- Museum number
- 1966,0118.3.1-25
- Description
-
Bound sketch-book, plain black leather-cloth spine with blue covers (132mm x 180mm) with unnumbered leaves of various colours many containing notes, studies of mainly Arab figures, landscapes, including a view of Lucerne, all in graphite unless otherwise stated. 1885-86
Inside front cover: various indecipherable jottings, sums and notes under the heading: 'Milan...'
F1r First page of travel notes describing lakes and snow, diary continues on following pages
F1v and F2r Further notes on travel experiences: '... What a welcome to Italy! Dazzling eyes with ... snow...' notes on Milan
F2v Notes of travels headed 'Xavier/ Brescia...' written sideways continuing on F3r '... Moonlight Padua - Arrival Venice...'
F3v View of cathedral and buildings, inscribed: 'Lucerne 15 Nov 85 Rain'
F4r Back view of a standing soldier with arms behind his back, sword
hanging from waist; head of military man with cap and wide collar
F4v Notes on '... distant snowy Alps...' and weather and diary for 'Thursday...' [written sideway]
F5r Travel diary notes, headed 'Friday ... Blank horror passage Brindesi to Alix...' [written sideways]
F5v Heads of two men in profile, one wearing a hat; three-quarter length side view of man in jerkin [drawn at right angles]; landscape of coast line with boat inscribed: '12 noon last day 25 March'
F6r View of coast line [extending onto F5v] inscribed: 'Last bit of coast left behind after leaving ...[Quirna?]'
F6v Full length figure of soldier saluting, sketch of a boat, with flat landscape on far shore, inscribed: 'Freshened in Gale after lunch 25 March' [drawn upside down over figure]
F7r Sail shape [drawn upside down] with slight sketch of standing horse with Arab at its head and further horse's head
F7v and F8r Two pages of travel diary starting on Friday 27 'Mrs C and I drive Alex, Telephone Will...' continuing with entries for Monday 14 Dec , [written sideways]
F8v and F9r Continuing notes of travels in Egypt for 'Thursday' and 'Friday' ending in [?] '...Thebes - Medamont ruins of temple' with sketch of seated Arab
F9v Slumped hooded figure with outstretched hand
F10 Blank
F11r Three running figures in [?] Turkish dress, holding spears upright; a dhow [drawn at right angles], graphite with pen and black ink
F11v Two standing Arabs one throwing a plumed spear towards a plinth [or ledge of building] with sculpture or rocks on top [drawn sideways], further small figure at l/h side, graphite, drawn over small scene of a camp with figures, one on a camel, pen and sepia ink [drawn upside down]
F12r Landscape of hills with central group of soldiers in slight valley
F12v Two sketches of distant river banks, upper sketch inscribed 'Lower Nile looking up', lower inscribed: [?] 'Kensh'
F13r Three standing Arabs, r/h figure with staff over shoulders
F13v River scene with boats inscribed: 'Going up Nile' [drawn upside down] standing figure of a beggar inscribed: 'Luxor' [drawn at right angles]
F14r Landscape sketch inscribed: 'Opposite Edfu': with marching soldier with rifle in front; standing Arab figure and boat superimposed above g
F14v Three standing Arab figures: l/h figure leaning on staff wearing a ragged garment, central figure with beard, r/h figure in ragged garment leaning against a wall; rear view of seated Arab, smoking
F15, F16 and F17 Blank
F18r Seated arab; head and shoulder of man, slight sketch of head and shoulders of man in robes; the sail of a dhow [drawn upside down]; standing figure of a man with a [chef's hat [drawn sideways] F18v Two standing figures in Arab costume, [drawn upside down] inscribed with notes on sun and shadows; sketch [drawn sideways] of an interior scene with standing figures and others seated at a long table, notes on personel:'sheiks', 'recruits' etc.
F9r, F9v, F10r and F10v Detailed travel diary notes, [sideways], 'Left Thursday 18 at 12.30 ...' continuing on 'Friday 19 March ...' ending on Wednesday 24 March, with descriptions of scenery, places visited with times etc. Sketch of figure on F9v sketch of rider with turban, carrying a [?] sword [between lines of mss]; small sketch, within text, of temple inscribed: [?] 'Kalashah Bis Temple...';
F10r Figure wearing ragged garment with similar figure, over written
F10v Group of soldiers forming an arch with their swords, pen and sepia ink; standing figure of an arab with part of a minaret [all drawn upside down]; a landscape; a seated [?] buffalo and a man's face smoking a pipe, graphite, [drawn sideways]
F11 Blank
F12r Slight sketch of a group of three Arabs standing; a dhow; a small flock of animals, inscribed:'cattle for the troops'
F12v Sketch of a girl seated on a donkey, seen in an opening between buildings, inscribed with colour notes
F13r Head of an Arab wearing a fez; three sketches of seated Arabs, one smoking
F13v Seated Arab; with surrounding sketches of five dhows and detail of irrigation device [drawn upside down]
F14r Slight sketch of man running in front of a horse, inscribed with notes: 'Lady driving cart unable to keep horse in. Runner in front unable to keep ahead', pen and black ink and graphite
F14v Head and shoulders of an Arab wearing a turban, head propped up on hand and elbow; [below] a slight landscape sketch inscribed: 'The reach'
F15 Blank
F16r Three male figures carrying baskets on their backs, with seated man watching; and [drawn sideways] two mounted soldiers, with lances; front view of mounted soldier
F16v Landscape of hills with mounted figure in middle distance; features of a bearded man superimposed [drawn upside down]
F17r Rear view of a column of soldiers on camels disappearing into the distance between hills, pen and sepia ink; [above and below, drawn sideways] slight sketches of heads and shoulders, mounted soldier
F17v Standing figure of a woman holding a basket and a seated figure with basket in front of her, all in arab costume, inscribed: 'Edfu'; two standing male figure [drawn upside down]
F18r Landscape of distant range of hills, with marching column of figures with flags in middle distance and skeleton of horse in foreground, colour notes and inscribed: '[?] Sheds from hills ... on plain'
[drawn upside down]
F18v Slight landscape [drawn upside down] with horse's skeleton on side of hill and column of figures with flags in the distance, graphite and sepia ink; small sketch of a fort with palm trees inscribed: ' [?] Edfu 23 March' graphite
F19 and F20 Blank
F21r Three male figures: three quarter length figure in military cloak and cap; full length figure in European dress, holding a whip; three quarter length figure with moustache in arab costume, holding a whip; slight landscape sketch with colour notes [drawn sideways]
F21v Sketch of Arab in robes, three-quarter length; two dhows, [drawn sideways], together with inscription; 'G[?]... Mohammed ... 16 Jan. 86'
F22r Four heads in profile, two of men with moustaches; seated arab wearing turban; standing man three-quarter length, wearing a [?] pith helmet
F22v Four slight action sketches of [?] sailors
F23r Three-quarter length sketch of a bearded servant carrying a tray; two slight sketches of rear view of sailors and stern of boat with decorated sail and colour note 'red'
F23v Slight sketch of church buildings on a hill, inscribed 'Anconer' and 'town' [drawn upside down]
- Production date
- 1861-1933
- $Inscriptions
-
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1966
- Acquisition notes
- This item has an uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45. The British Museum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of all works during that era.
According to correspondence received by the BM from Runciman on 3. i.1966, he acquired this notebook at a junk shop a few days previously.
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1966,0118.3.1-25
