Sir Thomas Phillipps: Architectural and Topographical Drawings, ca. 1800-1868

RLIN ID No.
NYGG03-A11

Main Entry
Phillipps, Thomas, Sir, 1792-1872, collector.

Title
Architectural and topographical drawings, ca. 1800-1868.

Physical Description
Ca. 175 items ; 50 x 52 cm. and smaller

Historical/Biographical Note
English antiquary and bibliophile. Phillipps began collecting while at Rugby School and Oxford; on inheriting his father’s estate at Middle Hill in Worcestershire he embarked on a career of collecting manuscripts and books. His collection eventually contained over 60,000 manuscripts and included Eastern, Greek and Latin manuscripts as well as English and Continental. Phillipps was deeply interest in his family genealogy and in the topography of the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, where he owned property, as well as in the counties of Warwickshire and Wiltshire; he formed a collection of prints and drawings of outstanding views and houses in these counties. Some of the drawings may have been made at his request. Around 1854 he a had a proof sheet printed for a book label, possibly for the books of his Middle Hill Press, based on a design by E. Offen. The label design used a medieval structure on his property known as the Broadway Tower”; the labels apparently were not put into production.

Scope and Contents Note
About 175 drawings, watercolors, prints and engravings of important houses, churches and views in the English counties of Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire, including some oversize material in portfolio boxes. The collection includes over 20 drawings and watercolors of the Middle Hill estate, with drawings of the Broadway Tower and a framed uncut proof sheet of 12 lithographically printed bookplates showing the Broadway Tower. Many of the drawings are unsigned; the artists who signed their work include: W. Batt; H. L. Fenwick; G. Hughes; G. May, G. W. Mote and W. H. Wood. The sketchbook by his eldest daughter, Henrietta, records houses and views in Worcestershire as well as a few in other counties. Also: document relating to the purchase of Middle Hill by his father and a letter from A. N.L. Munby to the Phillipps collector Harrison D. Horblit regarding a drawing of the Broadway Tower.

General Note
Title devised by cataloger.

General Note
Oversize items in portfolio.

Finding Aid Note
Unpublished finding aid available in repository.

Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift; Jean Mermin Horblit, widow of collector Harrison D. Horblit, 1995.

Immediate Source of Acquisition
Proof sheet of bookplate (label): Richard Cady Rare Book; 1412 Nature’s Way, Prescott, Arizona 86305; Purchase; Oct. 2004.

Exhibitions Note
Portions exhibited: “Sir Thomas Phillipps, Portrait of a Collector: An Exhibition of the Greatest Book Collector of All Time,” organized by the Grolier Club, 1972 December 19 to 1973 February 14.

Exhibitions Note
Portions exhibited: “The Collector Collected: The Horblit Archive of Sir Thomas Phillipps at the Grolier Club,” organized by the Grolier Club, 1997 May 20 to July 31.

Names
Batt, W.
Cady, Richard D., former owner.
Fenwick, H. L.
Halliwell-Phillipps, Henrietta, 1819-1879.
Hicks, Baptist.
Horblit, Harrison D., collector.
Horblit, Jean Mermin, donor.
Hughes, G.
May, G.
Mote, G. W.
Munby, A. N. L. (Alan Noel Latimer), 1913-1974. Correspondence.
Offen, E.
Phillipps. Thomas, Sir, 1792-1872.
Phillipps family.
Wood, W. H.

Subjects
Gloucestershire (England). Drawings. 19th century.
Gloucestershire (England). Views. 19th century.
Warwickshire (England). Drawings. 19th century.
England. Warwickshire. Views. 19th century.
Wiltshire (England). Drawings. 19th century.
Wiltshire (England). Views. 19th century.
Worcestershire (England). Drawings. 19th century.
Worcestershire (England). Views. 19th century.
Middle Hill (Estate: Worcestershire, England). Drawings. 19th century.

Genres
Architectural drawings. England. 19th century.
Bookplates. England. 19th century.
Drawings. England. 19th century.
Prints. England. 19th century.

Occupations (as reflected in collection)
Artists. England. 19th century.
Collectors. England. 19th century.
Collectors. United States. 20th century.

Location
Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, New York, N.Y. 10022-1098.


Collection Inventory

Note: Entries in The Phillipps Manuscripts: Catalogus Manuscriptorum in Biblioteca D. Thomae
Phillipps, Bt. …, with an introduction by A. N. L. Munby (London: Holland Press, 1968) are identified as “Phillipps MS #_____.” Manuscripts numbered above 23,837 are not in the printed
catalog.

Items in appraisal list of Harrison D. Horblit’s Sir Thomas Phillipps Collection prepared by Lionel and Philip Robinson of London are identified by list section and number as (i.e.) “Robinson
Sketchbooks….”

“Bound in Middle Hill Boards” identifies drab terra-cotta colored boards similar to those Sir
Thomas used for the publications of his Middle Hill Press.

Gloucestershire
Drawings and prints of views of churches and seats. 24 cm., ca. 55 items, including some
clippings. Bound in Middle Hill boards. The first item is a colored drawing of “Down Ampney
[Manor] Gateway.” (Robinson Misc. MS unnumbered; Phillipps MS #22,736)
Campden House “before it was pulled down.” Drawing. Sir Baptist Hicks? N.d. 38 x 48 cm. [At bottom
right: copied by Hensley]
Coscombe House. 1818. Ink drawing. 19 x 32 cm. Notes on bottom in hand of TP: “My Father Thos. Phillips told me my Great Grandfather John Phillipps was an architect, & built Coscombe House for Judge Pratt…or Tracy, & that he also built Foxcote in Warwickshire for Mr. Canning. Thos. Phillipps of Middle Hill 1856.” Drawing is joined at the top to one of Foxcote House (see below under Warwickshire).
Coscombe House. Pencil sketch. N.d. unsigned. 28 x 48 cm.

Somersetshire
Sketch of the Thursday Evening Meeting of the Antiquarian Society, Somerset. N.d. Ink drawing, partially colored. 17 x 30 cm.

Warwickshire
Foxcote House. Wash drawing signed G. W. Mote, 1861. 16 x 23 cm image on 22 x 30 cm.
Notes on bottom in hand of TP: “Built for Mr. Canning [?] who married the heiress of Harewood. John Phillipps of Broadway being the architect before 1727 (sic).” This drawing is pasted the top to the ink drawing of Coscombe House, Gloucestershire (see above under Gloucestershire.

Warwickshire.
Kenilworth Castle. Drawn by Mr. Baker (artist of Leamington Spa); colored by Lady Phillipps. 9 x 12 cm. within raised scrolled border on card stock. N.d.

Index to manuscript collections for Wiltshire history by Sir Thomas Phillipps. Proofs of title printed at the Middle Hill Press, corrected in hand of TP and dated in pencil 1857 24 Oct. 33 cm. In Middle Hill boards, bound with the proofs is a map of Devizes Park, engraving of Bradenstoke Priory and four disbound sketches of Wiltshire views, etc. signed by G. Hughes. Other items bound in include draft of a document relating to the administration of an estate in Wiltshire dated 1792 Nov. 14-21 (18 p.); two transcriptions from charters dated 24 Hen. 3 [1240?]; and a printed list of Wiltshire magistrates for the years 1483-1661.

Worcestershire
Broadway. Rough sketches of houses in and around Broadway, County of Worcestershire. 20 leaves; 21 cm. Middle Hill boards. (Robinson Misc. MS not numbered; Phillipps MS #19,741)
Broadway. J. Parker (bookseller of Oxford). Workhouses at the West End of Broadway, Worcestershire. N.d. 2 pencil sketches originally on 1 sheet. 25 cm.
Broadway. Kite’s Nest (House). At bottom left in pencil: “Pen drawing by H.P. [Henrietta Phillipps] 1840.”
Drawings and prints: prints of churches and buildings in Worcestershire. 42 leaves; 29 cm. Middle Hill boards. Some of the sketches are signed variously by G. May, W. H. Wood, H. L. Fenwick and W. Batt. (Robinson Sketchbooks, not numbered; Phillipps MS #24,311)
Henrietta Phillipps’ Sketchbook, 1835-1837. 42 leaves. The first few sketches were probably made during a tour to Gloucestershire and Wiltshire in 1835; the remainder is of Middle Hill and other houses and views in the neighborhood. 42 leaves; 14 x 21 cm. Marbled paper over boards with red leather spine. (Robinson Sketchbooks not numbered; Phillipps MS #24,637)
.
Middle Hill (Estate)
Sketch map of Middle Hill estate. N.d. 19 x 22 cm. Lower right corner missing.
Stables at Middle Hill. Unsigned pencil drawing. N.d. 29 x 43 cm.
“View of Bredon Hill and Malvern Hill from Middle Hill dining room.” Unsigned pencil sketch. N.d. 49 x 41 cm.
View from Middle Hill. 2 unsigned pencil sketches. N.d. 39 x 49 cm. and smaller. View in Conegare Lane. Wash Drawing. 8 x 11 cm. on 15 x 21 cm. sheet.

Middle Hill House
“Middle-Hill House with the intended addition of wings.” 1824. Black and white drawing in ink with background in brown ink. 20 x 28 cm.
_______. Black and white drawing with pencil sketches of Broadway Tower and section of window (?). Image area: Matted 20 x 24 cm.
_______. 2 identical sketches with less detail than above. Ink on paper. 22 x 29 cm.
“Middle-Hill: Design for the wings.” 1842. 2 identical drawings. 18 x 24 cm.
“A Design for Middle-Hill by Sir Henry Ingden, bart. (?).” N.d. Black and white drawing. 17 x 24 cm.
3 wash drawings by G. W. Mote. 1861.
1 unsigned drawing with brown wash; house in distance. N.d. 45 x 62 cm.
Middle Hill in Worcestershire. 9 x 13 cm. on 15 x 21 cm. sheet.
Middle Hill. Another view. 13 x 17 cm. on 19 x 23 cm. sheet.

Tower at Middle Hill (Broadway Tower)
Pencil drawing. N.d. Image area: 12 x 13 cm. With mat: 24 x 25 cm.
Sir Thomas Phillipps book label (bookplate): uncut proof sheet of 12 lithographically printed book labels for use at his Middle Hill Press. Image area of individual design: 11 x 11 cm. At bottom of label: Turris Lativiensisi, 1854/Middle Hill No. Size of sheet: 31 x 21 cm. With mat: 46 x 34 cm. Inserted into black and gilt frame. Original design by E. Offen, 1842? [This bookplate design does not seem to have been used.]
Enlarged modern reproduction of single book label. Image area: 37 x 40 cm. With mat: 50 x 52 cm.

Counties Not Identified.:
Four pencil sketches of churches signed variously G. W., J. W. and M. W. 1857. 13 x 16 cm.
Manuscript notebook bound in red leather containing poetry and some pictures. N.d. 24 cm. Some writing is in the hand of Sir Thomas Phillipps. Includes holograph manuscript of poem “On a Dahlia Blown by the Wind” by Robert Benson, Deputy Recorder of Salisbury, Wiltshire. (Robinson Misc. MS not numbered)
Unidentified building. Section of wall and roof. Scale drawing: ¼” to 1 foot. 1840. Pen and brown wash. 33 x 53 cm.

Related Material
Middle Hill Estate. Notice of sale: “Description of property to be sold at auction on July 17, 1794.” Folio sheet folded to make four pages. Mended with tape. Purchased by Edward Cotterell from the estate of George Savage for the father of Sir Thomas Phillipps.
A.N.L. Munby. ALS to Harrison D. Horblit. 1968 Feb. 27. 1 p. Indicates that he is mailing an unspecified picture of Middle Hill to Horblit.