Deciphering Sir Richard Wallace’s Visitors’ Book
From royalty to pioneering women, uncover the stories behind the signatures in Sir Richard Wallace's remarkable guest book.
Dive into one of the more fascinating objects in the Collection is the Hertford House (otherwise known as the Wallace Collection) Visitors’ Book (1876-1897) – a large leather bound book.
History of Hertford House Signatures in Visitor Book (2020) by Cassandra ParsonsThe Wallace Collection
It was signed by all the people who came to see Sir Richard’s art collection after he had it installed at Hertford House.
Unlike many private collectors, Wallace was keen to share his collection with the public, perhaps foretelling his future intentions of gifting the entire collection to the British Nation.
History of Hertford House Royal Signatures in Visitor Book (2020) by Cassandra ParsonsThe Wallace Collection
The visitors to Hertford House, who ranged from royalty (many of Queen Victoria’s children came) to artists and writers such as Rodin and Thomas Hardy, would be shown around the collection and would sign the book.
Many of the signatures are easily legible, some took some detective work to decipher, and others still remain a mystery!
A number of very local visitors also came to admire the collection, such as Sir Edward Henry Sieveking, physician to the royal family, who lived at no. 17, Manchester Square, and Robert Ford Elms, a hairdresser and perfumer whose business was at no. 8, Manchester Street.
Perhaps some of the most interesting visitors were the pioneering women who came, most often accompanied by their families. Two of the earliest qualified female doctors in Great Britain, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Sophia Jex-Blake, both visited.
History of Hertford House Open Visitor Book (2020) by Cassandra ParsonsThe Wallace Collection
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