A Catalogue of the Classic Contents of Strawberry Hill

Horace Walpole

Jan 1842 · Smith and Robins, printers

About this ebook

Sold by George Robins, the auctioneer. The sale was advertised to occupy twenty-four days, from April 25th to May 21st. The catalogue was badly compiled, and so much dissatisfaction was expressed at the intention of selling some of the collections en masse, that the contents of the seventh and eighth days' sale, which consisted of prints, drawings and illustrated books, were withdrawn, recatalogued, and disposed of at a sale at Robins's rooms at Covent Garden, which lasted from the 13th to the 23rd of June. The amount realized at the sale at Strawberry Hill was £29,612, and at that in London, £3,837. The library, consisting of books, manuscripts, prints, etc., sold for about £7,740. Cf. Fletcher, English book collectors, p. 214.

About the author

Horace Walpole was born in London on September 24, 1717 and educated at Eton College and Kings College, Cambridge. Upon his return from college, Walpole was elected to Parliament and served until 1768. He was the youngest son of British Prime Minister, Robert Walpole. He was known as The Earl of Orford. Walpole opened a private press that published his own works and that of his friends. He is well known for his Gothic romance novel, The Castle of Otranto. Horace Walpole died in London on March 2, 1797, after which his title became extinct since he never married or had children.