| Title |
Prints and watercolours of St Helena |
| Reference |
GBR/0115/RCMS 190
(former reference: MSS 482) |
| Creator |
Gifford, Daphne Heloise, 1922-1990 |
| Covering Dates |
circa 1670–1969 |
| Extent and Medium |
2 portfolios + 1 box; art work/photograph |
| Repository |
Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library |
|
| Content and context |
|
Daphne Heloise Gifford (1922-1990) was born in British Honduras, the daughter of a Methodist missionary. After taking a doctorate at Royal Holloway College, London University, in 1949, she was appointed to the Public Record Office, where she remained until her retirement in 1982. At the outset of her career in the P.R.O. Miss Gifford worked in the Search Department. In 1952 she was given responsibility for the museum, which was rearranged and re-equipped under her guidance. In 1966 she was promoted to Principal Assistant Keeper, Repository and Technical Services. After a period in charge of the Early Modern Records Department, she headed the Search Department, Chancery Lane, from 1979 until her retirement.
Daphne Gifford undertook several overseas missions in the course of her career. In 1965 and 1966-1967 she visited Southern Africa, where she appraised the records of Bechuanaland, Basutoland and Swaziland. In 1977 she began a period of attachment to the Falkland Islands government, and spent two years collating, cataloguing and researching the Islands' archives. She made her first visit to St Helena in 1962, to advise its government on the storage and classification of records. She maintained close connections with the island for the rest of her life, and assembled a collection of 'St Heleniana', which included the material in this collection.
Engravings and watercolours dating mainly from the early nineteenth century, many of which relate to the period of Napoleon's detention on St Helena (1815-1821). There are a number of pieces by George Hutchins Bellasis (1778-1822), who spent eight months on St Helena, 1804-1805, and revisited the island in 1812. The collection includes five coloured engravings and a watercolour sketch of Ascension Island, which was a dependency of St Helena from 1922.
Received as a bequest under the will of Miss Daphne Heloise Gifford, March 1991.
|
Access and Use
|
Please cite as Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library, Prints and watercolours of St Helena, RCMS 190 |
| Further information |
|
A detailed description of the items in the collection can be found in MSS Addenda, vol. II. Indexed
This collection level description was created by RAS using information from the original typescript catalogue.
|
| Index Terms |
| Africa |
| Ascension |
| Saint Helena |
| Saint Helena |
| Gifford, Daphne Heloise (1922-1990) |
| RCS/RCMS 190 contains: |
|
1
|
A view of the island of St Helena. A coloured engraving of a drawing by George Hutchins Bellasis, 715 x 540 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
1806 |
|
2
|
High Knoll, St Helena. A coloured engraving of a drawing by Captain Barnett, 560 x 44 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
1806 |
|
3
|
Sandy Bay Valley in the island of St Helena. A coloured engraving of a drawing by Henry Salt, 715 x 515 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
1809 |
|
4
|
The Friar Rock in Friar Valley. A coloured engraving of a drawing by George Hutchins Bellasis, 485 x 335 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
1815 |
|
5
|
Plantation House, the country residence of the Governor. An undated, coloured engraving of a drawing by George Hutchins Bellasis, 487 x 340 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
6
|
St Helena, taken from the sea. A mounted, undated, coloured engraving of a drawing by George Hutchins Bellasis, 605 x 480 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
7
|
Geographical map of the island and forts of Saint Helena. A mounted, coloured engraving of a drawing by Lieutenant R.P. Read, 715 x 544 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
1816 |
|
8
|
View of St James' Town, St Helena. A coloured engraving of a drawing by Lieutenant Edward S. Blake, 670 x 505 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
1831 |
|
9
|
View of the island of St Helena. A framed, coloured engraving of a painting by W.J. Huggins, 795 x 455 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
1832 |
|
10
|
View of James Town and the harbour, Saint Helena. A mounted engraving of a drawing by Lieutenant F.R. Stack of 17 February 1846, 635 x 440 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
circa 1846 |
|
11
|
Anoymous watercolour. An undated colour photograph of a watercolour of an unidentified location, 550 x 470 mm.
1 photograph; photograph. |
|
|
12
|
View of St Helena. A portfolio, 475 x 325 mm, of six coloured drawings by George Hutchins Bellasis engraved in aquatint: 'No. 1. St Helena, taken from sea', 'No. 2. The roads, St Helena', 'No. 3. Scene taken from the Castle Terrace', 'No. 4. Plantation House, the country residence of the Governor', 'No. 5. The Friar Rock in Friar's Valley' and 'No. 6. The Column Lot, Fairy Land, Sandy Bay'. The six views are prefaced by an inscription to the Duke of Wellington, a subscription list and an introduction by Bellasis. Each print is accompanied by a detailed description. The binding of the portfolio has worked loose, but the pages and prints are undamaged.
1 portfolio; art work. |
1815 |
|
13
|
Views in St Helena. A portfolio, 510 x 335 mm, of three coloured acquatints from drawings by Captain George Tobin: 'A view of Sugar Loaf Point', 'Lot and Lot's wife' and 'A view of St Helena from the sea'. At the front of the portfolio is the typescript 'A descriptive sketch of the island of St Helena'. The back cover of the portfolio is missing.
1 portfolio; art work. |
1815 |
|
14
|
A view of St James's Valley, St Helena. An annoymous watercolour sketch, possibly from the late 1700s, 360 x 270 mm.
1 watercolour; watercolour. |
circa 1708 |
|
15
|
A view of the island of St Helena. A watercolour sketch signed 'H.Q.B. 1791', 405 x 303 mm.
1 watercolour; watercolour. |
1791 |
|
16
|
Vue de Ste Hélène. An undated, coloured engraving of a drawing by Lauvergne, 480 x 310 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
17
|
The Tomb of Bonaparte. A coloured engraving of a drawing by Captain Frederick Marryat, 415 x 320 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
1821 |
|
18
|
Vues de Sainte-Hélène, mentionnées au Memorial de M. le Comte De Les Cases. A folio imprint, 300 x 455 mm, containing four monochrome engravings by an unnamed artist: 'Vue de Ste Hélène et de James-Town', 'Vue de la Rade Ste Hélène', 'Vue de la Cascade de Briars' and 'Vue de Longwood prise de Balcomb's Cottage'.
1 portfolio; art work. |
1823 |
|
19
|
Scene taken from the Castle Terrace. An undated, coloured engraving of a drawing by George Hutchins Bellasis, 490 x 340 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
20
|
The Column Lot, Fairy Land, Sandy Bay. An undated, coloured engraving of a drawing by George Hutchins Bellasis, 490 x 340 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
21
|
A prospect of James Fort on the island of St Helena. A drawing by John Thornton, 1703 or 1704, 440 x 275 mm.
1 drawing; art work. |
circa 1703 |
|
22
|
St Helena from the roads. A coloured engraving heading a broadsheet entitled 'A descriptive sketch of the island of St Helena', 363 x 500 mm.
1 page; art work. |
1815 |
|
23
|
St Helena. A coloured engraving giving a bird's eye view of the island, 495 x 410 mm, with legends in English and Dutch identifying various physical features. The engraving is part of series produced between c. 1670 and 1761. The originator may be John Ogilby.
1 engraving; art work. |
circa 1670 |
|
24
|
Napolean auf St Helena - Napolean dans l'ile Ste Hélène. An undated, coloured engraving of Napolean and his suite drawn by L. Rugendas, 547 x 405 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
25
|
James Town, St Helena. A watercolour by Emeric Essex Vidal, 424 x 275 mm.
1 watercolour; watercolour. |
1821 |
|
26
|
Sketch of Island of Ascension. A watercolour sketch by Emeric Essex Vidal, 310 x 110 mm.
1 watercolour; watercolour. |
1817 |
|
27
|
A view of the town and island of St Helena. An undated, coloured engraving, 370 x 232 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
28
|
Rosemary Hall, the seat of William Wrangham. A monochrome engraving of a drawing by J. Walker, 210 x 126 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
1797 |
|
29
|
Island St Helena. A watercolour sketch painted on a blank page from the log of the Honourable East India Company's ship 'Canton', 370 x 225 mm.
1 watercolour; watercolour. |
1803 |
|
30
|
St Helena. A coloured engraving, the original of which is attributed to 'G. Ferrario', Milan 1819, 360 x 255 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
circa 1819 |
|
31
|
Distant view of Longwood, St Helena, across the Devil's Punchbowl. A coloured engraving of a drawing by R. Cocking from a sketch by C. Latrobe, 265 x 200 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
1818 |
|
32
|
St Helena. An undated, coloured engraving of a drawing by Storer depicting James Town from the harbour, 270 x 210 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
33
|
Napoleon's tomb. A watercolour, 133 x 100 mm, mounted on a sheet of paper on which is handwritten Byron's poem 'Napoleon's tomb' with the date 29 July 1829.
2 pages; watercolour. |
1829 |
|
34
|
St Helena. An undated, uncoloured engraving of a drawing by S. Davenport depicting a view of James Town from the harbour, 227 x 150 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
35
|
View of James Town, St Helena. An uncoloured engraving of a drawing by Craig, 230 x 188 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
1815 |
|
36
|
The gift of a Great Prince to a Little Emperor. A mounted, coloured engraving of a drawing by Captain H.J. Phelps, 292 x 196 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
1817 |
|
37
|
James Town, St Helena. An undated watercolour sketch, post-1843, 330 x 250 mm. On the reverse side is a watercolour sketch of a beach in Madagascar by the same artist.
2 watercolours; watercolour. |
|
|
38
|
Ile de Ste Hélène: Vue de Jam[e]'s Town. An undated, mounted, coloured engraving of a drawing by Louis de Sainson, 305 x 253 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
39
|
Longwood from the gate, St Helena. A mounted, coloured engraving of a drawing by William Heine, with figures by E. Brown Jr, 350 x 290 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
circa 1853 |
|
40
|
The Island of Ascension. An undated, framed, coloured engraving depicting Georgetown and Cross Hill, 280 x 253 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
41
|
Ile d'Ascension: Sandy Bay. An undated, framed, coloured engraving, 305 x 253 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
42
|
Ile d'Ascension: Ravines Volcaniques et Montagne de Cendre. An undated, framed, coloured engraving, 305 x 253 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
43
|
Ile d'Ascension: sources de Dampier. An undated, framed, coloured engraving, 305 x 253 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
44
|
Ile d'Ascension: Sommet de Green Mountain. An undated, framed, coloured engraving, 305 x 253 mm.
1 engraving; art work. |
|
|
45
|
This whole length view of the island of St Helena and James' Town. A coloured engraving from the original by Mrs W.L.L. Scott of a view from the deck of the East India ship 'Monarch', 27 March 1851, 670 x 435 mm.
1 framed print; art work. |
1851 |
|
46
|
Saint Helena. A print 'drawn from Nature and on Stone by Major J. Luard', 367 x 312 mm.
1 framed print; art work. |
1835 |
|
47
|
Huts Gate. A print 'drawn from Nature and on Stone by Major J. Luard', 365 x 312 mm.
1 framed print; art work. |
1835 |
|
48
|
Back of Sandy bay lines from Broad Gut. A photograph taken at Herbarium Library, Kew, of a sketch by W.J. Burchell of 21 January 1809, 315 x 218 mm.
1 framed photograph; photograph. |
1969 |
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