Auction 223 - Australia

1850: Alfred Clayton 'Sydney View' Essays, composite photo-lithographic facsimile of the original Essay which is housed in the Tapling Collection in the British Library, comprising reproductions of the 1d. and 3d. Essays which are mounted on paper and endorsed 'The form and colour are approved, but the execution is very far from satisfactory and must be greatly improved before the contract can be sanctioned'. This facsimile was produced by Alfred van Dyck, some time before the originals were sold by him to Tapling and prior to Thomas Tapling's death in 1891. The blank space in between contained the Essay for the 2d. value which was purchased for and remains in the Royal Collection. We record just one other example of this reproduction (copy with the lot), ex Sir Gawaine Baillie, sold at Sotheby's, Melbourne in July 2005, lot 812, which was not as fine as the example offered here.
Catalogue 223: AUSTRALIA & AUSTRALIAN STATES