Watercolour. 26½ by 19½ in.
The first Montague House, Bloomsbury, was destroyed by fire 19 January
1685-6, and the second, here shown, was designed soon afterwards by
a Frenchman, Pierre Puget, or Poughet. The encampment is on the open
space at the back of the mansion. The West Yorkshire Regiment is
represented marching past Dr. John Moore, Bishop of Bangor, afterwards
Bishop of Canterbury. Montague House had been bought for the British
Museum under an Act passed in 1753. Additions were gradually made, but
it was not until 1845 that the old building was entirely demolished.
S. H. Grimm, who painted this watercolour, which is signed and dated,
was born at Burgdorf, Switzerland, and settled in London about 1778.
He sometimes exhibited at the Royal Academy, and was employed by the
Society of Antiquaries, his work being chiefly topographical.
By S. H. GRIMM, 1780 (1734-1794).
_Lent by H.M. the King._
36_a_ VIEW NEAR THE TURNPIKE AT NEW CROSS.
Watercolour, outlined with a pen. 12½ by 9½ in.
The scene is a rural one, with what appear to be an oast-house
and other farm buildings in the foreground. The hill is called in
Rocque’s map showing the Environs of London (1745) Plow’d Garlick
Hill, afterwards Telegraph Hill. On it stands Aske’s School, belonging
to the Haberdashers’ Company. Much of the rest remained open until
a few years ago; now only a recreation ground has been saved from
the builder. This hill is immediately south of the Turnpike site,
now called New Cross Gate. New Cross was an outlying district of the
parish of Deptford. Evelyn, in his “Diary,” 10 November 1675, mentions
going in his coach from Sayes Court to “New Cross” to accompany Lord
Berkeley to Dover.
_Lent by Sir E. Coates._
36_b_ NEW CROSS TURNPIKE ON THE KENT ROAD.
Mezzotint, with an etched outline. 11 by 7¾ in.
This print happened to be mounted on the same sheet as the watercolour
below. It was drawn by J. Dillon, engraved by R. Laurie, and published
in 1783. To spectator’s left is a board with the words, “The New
Cross House”; on the right a sign of a man’s head.
_Lent by Sir E. Coates._