Item data
Item Type:
Document
From:
Drake, William Fitt
Sent from:
London
To:
Smith, Sir James Edward
Summary:
Account of journey from Norwich, Norfolk, to London, where he is staying with [Archibald] Menzies. Sir Joseph Banks is to attend the Duke of Sussex [Prince Augustus Frederick (1773-1843)] at the installation of the Knights of the Garter. Subscription prices for the [Royal] Institution have risen. Ran Smith's errands, including going to see [Aylmer Bourke] Lambert but he was away at the Marquess of Blandford's. Unable to see Mr Savage at the Royal Institution but did see Humphry Davy. Visited [John Boydell's] "Shakespeare Gallery", description and critique of some of the pictures there including those by James Northcote; Sir Joshua Reynolds; Richard Westall, who is "superior" to William Hamilton and Robert Smirke; and Benjamin West, who "exhibits all of the extravagance without possessing the genius of [Henry] Fuseli". Regrets that "this complete illustration of the plays of our excellent poet should not be deposited in a public museum" [after falling into financial difficulties Boydell's entire business was disposed of in a lottery]. Description of attending a performance of "Douglas" [tragedy by John Home, first performed in Edinburgh in 1756] at the Drury Lane Theatre, including a near stampede for seats and review of [William Betty's] performance as Young Norval. [William Henry West Betty (1791-1874), also known as the Young Roscius or the Boy, was a talented child actor who first appeared at Drury Lane in 1804]. Menzies says that attendance at the Royal Institution often amounts to 1100 or 1200 persons.
Letter date:
19 Apr 1805
Languages:
English
Prev Ref No:
4.112
Additional Information:
Note type | Note |
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Finding Aids | Dawson, W R, (1934). "Catalogue of the manuscripts in the Library of The Linnean Society - Part I. The Smith papers: The correspondence and miscellaneous papers of Sir James Edward Smith", London: Linnean Society. |
Related Material | For further on Drake's travels, see JES/COR/4/67. |