‘The history of Gillray’s Caricatures, affords a remarkable instance of the vicissitudes of literary property. The engravings to which the present volume forms a descriptive accompaniment, belonged, for the most part, to the late Mrs. Humphrey, the well-known publisher of Caricatures in St. James’s Street. For many years they produced her a considerable income, and were accordingly valued at a large sum - several thousand pounds. When the trade in them began somewhat to decline, Mrs. Humphrey had occasion to raise money, and obtained a loan of upwards of a thousand pounds upon a deposit of the coppers.
After vainly endeavouring for some years to sell these for sufficient to cover principal and interest, with a residue to herself, she put them up to auction, but bought them in for want of a sufficient bidding.
Subsequently, she offered them, with the consent of the lien-holder, to the present Publisher for eight hundred pounds, and actually refused five hundred. After the lapse of about three years she would have accepted the five hundred, or even less, but the time having then passed for expensive publications as a judicious investment, the Publisher declined any further negociation (sic), and the coppers remained in status quo till the day of her death.
The executors, probably not aware of what had passed, and unable to meet with a purchaser at the value of engravings, sold them for old copper, that is, for about as many shillings as Mrs. Humphrey had once refused pounds. By mere accident the Publisher heard of this transaction just in time to rescue them from the melting pot, and the public in consequence are now presented, for a few guineas, with a volume, which, under ordinary circumstances, would have cost four or five times as much.’ |
