Millionaire Shopping : The collections of Alfred Morrison, 1821-1897

Abstract

Millionaire Shopping is the first full, detailed and original account of the huge and unstoppable collecting and patronage of Alfred Morrison (1821-1897) who was one of the most important but lesser-known Victorian collectors and patrons of the arts. Morrison was an obsessive; his collections evidence the extravagant deployment of limitless wealth. This wonderfully illustrated book includes images from public and private collections across the world, many of which have never previously been published. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field and dedicated to a particular aspect of Morrison’s collecting and patronage. Morrison collected Old Masters and contemporary art, thousands of engraved portraits, autograph manuscripts, coins, medals and Imperial Chinese porcelain. His manuscript collection, the largest in private hands, included letters from Leonardo da Vinci and Jane Austen. He commissioned exquisite pieces from artists such as Charles Lepec and Plácido Zuloaga. He also commissioned furniture from Owen Jones, including the unique 'Alhambra' ceilings in his London house. On his Wiltshire estate, he bred prize-winning sheep and commissioned cottages from George Devey. Morrison’s collections were dispersed worldwide and the recent re-appraisal of his taste means that many of his prized objects are now worth millions of pounds.