An important archive belonging to one of the most important collectors of neglected Victorian art has been acquired by Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
H&F archivist Annaig Boyer inspecting the items in the newly-acquired Cecil French archive (c) H&F Council
The archive belonged to Cecil French, an Irish artist, critic, and collector who lived in Fulham and assembled a significant collection of 19th-century British art at a time when it was deeply unfashionable. A large portion of the collection was later donated to the council, and they say that the acquisition of his archive adds depth to that legacy.
Some of the artworks from the collection were displayed at Leighton House last year.
The newly acquired material includes correspondence between Cecil French and the art dealer David Gould from 1946 to 1952, alongside a sketchbook, photographic negatives, and a substantial group of prints, engravings and woodcuts. Together, they offer a detailed insight into French’s artistic interests and the networks that underpinned his collecting.
The archive had remained within the estate of David Gould, co-founder of the Taranman Gallery in Knightsbridge. Its acquisition represents a rare opportunity to reunite documentary material with the artworks to which it relates.
The council says that bringing the archive into public ownership is expected to support future research, exhibitions and interpretation, offering a fuller picture of both French’s work and the wider context of Pre-Raphaelite collecting.
Cecil French 1903 calendar (c) H&F Council