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G. Armstrong and Company. Six months later the Boer War broke out, and WBS served in the Imperial Yeomanry. He continued a hedonistic existence after the war, but noted in his memoir that “after all this life of amusement I began to feel that I wanted to do something to justify my existence”. A devotee of Chamberlain, he entered Conservative Party politics in 1905 as private secretary to the Secretary of State for Scotland, and stood for election the following year, but was unsuccessful. In 1907 he joined the India and Eastern Trading Company as a director, established to finance a jute plantation in Assam, but lost a significant sum in the American stock market crash that year. A promotional brochure for the sale of the luxurious property at 3 Rutland Gate, Hyde Park, dated 8 July 1908, accompanies the albums; WBS is recorded at that address in 1911–12 by the Territorial Force Directory for the Lothians and Border Horse, with whom he served in the First World War. He died in 1936 at Malta en route to England. This is a peerless visual document of student life at Oxford at the close of the 19th century, handsomely presented. 2 volumes, large quarto (362 × 272 mm). Contemporary red half morocco, red pebbled cloth sides, flat gilt bands
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to spine of vol. I, paper spine labels lettered in manuscript to both, front board of vol. I lettered in gilt (“W.B.S Loretto 1885–91 and Oxford”), edges gilt, albumen prints (mainly
in Imperial, “full plate”, format, 240 × 290 mm, together with a selection of smaller personal photos; many of them annotated with names, dates and locations, mounted recto and verso of linen-hinged cream cardstock). Vol. I: 92 photographs; vol. II: 42 photographs; 7 menu cards mounted at rear; clipping from The Oxford Review , 2 December 1893 and 13 February 1894 tipped-in. Accompanied by a card folder of 40 photographs, mainly relating to the Stewart family taken 1883–1932 (among these are 3 photographs of WBS taken 1883, 1886, and 1895; 13 studio portraits; 11 family photographs, 2 school year group photos, 1 CdV of WBS’s father), and 10 pp. promotional brochure for sale of 3 Rutland Gate, Hyde Park, dated 8 July 1908. Albums expertly and judiciously restored (joints repaired, spine ends and tips consolidated, gilt retouched), leaves typically a little rippled with some light foxing (images unaffected), the majority of the photographs in superb condition, crisp and retaining excellent tonal contrast. A superb pair of albums, most handsomely presented, the spectacular images of an unusually high quality. ¶ Sarah Dietz, Entrepreneurship in the Age of Empire: Colonialism, Collaboration and Exploitation , 2020; G. C. Drinkwater, M.C. & T. R. B. Sander, The University Boat Race: Official Centenary History 1829–1929 , 1929. £8,500 [145678]
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All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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