J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours

This sketchbook is home-made from a sheaf of papers folded in half and secured with two pins, so there are no covers. Instead this first page was treated by Turner as the front cover, and was thus left blank by him except for his initials (‘JMWT’), which he inscribed at the top-right corner. Turner’s executors signed the verso of this page (folio 1 verso), while John Ruskin and A.J. Finberg inscribed and stamped their inventory numbers here.

As there are no covers for this sketchbook the page has become a little dirty, with several small marks as well as a tear at the bottom left.

Verso:

Inscribed in brown ink by Henry Scott Trimmer ‘No.98. This book contains 38 leaves | with Pencil Sketches some on both sides – | [signed] H.S. Trimmer’ top
Signed in brown ink by Charles Turner ‘CTurner’ beneath Trimmer’s inscription
Signed in pencil by Charles Lock Eastlake ‘C.L.E.’ beneath Charles Turner’s signature
Signed in pencil by John Prescott Knight ‘JPK’ beneath Eastlake’s signature
Blindstamped with the Turner Bequest stamp upper centre

As there are no covers to this home-made sketchbook, Turner’s executors inscribed the verso of the first page with their signatures.