About this sheet
Antique Portrait of Bryan Edwards with Title Leaf, British West Indies, 1818
Original antique engraved portrait of Bryan Edwards (1743–1800), accompanied by the decorative engraved title leaf from the same work. The two original leaves are offered together as one item.
The portrait was engraved by Thomas Holloway (1748–1827) after a painting by the English portraitist Lemuel Francis Abbott (c. 1760–1802). Edwards is depicted half-length in formal late-18th-century dress, with his name engraved beneath the portrait.
The accompanying title leaf reads:
"History of the British West Indies by Bryan Edwards Esq. F.R.S. With a continuation to the present time. Illustrated by Maps & Plates. In Five Volumes. London. Printed for the Proprietors, 1818."
The title is surrounded by elaborate calligraphic lettering and incorporates an attractive engraved vignette depicting a tropical Caribbean coastal landscape with sailing vessels and lush vegetation.
Bryan Edwards was a British politician, merchant, plantation owner and historian who spent considerable time in Jamaica. His experiences and commercial interests in the Caribbean informed his important writings on the history, society and economy of the British West Indies. He later served as a Member of Parliament and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1794.
Edwards was also a prominent defender of the West Indian plantation system and opposed William Wilberforce and other campaigners seeking the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. These two leaves therefore have particular historical interest in relation to British colonial history, Jamaica, the Caribbean economy and the history of slavery and abolition.
The set consists of two separate original antique leaves:
1. Engraved portrait of Bryan Edwards by Thomas Holloway after Lemuel Francis Abbott.
2. Engraved title leaf for "History of the British West Indies," London, 1818.
Creator: Thomas Holloway, after Lemuel Francis Abbott
Author / Subject: Bryan Edwards (1743–1800)
Technique: Engraving on paper
Origin: England
Publication: History of the British West Indies
Date: 1818
Number of items: 2
Condition:
Fair antique condition with general age-related toning, foxing and scattered spotting. Some wear and irregularity along the sheet edges consistent with age and removal from the original volume. Please study the photographs carefully as they form part of the condition description.
Two original antique engravings from the 1818 publication, offered together as one item. Not modern reproductions.
Sold unframed. Any framed images or interior views shown are for presentation and inspiration only.
