Artwork

H Beard Print Collection

H Beard Print Collection, by Messrs. Cadell & Davies, 17
H Beard Print Collection, by Messrs. Cadell & Davies, 17

H Beard Print Collection is a print by the Romanticist artist Messrs. Cadell & Davies. It dates from 17 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The 1815 print, produced by the London publishers T.

About this work

This print from 1815 shows a page about artist Thomas Stothard.
It was made by Cadell & Davies and published in London.
The page lists Stothard’s prints and where to buy them.

The date is precise: March 17, 1815.
It’s part of a series, not a single sheet.
This was a common way to advertise prints back then.

Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.

Overview

The 1815 print, produced by the London publishers T. Cadell & W. Davies, functions as an informational sheet about the artist Thomas Stothard. Dated precisely 17 March 1815, it forms part of a broader series of promotional prints that were commonly used in the early nineteenth century to publicise artists and their works.

Subject & Meaning

The sheet lists a selection of Stothard’s prints, providing titles and the locations where they could be purchased. By presenting this catalogue in a printed format, the publishers aimed to guide potential buyers directly to the venues offering the artist’s work, reflecting the commercial practices of the period.

Technique & Style

Executed as a single-page print, the document employs the typical typographic and illustrative conventions of early‑19th‑century advertising material. The layout balances textual information with modest decorative elements, characteristic of Cadell & Davies’ production standards.

History & Provenance

Issued by the established London firm Cadell & Davies, the sheet was distributed as part of their regular output of promotional literature. It later entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it is catalogued among other ephemera documenting print‑selling practices of the era.

Context

During the Regency period, printed catalogues served as a primary means for artists and publishers to reach a wider audience. This sheet exemplifies how print dealers communicated availability and pricing, situating Stothard’s work within the broader market of British print culture.

Artist & collection

Artist

Messrs. Cadell & Davies

They printed news as fast as the gossip spread—Edinburgh’s daily scandals rendered in stark black-and-white, ink still wet when the papers hit the streets.