Notes and Queries, Number 74, March 29, 1851

In this mid‑nineteenth‑century essay, a keen observer laments the scattered, often undocumented world of English portraiture. He surveys the grand estates and modest country houses, noting how many valuable likenesses of notable figures are hidden behind vague labels or forgotten altogether. The writer argues passionately for a comprehensive catalogue that would both aid scholars and protect these visual records from neglect, fire, or the indifferent hands of time.

Through vivid anecdotes—such as a dusty roll of canvases discovered beneath a furniture shop’s floor—the piece illustrates the precarious fate of artworks that once graced aristocratic halls. By championing careful documentation and preservation, the author invites readers to consider how much of the nation’s visual heritage might be rescued simply by naming and recording what already exists.