Leo Webster
Specialist
Lot 12TP
Admiral Lord Nelson's Armchair "The Emma" from H.M.S. 'Victory', English, late 18th century,
18 October 2017, 14:00 BST
London, KnightsbridgeSold for £106,250 inc. premium
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Rhyanon Demery
Head of Sale
Jon Baddeley
Specialist Consultant Collectors, Science & Marine
Admiral Lord Nelson's Armchair "The Emma" from H.M.S. 'Victory', English, late 18th century,
A George III mahogany bergere with rectangular back, sides and seat upholstered in original leather, in square tapering legs and brass casters. A plaque at the front engraved This Chair called the Emma was given by Lady Hamilton to Lord Nelson and was bought on board the Victory after his death by Admiral Sir Francis Laforey Bart. he being at that time a Middy on board. It was left by him to his sister Mrs Molloy and given by her daughter-in-law, Mrs Molloy, to her brother W.H.Blaauw of Beechland. Sold together with a copy of the Christie's catalogue entry.
Footnotes
Provenance
The Blaauw family, Beechland, Newick, Sussex until 1919.
J.Rochelle Thomas, King Street, St James's 1920
Christie's, English Furniture sale, 23rd October 1980 lot 37 and hence to the present owner.
Literature
See; The Authentic Nelson; by Rina Prentice, National Maritime Museum Publishing, Greenwich, 2005, p.154.
"Nelson's cabin armchair.
In 1891 a RN Exhibition, Chelsea, catalogue entry (3022) read: Armchair from the Victory's cabin. In leather, with large pockets for dispatches. Lent by Thomas St Leger Blaauw Esq. The RN Exhibition Illustrated Souvenir, p.77 has a drawing of the chair with the caption: Nelson's favorite arm-chair in his state cabin on board the Victory. This seat, covered in leather, with large pockets at the side for holding dispatches, was called the "Emma", and was a gift of Lady Hamilton to Nelson. It was purchased from the Victory at the time of Nelson's death, by Sir Francis Lafarey (sic), he being at that time a midshipman on board Nelson's flag-ship." In fact, Sir Francis Laforey was Captain of the Spartiate at Trafalgar.
This armchair, very similar to those at Greenwich and Portsmouth, was sold at Christie's on 23rd October 1980 to J & J May. A plaque on the frame is inscribed with the story given in the 1891 catalogue. The same chair has previously been sold in 1920 by J.Rochelle Thomas of King Street, St James's. The advertisement in the Connoisseur of January 1920 offered the chair for £200 has a photograph showing that it already had the engraved brass plaque, and mentions that the chair had been in the Blaauw family until 1919 when it was purchased at the disposal of the contents of Beechland."
The side leather panels of the chair show signs of pockets having been inserted as indicated in the 1891 description. These inserts have now been sealed over.
