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Category Archives: Letters
The Society of Gentlemen at Exeter
One of Douce’s oldest friends was the writer Isaac D’Israeli (1766-1848), whose correspondence I am reading at the moment. Douce’s networks of antiquaries, artists, and fellow collectors hugely contributed to the formation and development of his collection. D’Israeli was responsible … Continue reading
A game of cards
Among Douce’s many correspondents, Richard Twiss is probably my favourite -his style is maddening, since he constantly jumps from subject to subject, but his letters are very entertaining. He bombarded Douce with numerous enquiries about all sorts of matters often … Continue reading
Posted in Games, History of printmaking, Letters
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Knavery stalks through the land
Douce’s interest in images of fools and jesters was not limited to his research for the ‘Dissertation on the Clowns and Fools of Shakspeare’, published as part of his Illustrations of Shakespeare and of ancient manners (London, 1807). Plates like … Continue reading
Posted in Fools, Letters, Satirical prints
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Modern life is rubbish
The quadrille-craze mentioned in my previous post on William Hawkes Smith’s music-sheet was also one of the subjects depicted by George and Isaac Robert Cruikshank in their illustrations to Pierce Egan’s Life in London (1821). In Egan’s social comedy, the … Continue reading
Posted in Broadsides, Letters, London, Satirical prints
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Green boughs
As it happens with his creative etymologies, Douce’s explanations of particular details taken from the images that he collected are sometimes as difficult to believe as one of Munchausen’s tales. On 1 February 1801, Douce sent the following note to … Continue reading
Posted in Baths, Everyday life, Letters
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Douce and William Godwin
You may have read the review of Pamela Clemit’s edition of William Godwin’s letters (recently published by OUP) in last month’s LRB. The reviewer, John Barrell, refers to an online resource provided by the Bodleian Library, which I have just … Continue reading
Baron Munchausen
Reading Francis Douce’s correspondence sometimes feels like playing six degrees of separation. Douce, for instance, knew Twiss, whose friend Alexander Jardine corresponded with Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, one of Goya’s patrons. Twiss’s letters are a particularly rich source of information … Continue reading
Posted in History of printmaking, Letters, Satirical prints
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Hungry caterpillars
Since 1788, Francis Douce kept a lively correspondence with the travel writer Richard Twiss (1747-1821). A typical letter from Twiss, as Douce explained to his friend George Cumberland years later, would be like ‘an omnibus on twenty or more subjects’, … Continue reading
Posted in Collections and Collectors, Letters, Natural history
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Douce on holiday
Francis Douce was a man of habit. For many years he spent his summer holiday in Box Hill, near Dorking, enjoying what he called ‘the paradise of England’. But in 1795, he was advised to travel to Ramsgate for health … Continue reading
Health advice
From a letter sent by Douce to George Cumberland on 4 February 1826: I read no book on health -they only hip one. I have lately lost my truly valuable & excellent friend & physician Dr. Fryer who could not … Continue reading
Posted in Letters, Physicians
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