Item 16 - Letter from Norman Macleod, Assistant Secretary, South Kensington Museum, to Lord Houghton

1 folded sheet, MS, with enclosures: 1 printed folded sheet, 1 printed form (1 sheet).

South Kensington Museum. - Writes on the instructions of the Lords of the Committee of Council on Education, referring to Houghton's offer of assistance in the 'formation of the Exhibition of National Portraits, suggested by the Earl of Derby'. Enclosing a 'memorandum... as to the arrangements for the exhibition', and expressing, on behalf of Lord Derby and the Lords of the Committee, 'how highly any contributions made by you to the Exhibition will be esteemed'. They hope that 'As many portraits of great national interest exist which are not generally known', Houghton will let them know of the possessors of any such with which he is acquainted, so that they might also be contacted.

With printed enclosure: 'Science and Art Department of the Committee of Council on Education, South Kensington. National Portrait Exhibition in 1866'. With extracts from a letter by the Earl of the Derby, 6 May 1865, containing the germ of the project; a list of the members of the Committee of Advice [which includes Lord Houghton]; and arrangements approved for the exhibition. Also included is a blank printed form for details of portraits to be loaned to the Exhibition, for which details are to be recorded as follows: 'No. of painting; name of person or persons represented; reign in which they lived; artist's name; size of painting, including frame; any facts of interest relating to the person represented, or to the painting. These particulars may if necessary be written on a separate paper headed with the No. of the Portrait and the name of the person represented'.