Beschreibung:

Lord Martin Bladen Hawke, Yorkshire & England 1881-1911. An important and comprehensive archive of correspondence consisting of thirty six letters, spanning the period February 1903 to May 1917, the majority handwritten by Lord Hawke, who was Captain of Yorkshire for many years, to artist Shirley Slocombe, a man, who was commissioned in 1903 to paint Hawke's portrait. The various letters are handwritten by Hawke in ink and all boldly signed 'Hawke'. The majority are on Wighill Park, Tadcaster' headed paper, some are from his London address in Jermyn Street, some from his club 'the Sports Club, St James Square and odd ones from various hotels and county cricket grounds around the country. The letters mention cricket and the portrait throughout, as well as talking of problems of fitting sittings for the portrait around cricket matches, Hawke complains 'Have got bruised hands and my whole team are crocks- dead out of luck. Off to Bradford today' [1903], 'Playing at Lord's June 4th' [1903], 'To see bioscope [early generic name for a movie camera] of Yorkshire XI at practice!' [1903], 'Personally I am only having a poor cricket season but team is doing well. Lancs will be too good for us on Bank Holiday' [July 1904], 'Am 45 today-very old! So glad we are on top of Australians [5th Test at the Oval] and if we can only be on top of Lancashire I shall be more pleased' [August 1905], 'I am getting another Testimonial, already £1200, goodness knows how I shall spend it!' [December 1907], 'Yesterday the committee gave me a beautiful Coalport Dessert Service- Always Spoilt!' [undated] etc. He also discusses concerts and the singer 'Kitty' [?], problems with lumbago, holidays and trips to North & South America, India etc. With regard to the portrait and photogravure Hawke suggests choosing a title for the portrait 'Why not 'President & Captain- Yorkshire County Cricket Club' [1903], 'his mothers observations 'I don't think she could have seen it in a good light. I was there Tuesday and had it leant forward and it made all the difference in the world. She says you have got an expression I am not often see in- and on the whole it is good' [1903], 'Picture is to be presented on April 30th - any chance of you being in Yorkshire- if so come to the Dinner, Queens Hotel, Leeds. Jackson [F.S.] and I are entertaining the Committee on this occasion [1904], 'Have you the bat I bought to put handle in the picture-It belongs to Bishton[?] here, I don't remember it being returned to Wighill with flannels', 'Should like my old friend Alcock [C.W.] to see my picture' [March 1904], 'Re my picture and engraving, Mr R[ussell] says he does'nt want to make money out of it and I am sure I don't- would it not be best for you, yourself to come to terms with Sampson of York, or some Leeds firm?. Mr R says Sampson would gladly take it on' [August 1904], 'I was in Sampsons for a few this last week. He tells me he is going to engrave the picture and that he has taken out the copyright on whatever it may be called in W. Russell's name' [September 1904], circa 1917, Hawke mentions 'present of a crayon portrait of my fiancee, I should love it and of course will encourage sittings' [undated], 'My fiancee is very pleased with your picture of her' [April 16?] etc. Hawke vowed never to marry while his mother was alive, he married Maud when he was 56 years of age. There is also a letter handwritten by Hawke's fiancee and eventual wife, Maud, Lady Hawke. 'I could come to you for the picture [May 21st], a letter from 'Fitzwilliam' of Rotherham, dated 28th February 1914 to Slocombe and two letters handwritten by Shirley Slocombe, one to Hawke [August 11th 1904] and one to Mr Watt [August 18th 1904] regarding a commission for a portrait, Hawke having recommended Slocombe to him. In the Hawke letter she talks of 'Will seriously consider the matter of engraving your portrait- whatever is done you shall know!'. A wonderful collection of letters from Hawke giving excellent provenanc
Shirley Charles Lewelyn Slocombe, was born at Islington in 1872. Slocombe studied at the Highbury Institute & School of Art and at the Royal Academy Schools from 1892 until 1897 and where he won the Landseer Scholarship in 1894. He exhibited at the Institute of Painters in Oil Colour and the Paris Salon and was elected an Associate Member of the Royal College of Art in 1901. He died at Kensington, London in 1935, aged 63. Slocombe attended Hawke's wedding to Marjory Nelson Ritchie Edwards in 1916 and was also commissioned to paint a similar portrait of Lady Hawke, Maud his wife, in 1917. The original oil on canvas portrait is in the possession of the Hawke family, a rare limited edition photogravure was engraved by Franz Hanfstaengl of Munich and published by John B. Sampson of York in 1905, one hundred and fifty proofs signed by Slocombe. In 1961, a copy was commissioned by Lord's and was painted by Herbert Holt Martin Bladen Hawke, 7th Baron Hawke, generally known as Lord Hawke, was an English amateur cricketer from 1881 to 1911 who played for Yorkshire and England. He appeared in 633 first class matches, including five Test matches, scoring 16,749 runs with a highest score of 166 and held 209 catches. He scored 13 centuries and 69 half-centuries. He captained Yorkshire between 1888-1910, through a glorious period in Yorkshire cricket, they were County Champions eight times in that period, coming runners up in four seasons.