Smirke Collection

The Wettest Derby on Record by The Tout, 1927
The Wettest Derby on record in 1927 with numerous well-known personalities of the turf coping with the flooded course with the help of umbrellas and rowing boats. Includes the jockey M

Covent Garden, 1810
This is the new theatre, built after the disastrous fire of 1808; designed by Robert Smirke, it was the scene of riots when audiences complained of price increases

Caricatures at Royal Ascot, 1927
Weighing out for the cartoon stakes at Ascot - and some of the " the heads" whose colours have established a reputation for " showing up" at the Royal meeting

Reading Room of the Great Library at the British Museum seen from the Entrance, c1935. The circular Reading Room of the British Museum in central London was designed by Sydney Smirke (1798-1877)

Charlie Smirke, British jockey, on Mahmoud
Charlie Smirke (1906-1993), British jockey, on the Aga Khans horse, Mahmoud. Date: circa 1936

Jockey / Charlie Smirke
Charlie Smirke, jockey, in the colours of the Aga Khan

The Conservative Club, St. Jamess Street, London, c1840, (1947). Creator: Woods
The Conservative Club, St. Jamess Street, London, c1840, (1947). View of the Conservative Club, a gentlemens club which occupied premises in St Jamess Street until 1959

Bethlehem Hospital, (c1878). Creator: Unknown
Bethlehem Hospital, (c1878). View of the Bethlem Royal Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in London dating back to the 13th century

Drinking Fountain at the British Museum 1860
Designed by Sidney Smirke, two white marble drinking fountains placed one on each side of the entrance doorway at the British Museum, London. Date: 1860

View of the British Museum, with visitors walking outside, 1854 (litho)
5890795 View of the British Museum, with visitors walking outside, 1854 (litho) by Shepherd, Thomas Hosmer (1792-1864); length: 23 cm; London Metropolitan Archives

The Kaisers Visit, Lowther Castle, where Lord Lonsdale is entertaining His Imperial Majesty (b / w photo)
1601236 The Kaisers Visit, Lowther Castle, where Lord Lonsdale is entertaining His Imperial Majesty (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Sir Robert Peels residence, Whitehall Gardens, 1845. Creator: Unknown
Sir Robert Peels residence, Whitehall Gardens, 1845. London home of British politician and prime minister Robert Peel, designed by Sir Robert Smirke and built in 1824

The New Exeter Change, 1844. Creator: Unknown
The New Exeter Change, 1844. London shopping arcade designed by Sydney Smirke: between Wellington-street, North, and Catherine-street, Strand...contains ten neat shops

Facade of the new British Museum, 1845. Creator: Ebenezer Landells
Facade of the new British Museum, 1845. The newly extended building in Bloomsbury, London. The design of the New British Museum...has certainly not been spared by the architectural critic of

Present state of the British Museum, 1845. Creator: Ebenezer Landells
Present state of the British Museum, 1845. Entrance gate of the British Museum in Bloomsbury, London. The New Museum will occupy a site further north than its predecessor;

The Seven Ages, Fifth Age: The Justice (Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7), first published 1801; reissued 1852

Anne Page, Slender and Shallow (Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, Act 1, Scene 1), first published 1792; reissued 1852

Shylocks House-Shylock, Jessica and Launcelot (Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice, Act 2, Scene 5), first published 1795; reissued 1852

[Sydney Smirke], 1860s. Creator: John & Charles Watkins
[Sydney Smirke], 1860s

The British Museum, c1900s. Creator: Eyre & Spottiswoode
The British Museum, c1900s. The British Museum in London was built in 1823-1852 in a Classical style to designs by Sir Robert Smirke, to house the growing national collection

British Museum, London, c1900s. Creator: Unknown
British Museum, London, c1900s. The British Museum in Bloomsbury, central London, was originally established by Sir Hans Sloane in 1759

Condemnation of Anne Boleyn, (mid 19th century). Creator: George C Finden
Condemnation of Anne Boleyn, (mid 19th century). Anne Boleyn, her arms raised in supplication, stands before King Henry VIII, facing the court

Colonnaded Front of the British Museum on the Site of the Old Montague House, c1935. The British Museum in Bloomsbury, central London, was originally established by Sir Hans Sloane in 1759

Covent Garden Theatre: Front in 1850, (1881). Creator: Unknown
Covent Garden Theatre: Front in 1850, (1881). The facade of the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, London. The second theatre

New General Post Office, St. Martin s-Le-Grand, c1872. Creator: Unknown
New General Post Office, St. Martin s-Le-Grand, c1872. View of the General Post Office in the City of London. The Neoclassical building designed by Robert Smirke was opened in 1829

Eleanor doing penance for witchcraft, 1441, (1789) Artist: Anker Smith
Eleanor doing penance for witchcraft, 1441, (1789). Eleanor Cobham (1400-1454), Duchess of Gloucester, was charged with unlawful commerce with Marjory Jourdemain, the Witch of Eye

The Royal College of Physicians, Pall Mall East, Westminster, London, 1828. Artist
The Royal College of Physicians, Pall Mall East, Westminster, London, 1828. View with figures and traffic in the street. The building, which stands on the corner of Pall Mall and Trafalgar Square

British Museum, Holborn, London, 1934. Artist: William Monk
British Museum, Holborn, London, 1934. Calendarium Londinense, or the London Almanack for 1935, surmounted by a view of the British Museum, Holborn

St Marys Church, Bryanston Square, Marylebone, London, c1825. View of the church designed by Sir Robert Smirke and built in 1823-1824

British Museum, entrance gate, 1848. Artist: James Findlay
British Museum, entrance gate, 1848, (last fragments of old Montague House, the original home of the British Museum). Montague House was demolished in the 1840s; the Central Hall of the new building

The Rivals, (c1827?). Artist: Robert Smirke
The Rivals, (c1827?), showing two women peering at each other with contempt

Ulysses and Nausicaa, c1772-1845. Artist: Robert Smirke
Ulysses and Nausicaa, c1772-1845. Ulysses (or Odysseus) appearing to Nausicaa after his shipwreck. Nausicaa had been washing clothes in the river with her maids, who are shown hiding behind a tree

King Lear (?), c1772-1845. Artist: Robert Smirke
King Lear (?), c1772-1845

A Mermaid, c1772-1845. Artist: Robert Smirke
A Mermaid, c1772-1845

Assassination attempt on King George III, 1786. Artist: Francis Jukes
Scene depicting the attempt made by Margaret Nicholson to assassinate King George III at the entrance to St Jamess Palace, London, on August 2, 1786; showing the assassin approaching the King

Lord of the Isles, 1823. Artists: Charles Theodosius Heath, Robert the Bruce
Lord of the Isles, 1823. The Lord of the Isles is a rhymed, romantic, narrative-poem by Sir Walter Scott, written in 1815. After Robert Smirke (1753-1845). [Hurst, Robinson & Co. London, 1823]

The Reading Room at the British Museum, London, c1903 (1903). The Reading Room was designed by Sydney Smirke (1798-1877). Construction began in 1854 and was completed in 1857

As You Like It. Act 4. Scene 3. Forest of Arden, - Rosalind, Celia & Oliver, 1798. Artist: WC Wilson
As You Like It. Act 4. Scene 3. Forest of Arden, - Rosalind, Celia & Oliver, 1798. After Robert Smirke (1753?1845). From Shakespeare Gallery, Pall Mall, 1795, by John Boydell. [J. & J

As You Like It. Act 2. Scene 6. Orlando & Adam, 1798. Artist: George Noble
As You Like It. Act 2. Scene 6. Orlando & Adam, 1798. After Robert Smirke (1753-1845). From Shakespeare Gallery, Pall Mall, 1795, by John Boydell. [J. & J. Boydell, London, 1795]

Measure for Measure. Act 2. Scene 4. Angelo and Isabella, 1797. Artist: WC Wilson
Measure for Measure. Act 2. Scene 4. Angelo and Isabella, 1797. After Robert Smirke (1753-1845). From Shakespeare Gallery, Pall Mall, 1795, by John Boydell. [J. & J. Boydell, London, 1795]

King Lear. Act III. Scene IV, 1792. Artist: Luigi Schiavonetti
King Lear. Act III. Scene IV, 1792. After Robert Smirke (1753-1845). From Shakespeare Gallery, Pall Mall, 1795, by John Boydell. [J. & J. Boydell, London, 1795]

General Post Office, City of London, c1910 (1911). Britains first purpose-built mail facility located in St Martins le Grand

The Royal Mint, London, 19th century (1906). Artist: Herbert Railton
The Royal Mint, London, 19th century (1906). From Cassells Illustrated History of England, Vol. V. [Cassell and Company, Limited, London, Paris, New York & Melbourne, 1906]

Exterior of the British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, 1887. The British Museum was built in 1823-1852 in a Classical style to designs by Sir Robert Smirke to house the growing national

New Post Office, St Martins le Grand, City of London, 19th century. The building was built by Robert Smirke in 1829

Theatre Royal Covent Garden, Westminster, London, 19th century. The second theatre to stand on the site, built in 1808 by Robert Smirke after the previous building burned down

The Royal Mint, Tower Hill, London, early 20th century. The building, designed by James Johnson and Robert Smirke, was completed in 1809

Lowther Castle, Westmorland, home of the Earl of Lonsdale, c1880. This castellated mansion was designed by Robert Smirke and built between 1806 and 1814

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"Exploring the Timeless Charm of Smirke: From Covent Garden to Lowther Castle" Step into the captivating world of Smirke, a name that resonates with history and art. In 1810, Covent Garden witnessed the birth of an architectural genius, Sir Robert Smirke. His creations would leave an indelible mark on London's landscape. Fast forward to 1927, where Royal Ascot became a stage for Smirke's caricatures. As laughter filled the air, his artistic prowess brought life to this prestigious event like never before. In c1935, we find ourselves in awe at the Reading Room of the Great Library at the British Museum through Smirke's eyes. The grandeur and intellectual energy emanating from this space are palpable even today. But it wasn't just buildings that fascinated Smirke; he had a keen eye for talent too. Charlie Smirke, a British jockey astride Mahmoud, epitomized grace and skill as they galloped towards victory. The year 1927 marked "The Wettest Derby on Record, " immortalized by The Tout. Through his lens, we glimpse both triumph and adversity etched on jockeys' faces as they braved challenging conditions. Delving further into Charlie Smirke's world reveals more than just racing glory; it unveils camaraderie within Jockey Clubs' Weighing Rooms or amidst lively conversations at The Conservative Club in St James Street during c1840 (1947). As we wander through time alongside our guide - Sir Robert - we encounter unexpected treasures such as a Drinking Fountain at the British Museum in 1860. A symbol of respite amidst knowledge-seeking visitors bustling about their day. Our journey takes us outdoors too – capturing moments like visitors strolling outside while admiring View of the British Museum lithograph from 1854 or witnessing Lord Lonsdale entertaining His Imperial Majesty, the Kaiser, at Lowther Castle.