PBA Galleries

In 1931, Mr. and Mrs. A. Edward Newton visited San Francisco and a party was given in their honor at Heron House by Mr. Flodden W. Heron, a local book collector of some note. Early in the evening, Mr. Newton donned a red English hunting coat, which he felt gave him a true "Trollopean" appearance and created considerable jovial comment. He kept the coat on throughout the entire evening, and Mrs. Newton remarked that she had never seen A. Edward in a more happy, natural and contented mood. Mr. Heron took a photograph of Newton in the garb and after the visit he took it to local artist Hal Brothers and requested he make a watercolor portrait, put on an English riding helmet with appropriate neckwear, and sporting a riding crop. The painting was later presented to Mrs. Newton with a suggestion that she present this to Newton as a Valentine. She replied by post, that it was set at his place at the dinner table and provided much merriment for the entire evening. The sketch is inscribed and signed in ink by Brothers (and differs from the final published version, as Brothers had not yet added the riding crop) "The preliminary sketch for the drawing used as the frontispiece for "End Papers". It is also signed and titled in pencil by Brothers as "A. Edward Newton as Anthony Trollope at Heron House, San Francisco." Accompanying the lot are approximately 15 pages of photocopied letters from the Bancroft Library, between, Newton, Flodden Heron, Mrs. Newton and the artist Brothers, that document the entire narrative. Also included is a signed copy of "Eddie Newton's Ride", Auden's "Three Songs For St. Celia's Day" and two other ephemeral printed cards, all in their original mailing envelopes addressed to Flodden Heron in San Francisco.