Smith, Charles Hamilton – 013

• Work: Ancient Costume of England
• Date: 1811-1818
• Condition of Plate: Overall Excellent
• Condition of Work: Overall Excellent
• Paper Size: 10″ by 14.125″
• Image Size: NA

Charles Hamilton Smith’s Ancient Costume of England

These rare hand-colored engravings are from the work entitled Ancient Costume of England published by Charles Hamilton Smith in London in 1811-1818. Hamilton Smith was artist, illustrator, soldier, and spy. During the Napoleonic Wars, he was a British officer and spent some time in active duty. Much of his career, however, was spent in the British Isles fulfilling assorted staff positions. During this time, his abilities as a self-taught artist shone. He produced, according to his own records, 38,000 drawings. The prints from this work feature both hand-colored engraving as well as the aquatint procedure. They were engraved by I. A. Atkinson based on the drawings by Smith and aquatinted by R. and D. Havell and J. Hill. They are on fine, heavy paper that measures ~ 10″ by 14 1/4″.