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Hiort drawings of Claremont & other houses

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c.70 original designs for buildings in the grounds of the residence of Princess Charlotte and her husband, Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, later King of Belgium, at Claremont House, Esher, Surrey, elevations, sections, plans and details for lodges and cottages, gateways, stables and coach houses, bridges, conservatories and other buildings, including the ornamental temple and its conversion to become the princess's cenotaph, pen and ink or pencil drawings, many fully worked up with watercolour, or with a monochrome wash, many dated, a few signed or initialled, variously mounted on album leaves, in modern half-morocco boards, earlier morocco gilt label 'Drawings of Claremont by Hiort, 1817' mounted on upper board, large folio, 1816-17.

***John William Hiort (1772-1861) originally trained as a miniaturist and engraver before entering the office of C.A. Craig at the Office of Works. With the support of Sir William Chambers he became the Resident Clerk, and then the Chief Examining Clerk, in 1815. As a Result of these important administrative roles, he actually designed few new buildings, but he was involved in designing several major public events including the funerals of Pitt and Nelson, and the coronation of George IV, in 1820. But he had earlier, in the spring and early summer of 1817, produced some work for future king's only child, Princess Charlotte (1796-1817), who had married Leopold of Saxe-Coburg the year before, for her much loved home at Claremont, near Esher in Surrey. It is to this work that this bound collection of designs relates. By far the most noteworthy group of drawings are those for the Gothic Retreat which was then converted into a cenotaph following her tragically early death in childbirth, in November of the same year. The group contain drawings of both the original ornamental structure, and its conversion to a more solemn purpose soon after. There is also present the very first pencil sketch with the significant annotation stating 'Original sketch by J.W.H. in the presence of H.R.H. the Princess Charlotte at Claremont. Being the first design for an ornamental building in the pleasure ground, previously to the bulding of the Gothic Temple now converted into a Cenotaph'..

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