Fairclough Portrait Collection

Mr A. B. R. Fairclough of Twickenham donated his collection of portrait prints and illustrations relating to 17th-century British history to the University of Leicester in 1970. The collection was assembled over 45 years, and had its beginnings in visits to second hand bookshops shortly after Fairclough left school in 1925. He acquired books, engraved portraits and photographic reproductions of portraits. The portraits are grouped together and boxed by theme, such as the livelihood or occupation of the sitters, or people mentioned in the diary of John Evelyn. There are around 3,500 engraved portraits, all of 17th-century subjects, printed during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. This collection contains a selection of these, with a particular focus on the Civil War and Commonwealth period. Further information about the Fairclough Collection, including an index to the complete collection of engraved portraits, can be found on the Special Collections website.