Thursday

February 2015 - New literary research - Tobias Smollett

18C English Literature
Apologies to patient people pondering on the past paucity of posts! I still maintain my interest in miniature portraits and am happy to continuing answering questions, but over the last year my research effort has increasingly been directed at 18C English Literature. While there remains a great deal more to do, I have now started to post the research on a new website. Click on this link to reach it:

The Lost Works of Tobias Smollett and the War of the Satirists

After reading all the evidence tabled here, it would be interesting to hear opinions on whether the website discusses what may become considered as the greatest literary discovery for many years?? So far, over 250, now nearly 300, anonymous and pseudonymous books, pamphlets, and satirical prints, amounting to over 25,000 pages of 18C literature, which have lain unresearched for 275 years, have been newly attributed to Smollett. The 25,000 pages are accompanied by discussion of previously unrecognised satires by Hogarth, Fielding, and Pope. 

If you, your friends, or colleagues have any interest in Tobias Smollett, Henry Fielding, William Hogarth, Colley Cibber, Alexander Pope, or the London Theatre in 1735-60, there will be much to interest you. The interactions between these literary stars of the 18C have revealed themselves as a fierce War of the Satirists commencing in 1737. Followers are welcome, as is anyone interested in joining in with the research! Rather than a blog/diary, it is more in the form of a book draft, but additions and revisions are being made nearly every day as the research continues. Hence you may like to bookmark it and revisit it every month or so.

American Miniatures
I have received the enquiry below. If anyone is able to help, could they please contact Peter Larson direct?

I am calling from Fredericksburg, Va., USA, in connection with Washington Heritage Museums, regarding whatever leads or information you might share of Wm. Mercer (1773-1839), deaf mute son of Gen. Hugh Mercer.  Ch. Sellers related that second generation Peales recalled with admiration Willam's career in Va. as a portraitist and miniaturist.  Sellers also wrote that he had heard of naive and numerous Mercer works in the Fredericksburg area, but that he had not the looked in to it--I paraphase.  I have seen Williams Battle of Princeton effort and 2 miniatures that are recorded and in the literature.  .....but as to where any other work might be...   ???     Regards and thank you, and I am Peter Larson   

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