NHD1/1-31, NHD2/285, NHD2/300-302

NHD1/1-31; NHD2/285; NHD2/300-302

Marsden Collection

39 drawings from the collections formed by William Marsden (1754-1836) between 1784 and 1808 for a third edition (London, 1811) of the ‘Historv of Sumatra’. (For Marsden, see Archer's Natural History Drawings in the India Office Library, pp.17-9.) Eleven of its 27 plates were engraved from these drawings.

In comparison with Marsden's’ Historv of Sumatra,’ drawing No.5 is the original of Plate XV, No.8 of XII (i) (the animals being reversed and incorporated into a landscape) , No.9 of XIV (2) , No.10 forms the lower half of Plate XIII (2) and No.11 the upper half, No.12 of Plate XIV (i) , No.14 of XII (2) , No.15 of XI (i) , No.16 of X (i) , No.17 of XIII (i) reversed with a landscape added, No.18 of the left-hand portion Gof IX reversed and No.285 of the right-hand portion reversed, No.26 of Plate X (2) reversed.

From inscriptions on certain of the drawings and on the engravings it is clear that the majority were made either by Chinese painters or by a Mr. Bell, who may have been Dr. William Bell, a Company surgeon in Sumatra in 1792. Drawings numbered 8, 17, 18, 26 and 285 are attributed to Chinese artists in the engravings; Nos.2, 19-21, 25, 28-31 and 300-2 in the same style being probably also by them. No.13 may well be a somewhat ambitious attempt by a Chinese painter to execute a landscape in the European manner. Drawings numbered 9-12, 14-16 are attributed in the engravings to 'Mr. Bell' and No.6 is inscribed 'Drawn by Mr. Bell'. On grounds of style Nos.1, 3, 7, 22-4 and 27 may also be by him. Drawing No.5 is attributed in the engraving to de Jonville and No.4 appears to be a copy made for Dr. Marsden from the drawing in de Jonville's Collection, Vol. III, f.7. The note in French, 'For Dr. Marsden', inserted between drawings Nos.3 and 4, describing the hornbill of Ceylon was written by de Jonville. This naturalist had presented his collection to the Company on 2nd June 1802, and Marsden was almost certainly in correspondence with him. No.25 is inscribed, 'From Pulo Pinang'.

At the time of the presentation of Marsden's drawings to the library in 1836, incorrect attributions appear to have been inscribed on some of the drawings (e.g. Nos.2 and 4, which are attributed to Bell). Of these the style of No.2 is quite different from his, and No.4 is by de Jonville.