Description: George Barker [George Barker, Jr. (1818–1883)] [Autograph Letter Signed by George Barker, Jr., British Artist and Picture Restorer who once proposed Marriage to Writer George Eliot]. [39 Wellington Road, St. John’s Wood, London, October 10, 1870]. [1]p. A.L.S. Sm. 8vo. Folds; very good. Letter of introduction by artist George Barker, Jr. (1818–1883) who trained under his father, George Sr., as a picture restorer. George Jr. restored paintings for important private collections and for the National Portrait Gallery and earned the praise of painter Charles Lock Eastlake. “Intriguingly, Barker can most likely be identified as the ‘desperately smitten’ young artist who proposed marriage to the writer Mary Ann Evans, later known as George Eliot, when staying at Baginton, near Coventry, in spring 1845: ‘We liked his letters to her very much – simple, earnest, unstudied’, one of her Coventry friends wrote, adding, ‘the only objections seemed to be that his profession – a picture-restorer – is not lucrative or over-honourable’”¹ Barker’s letter, addressed to a Mr. Scott of Cobham Hall, introduces a Mr. Reid “who holds a high position in the British Museum,” almost certainly George William Reid (1819–1887), Keeper of the Department of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum from 1866 to 1883. Note. 1. British picture restorers, 1600-1950 - B - National Portrait Gallery accessed online, citing Gordon S. Haight (ed.), The George Eliot Letters, Vol.1, 1954, pp.183-4.Our Stock# 3731179 About Us Established in 1995, Ian Brabner, Rare Americana, LLC buys and sells rare and antiquarian books and historical manuscripts published or created in pre-1900 America. We are located in Wilmington, Delaware. Member Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA). International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). The Manuscript Society. Ephemera Society of America. Guarantee All items are guaranteed to be as described. Authenticity is guaranteed for the lifetime of the original purchaser. As a member of the above-named trade organizations, we abide by their published code of ethics. Any item is returnable for any reason within 30 days(prior notice appreciated). If you have questions regarding our description for this item, please contact us. We will be happy to answer them. Shipping Items are expertly packed in bubble wrap and shipped in new boxes or reinforced envelopes. No International Buyers Please, no buyers outside of the USA. Feedback We leave feedback after receiving feedback from buyers. If you're unhappy with any part of your transaction with us, please let us know. Our priority is to make you happy and resolve issues promptly. © 2024 Ian Brabner, Rare Americana, LLC. All rights reserved.
Price: 75 USD
Location: Wilmington, DE
End Time: 2024-11-30T17:51:33.000Z
Shipping Cost: 5 USD
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All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
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Author: George Barker [George Barker, Jr. (1818–1883)]
Subject: Americana
Language: English
Original/Facsimile: Original
Country/Region of Manufacture: North America
