Full title: Collection 25: Drawings / Album of watercolour drawings of Australian natural history, owned by Robert Anderson Seton, ca.1800

Author/creator: .

Date: ca. 1800.

Call Numbers: SAFE/PXA 914

Record Identifier: YdmdExp9

Language:

Formats: Pictures, Drawings

Contents: 89 drawings (on 63 pages, in 1 album of 151 pages) - 29.3 x 25 x 2.2 cm

Publishers:

Notes: The album is comprised of copies of sketches from Governor John Hunter's sketchbook, 'Birds & Flowers of New South Wales drawn on the spot in 1788, 89 & 90', which is now in the National Library (this album can be seen on the Library's website at www.nla.gov.au/catalogue/pictures and in published form in 'The Hunter Sketchbook', NLA, 1989). An inscription on page 2 notes that these are copies from 'original drawings by Captain Hunter, late of the Syrius..' It is not clear when the copies were made. The inscription suggests that it was made before Hunter became Governor of NSW in 1795. The album was probably made between 1792 and 1800, when both Hunter and Robert Anderson were in NSW. It is not known who the artist of the drawings is, but it is likely that Anderson either acquired it, or copied the album himself, while he was in Sydney in 1800. Anderson's letters reveal an interest in natural history. Although Governor Hunter created his album between 1788-1792, he could have had it with him in Sydney in 1800, as four John Lewin drawings were bound into it, and Lewin only arrived in NSW in January of that year. It is likely that it passed from Robert Anderson to the Mounie Library, whose bookplate is pasted onto the front endboard. The book plate of Peter Willcox, the last owner of the album, is also on the front endboard. Some of the drawing titles are common to both albums. For instance both plate 33 of the Hunter album, and plate 6 of the Seton album are titled "Gomak (Murry)." The images in the Seton album are very close copies of those in the Hunter album, nearly the same in size, colouring and technique. However the Seton drawings are often missing the decorative detail provided by Hunter. The last four drawings of fish, on pages 141 and 143, are not in Hunter's album. The album appears to be commercially made and dates from the late eighteenth-century. At some point, probably in England or Scotland, some one has assessed the album (a note on page 91 suggests it was Robert Anderson's father, Dr. James Anderson Seton) and written comments about the accuracy of the drawings and the identity of the birds on slips of paper which have been inserted next to the relevant drawing. Another contemporary hand has also written in pencil on a number of drawings references to published descriptions of the birds . Digital order no:Album ID : 823225 Page 37 previously titled: page 37 [15] 1. Robin, Norfolk Island. 2. No name. 2/3 nat. size : (Scarlet robin & Buff-banded rail, plate 79 in Hunter's Birds & Flowers of NSW). Altered on advice of reader, August 2022.

Permalink: https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/YdmdExp9

MMS ID: 110315575