Catalogue description Kerrison Preston, Papers relating to William Blake

This record is held by City of Westminster Archives Centre

Details of Accession 924
Reference: Accession 924
Title: Kerrison Preston, Papers relating to William Blake
Description:

This collection includes

 

William Blake original works

 

The William Blake collection of W Graham Robertson

 

Modern studies of William Blake's work

 

Papers relating to William Blake

 

The William Blake Trust

 

The William Blake Bicentenary Celebrations

 

Correspondence relating to William Blake

 

The Pre-Raphaelites and other artists

Date: 1871-1972
Held by: City of Westminster Archives Centre, not available at The National Archives
Language: English
Creator:

Preston, Kerrison, 1884-1974, solicitor, of Bournemouth

Physical description: 64 FILES
Immediate source of acquisition:

Records were donated by Mrs Angela Alabaster and Mr David C Preston in April 1977.

Subjects:
  • Blake, William, 1757-1827, poet, of London
Administrative / biographical background:

Kerrison Preston (1884-1974) practised as a solicitor in Bournemouth, Hampshire from 1909 to 1949. He lived at St Julian's, 22 Knyveton Road, Bournemouth until 1953 and then moved to the Georgian House, Rockshaw Road, Merstham, Surrey. He was a keen collector of the works of William Blake, poet and artist (1757-1827). In addition to writing books and articles about Blake, he was a Trustee of the William Blake Trust and a Sponsor of the Blake Bicentenary Celebrations. As literary executor of W Graham Robertson, who died in 1948, he was responsible for the disposal of the Robertson collection of Blake material. The William Blake Trust was established early in 1949 to co-ordinate the bidding at the Roberston sale at Christie's in July of that year and to make available facsimiles of Blake's works. It received financial assistance from the Robertson estate.

 

In 1967 Kerrison Preston donated his collection of books by and concerning William Blake to Westminster City Libraries.

 

The correspondence and papers in this accession have been preserved in the original filing system as far as possible, but sections relating to the William Blake Trust and the Bicentenary Celebrations have required extensive re-arrangement. Ephemeral items in the files have been destroyed. Enclosures of a minor nature have not been noted in the catalogue.

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