John Dillwyn Llewelyn

an album comprising 51 leaves with mounted photographs, including many views of the Llewelyn Family Estate, Penllergare, and Environs, studies of the Llewelyn Family including several Composite Groups, one with a decorative pen and wash border, numerous Botanical Studies, and many charming Rustic and Scenic Views, albumen prints, most identified in ink on the mount; the title calligraphically inscribed ‘Photographs by J. D. L’ in black and red ink beneath a mounted photographic stag head, and ‘Sir John Dilwyn [sic] Llewelyn, brother to Mrs. Crichton’ in a later hand in ink, 1850s. Small folio, 1/2 red leather, marbled paper boards  

Sotheby’s Belgravia, 1 July 1977, Lot 188

The photographs in this charming album are all generally in good to excellent condition. There are many strong prints, with deep dark tones and cream-toned highlights that retain all of their original detail. There is very little fading or yellowing to be seen in the photographs. A fuller account of the condition of individual plates is beyond the scope of this report, and it is recommended that the album be examined in person. Most of the photographs are mounted individually to one side of an album leaf. In a few instances, two or more smaller photographs are decoratively mounted on a single leaf. The very first plate comprises a wonderful photo-collage of three groups of people, each person within the group carefully cut out and artfully arranged within a decorative pen and wash border. The first several leaves are detached from the binding. The front cover is detached from the spine, and the back cover is all but detached. The leaves are somewhat brittle but generally in good shape. The leaves show only minor soiling, foxing, and age darkening. The album's exterior is noticeably worn.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This album comes originally from the collection of the photographer’s granddaughter, the ‘Mrs. Crichton’ referenced on the title page (née Emma Charlotte Llewelyn).  It was among a rich selection of albums of Llewelyn’s photographs offered at Sotheby’s Belgravia in 1977.  John Dillwyn Llewelyn married a cousin of William Henry Fox Talbot, and thus became a member of Talbot’s circle.  He had already experimented with the daguerreotype in the 1840s, and moved on to paper photography, with impressive results, in the 1850s.  The images in this album show, among an array of subjects, many facets of the idyllic Llewelyn family estate in Wales, Penllergare, and its much-celebrated grounds.  Llewelyn was the son of a botanist, and his love of plants, landscaping, and, by extension, the natural world is manifest in this charming album.  Views of nature and plants are complemented by studies of the Llewelyn family and neighbors, including images entitled ‘Gipsies,’ ‘Our School Children,’ and ‘Willy Fishing.’  Also included are Llewelyn’s photographs of neighboring houses, Sketty Hall and Lanelay, and images of local color, including the fully-manned ‘Tenby Lifeboat.’ 

In addition to his keen aesthetic ability with the camera, Llewelyn was a technical innovator, as well.  An early adopter of the wet-plate process, he overcame the need to sensitize plates on-site through the use of Oxymel, a mixture of honey and vinegar, which kept the plates moist and camera-ready for the duration of a photographic outing.  The 60-odd photographs in this album give ample proof of Llewelyn’s status as one of the most accomplished and broadly-talented photographers of his day.