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The First Letter from the Imigrants

Printmaker: Horsburgh, John, ARSA · 1791-1869Printmaker: Howison, William, ARSA · 1798-1850Publisher: Royal Association for the Promotion of the Fine Arts in Scotland · 1849-1891Printer: McGlashan and WildingPrimary artist: Faed, Thomas, RA HRSA · 1826-1900

The First Letter from the Imigrants

Howison was probably the original choice to engrave this plate but was in poor health according to his Obituary notice in The Scotsman. In his…

Howison was probably the original choice to engrave this plate but was in poor health according to his Obituary notice in The Scotsman.

In his article "Edinburgh Engravers" in The Book of the Old Edinburgh Club, Ninth Volume, 1916, pp.79-113, John C Guy writes of Howison (p.101); "William Howison (1798-1851 sic) engraved the well-known picture of "Curlers," by Sir George Harvey, the success of which as an engraving led to his being elected an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy. He also engraved after the same artist the "Covenanters' Communion," and after Sir William Allan "Polish Exiles" and after Thomas Faed the "Letter from the Emigrants." He was engaged on this last mentioned plate when he died at his residence at 8 Frederick Street."

jointly engraved the plate with William Howison ARSA; see notes above

Faed's original painting was exhibited at the RSA AX in 1849 (cat.162), lent by Alexander Mitchell Innes Esq

the work was engraved exclusively for the subscriber members of RAPFAS for the year 1850