(Wellesley, Arthur, 1st Duke of Wellington) | The Funeral Procession of Arthur, Duke of Wellington

(Wellesley, Arthur, 1st Duke of Wellington)

Alken, Samuel Henry, and George Augustus Sala. The Funeral Procession of Arthur, Duke of Wellington. London: Ackermann & Co., 1852

Panorama, comprising 56 handcolored aquatint plates (each ca.136 x 336 mm) joined on the verso by linen hinges to form a continuous panoramic image (extending to approximately 20,500 mm [67 feet]) illustrating the procession, each plate with printed caption identifying the various military and civic marching mourners depicted, the plate of “The Funeral Car Drawn by 12 Horses” with a second panel folding upwards (here loose); the panorama now separated into about seven sections of various lengths. Original red cloth portfolio with an Ackerman & Co. advertisement on rear pastedown, yellow endpapers; rebacked with a new red morocco front cover lettered in gilt. Panorama, comprising 56 handcolored aquatint plates (each ca.136 x 336 mm) joined on the verso by linen hinges to form a continuous panoramic image (extending to approximately 20,500 mm [67 feet]) illustrating the procession, each plate with printed caption identifying the various military and civic marching mourners depicted, the plate of “The Funeral Car Drawn by 12 Horses” with a second panel folding upwards (here loose); the panorama now separated into about seven sections of various lengths. Original red cloth portfolio with an Ackerman & Co. advertisement on rear pastedown, yellow endpapers; rebacked with a new red morocco front cover lettered in gilt. 

One of the longest panoramas ever published, Ackerman’s work captures the grandeur of Wellington’s funeral procession which encompassed more than 10,000 marchers, including representatives of every regiment of the British Army, as well officers representing the Bengal Army, the Madras Army and the Bombay Army of the East India Company. Along the way, the procession was joined by a group of residents from the old soldiers’ retirement home at Royal Hospital Chelsea, where Wellington had lain in state.

The publisher’s advertisement mounted on the rear pastedown lists “Important Publications Commemorative of the Funeral of the Late Duke of Wellington: Nov. 18, 1852. Painted by Permission of the High Authorities,” including the present panorama and three colored prints after Louis Haghe. 

REFERENCES:

 Abbey, Life 597