Archive: SDK Sydney Decimus Kitson Archive
Reference Number: SDK/1/2/1/1
Page: 22 recto (insert)
Description
Letter from M Porter
Letter from M Porter of Hanover House, St John's Wood, dated 27 April 1927. (refers to Mr Angell's collection)
Date: 27/04/1927
Transcription
16 Russell Sq, & its contents were taken over by my husband. But he also never investigated the contents of the cupboard until (I think in 1910 or thereabouts) Mr Angell's son (William) wrote to say he found matters were not quite clear as to the things left by his father in the house, & so he made them all over definitely to my husband by a deed of gift. It was then that we found the Cotmans, in the cupboard, among other things. There was no record as to how or where Mr Angell had acquired them but as he was an old man in 1860, it might well have been at the 1835 sale. I can't quite recall how many drawings there were, we sent quite a number to the Red Cross sale in 1918, as a war sacrifice. I rather wish we hadn't now! but my husband was very ill, & the war was very long, & nothing seemed then to matter very much. We kept 12 of which I have now 3, & the other 9 are in the family.
It was so very kind of you to send me that beautifully illustrated catalogue of Cotman Drawings - I'm glad to have it.