Title derived from published work. All items are labeled as to character and play on the verso of the drawings (some labeled in pencil and some in ink). Drawings were originally matted, though mats have been removed, three segments of the mats with notes identifying the subjects of the drawings have been clipped and are encapsulated in mylar along with the drawings themselves (no.3, no.4 and no.6). The drawings measure approximately 6 7/8 x 5 1/4 in. Each item is initialed 'J.M.W. 60'. Items are highly finished and neatly executed. Artist: Drawings were purchased as being the work of John Massey Wright which the initials on the items seem to corroborate. The items, however, are identical in design to a set of engravings attributed to John William Wright (engravings are labeled with the artist given as J.W. Wright). John William and John Massey are noted in bibliographical sources as being frequently confused with each other. Both were known to have worked for Charles Heath, the compiler of the published collection of engravings to which these designs belong. The date '60- in the drawings serves to further confuse the issue. The engravings are dated 1846 and John William Wright died in 1848. John Massey Wright was alive in 1860, though he would have been 83 years of age. The drawings have been here attributed to John William Wright, regardless of the date, due to the matching engravings and to the fact that they are dissimilar to the body of work in the Folger collection which is attributed to John Massey Wright. History: Drawings are identical in design to six engravings which were published as a part of Charles Heath's The heroines of Shakespeare, 1848. This publication was the second of Heath's collections of Shakespeare's heroines and went into several editions, varying in size between 45 and 48 plates. Wright was responsible for 26 of these plates. Provenance: Items were purchased by the Folgers from Maggs Bros. in April of 1924. Maggs gave no provenance information and claimed that the works were by John Masey Wright. Published work: Heath, Charles. The heroines of Shakespeare ... London : D. Bogue, 1848. Subject: Items are three-quarter length portraits of the following characters: Helena from All's well (ART Box W951.5 no.1) ; Portia from Julius Caesar (no.2) ; Margaret from Henry VI, pt. 1 (no.3) ; Joan of Arc from Henry VI, part 1 (no.4) ; Lavinia from Titus Andronicus (no.5) ; and Constance from King John (no.6).
Folger-specific note
Folger owns copies of several editions of Heath's Heroines of Shakespeare. Three copies of the 1848 edition are cataloged as ART Vol. e97 copies 1-3, and one copy of the circa 1883 edition is cataloged as Sh.Misc. 374. For separate copies of engravings in the Folger collection, consult the ART File under Wright, John William.
