Exceedingly rare.
In 1792, Daniel Orme (1766-1837) began publishing prints and selling historical paintings in collaboration with the American, Mather Brown (1761-1831). Brown produced the paintings which Orme engraved and published. Their firm focused on military and naval subjects. Orme referred to the exhibition room and print shop on Holles Street as the British Naval and Military Gallery and continued under that name after his partnership with Brown was dissolved in 1797. Shortly thereafter, he moved premises to 118 New Bond St. The ms. annotation updating the address, plus the publication date suggests this was one of the first catalogues issued by the stand alone firm.
The pictures illustrated here are of the “Marquis Cornwallis Receiving the Hostage Princes”; “The Glorious Victory by Lord Nelson, Over the French Fleet, off the Mouth of the Nile, August 1, 1798”; “Battle of the Famars”; “Admiral Nelson’s Boarding the Spanish Ships in Lord St. Vincent’s Victory” and “Lord Duncan’s Victory over the Dutch Fleet.”
In addition to these large scenes, he published full and half-length portraits. On the verso of the title, along side the list of available images, the price list shows that customers were able to purchase proofs and coloured copies as well as black and white examples.
In 1814, he was appointed the official historical engraver to King George III.
No copy traced through OCLC.
Provenance: from the recently dispersed Newhouse estate of the Eyre-Matcham family.
