James Hughes Anderdon
James Hughes Anderdon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1790 |
| Died | 1879 |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, art collector |
| Known for | Extra-illustration, art collection |
James Hughes Anderdon (1790–1879) was a prominent English banker and a distinguished collector of art.[1] He is particularly recognized for his large-scale endeavours in the field of extra-illustration.[2]
Life
As the second-born son of John Proctor Anderdon and Anne Oliver,Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name he entered into partnership at Bosanquet Anderdon & Co., working alongside James Whatman Bosanquet, Samuel Bosanquet III, and Charles Franks. After the enactment of the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, Anderdon received considerable financial recompense connected to the liberation of enslaved individuals on three estates located in Nevis, which were tied to his banking ventures. He withdrew from his banking career in 1843.[1]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Collector
Anderdon developed an extensive assemblage encompassing paintings, drawings, engravings, and autograph letters. In 1864, he purchased a collection of English artworks from Haskett Smith of Goudhurst (1813–1895), noted for his "English School" holdings, featuring artists such as John Crome, Richard Heighway, and George Morland.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad nameCite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
His portfolio of engravings, predominantly portraits, was largely obtained through the 1852 auction of Thomas Haviland Burke’s estate.[3] In 1868, Anderdon contributed Burke’s collection of engravings and drawings by James Barry to the British Museum's Print Room.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name
Legacy
Following Anderdon's death in 1879, most of his art collection was dispersed. His assemblage of engraved portraits, mainly acquired from the Haviland Burke sale, was inherited by his cousin Alexander Anderdon Weston, who subsequently sold it in 1904.
Extra-illustration
Anderdon meticulously illustrated and annotated two separate series of Royal Academy summer exhibition catalogues, which are currently preserved at the British Museum and the British Academy library. These annotated volumes maintain materials from now-lost sources, including correspondence from artists addressed to John Taylor and Rudolph Ackermann. It is believed that these compilations were intended as instructional resources for students of art.
The first collection (1769–1849), contained within 13 volumes, together with a nine-volume set of Society of Artists of Great Britain catalogues (1760–1791), was bequeathed to the British Museum.
The second collection, derived from exhibition catalogues compiled by collector Edward Bell along with his indexing system, was presented to the Royal Academy.
In 1833, Anderdon purchased a 38-volume extra-illustrated work from Gérard Jacob-Kolb based on the Biographie universelle, ancienne et moderne. He expanded this into what became known as Collectanea Biographica, ultimately comprising 105 volumes by 1853. This collection was passed on to his half-sister Emma Mary and later acquired by the British Museum in 1881, where it remains housed in the Keeper's Office within the Print Room.
Moreover, Anderdon enhanced Edward Edwards’s Anecdotes of painters who have resided or been born in England (1808)—a supplement to Horace Walpole’s writings—through extra-illustration; this volume also became part of the British Museum's holdings.