GARRICK CLUB’S HISTORIC GIFTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 53, 4 March 1939, Page 14

GARRICK CLUB’S HISTORIC GIFTS

Its Famous Portrait Galien

r j’he Garrick Club, which has always enjoyed a special distinction for tin richness of the gilts and bequests that have been made to it, lias been left by Mr William Meredith, the younger son of George Meredith, the manuscripts ol the “Hardman’’ Letters written by his lather to the late Sir William Hard man. Earlier bequests have included the portrait of Mrs Garrick, attributed to Zoffany, formerly in the collection oi Sir Henry Irving; David Garrick’.chair from Drury Lane Theatre, and bis silver tankard and cover; Sir William 1 Gilbert's writing desk ; portraits of Sir John Hare by Sir John Millais, Sir Charles Wyndham as David Garrick by .John Pettie, R.A., and Mr E. Lyall Swete as the Earl of Warwick in “St. Joan”; and the bronze bust of Bellona, by Kobin, bequeathed by Lt.-Col. Hugh V. Warrender. Sir Arthur Pinero left the reversion of part of his estate to the Club. Hie Club has also a bust of Sir Arthur and there are others of Thackeray and Charles Kemble. Most famous in its own special line of any club in the world is the portrait gallery, formed originally by Charles Mathews, the elder, Alter the death of Mathews in LB3o, and some unsuccessful efforts to deal with the collection on the part of his widow, the Club had the opportunity of buying it for i thousand pounds. A member of tbe Club and an enthusiastic supporter ol Eh© drama, John Rowland Durrant, generously supplied the money. Mathews, over a period of mant years, spent much time in forming this remarkable collection, which consisted of nearly four hundred portraits and acenes from P.lajs. Fitzgerald, writing

of it, remarked that ' When, indeed, we think ol the Club, it is not ol the assemblage ol the gay nnd witty beings who have been its members, but of the wonderful gallery of dramatic pictures, each showing the player ‘in his habit as he lived and also in the habit in which he displayed his talent, the lace which he wore in common lite and that which he donned to give expression to his part.” Besides the hundreds ot individual portraits which cover the walls and take us back from the present age to a wonderful past, there are many striking scenes from plays, such as those by Zoffany of Garrick and Mrs Pritchard in “Macbeth” and Garrick and Mis Cibber in “Venice Preserved,” which are ot the highest importance in the history of acting. From time to time notable addition! have been made to the original collection, amongst them being the portrait of Sir Henry Irving in morning dress, by Sir John Millais; Phelps as Cardinal Wolsey, by Sir Johnston ForbesKobertson; and- Ellen Terry, Mrs Kendal, and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree m “The Merry Wives,” by the Hon. John Collier. Sir Squire and Lady Baneroit are represented by marble statuettes by Prince Victor of Hohenlohe. These additions, numbering between two and three hundred, have coine mostly as presentations from members of the Club. The late King George V., who was its Patron, presented Sif Erank Lockwood’s kumoiwus pen and •nk drawing of Sir Henry Irving meeting his first pheasant, the bird falling on top of his hat. The drawing was found among some of the papers of King Edward Vll A