Aquatinted plate drawn by Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827), the renown British caricature artist responsible for the figures, and August Charles Pugin (1762-1832), a French artist and draughtsman, who drew the architectural details. Aquatint by Joseph Constantine Stadler (active 1780-1812). PROVENANCE: An original engraved illustration from the 'Microcosm of London'. This work, issued in three volumes, was written by William Henry Pyne, with Published by Rudolph Ackermann (1764-1834), one of the most important figures in the history of colour plate books. His attention to detail, eye for art, and ability to coordinate the necessary authors, artists, engravers, printers, binders, and booksellers led to a huge body of work of extraordinary quality. This series of prints of London in Regency England including both exterior architectural views and interior studies. The entire series was issued over a 26-month period and comprises over 100 scenes of London city life. TYPE: Early colour aquatint printed on paper. VERSO: There is nothing printed on the reverse side, which is blank. CONDITION: Good, suitable for framing. Please check the scan for any blemishes prior to making your purchase. Virtually all antiquarian maps and prints are subject to some normal aging due to use and time which is not significant unless otherwise stated. I offer a no questions asked return policy. AUTHENTICITY: This is an authentic antique print, published at the date stated above. I do not offer reproductions. It is not a modern copy. The term 'original' when applied to a print means that it was printed at the first or original date of publication; it does not imply that the item is unique. RETURNS POLICY: I offer a no questions returns policy. All I ask is that you pay return shipping and mail back to me in original condition. POSTAGE / SHIPPING COSTS: I only charge postage for the first print ordered. There is no additional postage charge if you order more than one print. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Brooks's is a gentlemen's club in St James's Street, London. It is one of the oldest and most exclusive gentlemen's clubs in London. In January 1762, a private society was established at 50 Pall Mall by Messrs. Boothby and James in response to having been blackballed for membership of White's. This society then split to form the predecessors of both Brooks's and Boodle's. The club that was to become Brooks's was founded in March 1764 by twenty-seven prominent Whig nobles including the Duke of Portland, the Duke of Roxburghe, Lord Crewe and Lord Strathmore. Charles James Fox was elected as a member the following year at the age of sixteen. The club premises at 49 Pall Mall was a former tavern owned by William Almack as was the neighbouring 50 Pall Mall where the society had previously met and so the club become simply known as Almack's. These fashionable young men, known as Macaronis, would frequent the premises for the purposes of wining, dining and gambling. In September 1777 William Brooks, a wine merchant and money lender who acted as Master, or manager, for Almack's, commissioned Henry Holland to design and construct a purpose-built clubhouse at a site on neighbouring St James's Street. Paid for at Brooks's own expense, the building was completed in October 1778 and all existing members of Almack's were invited to join. Brooks's gamble paid off as all existing members swiftly moved into the new building and the club then took on Brooks's name as its own. Brooks himself however would not live long to enjoy this success, dying in poverty in 1782. The new clubhouse was built of yellow brick and Portland stone in a Palladian style similar to Holland's early country houses. The main suite of rooms on the first floor consisted of the Great Subscription Room, Small Drawing Room and the Card Room. The interiors are in neoclassical style, the Great Subscription Room having a segmental barrel vault ceiling. The interior of the building remained fairly unchanged until 1889 when neighbouring 2 Park Place, which had been purchased a few years before, was converted and adapted as part of Brooks's. Please explore my ebay shop for more antique prints. Track Page Views With Auctiva's FREE Counter

Price: 150 GBP

Location: Marlow

End Time: 2024-12-04T18:19:20.000Z

Shipping Cost: 19.66 GBP