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The Curlers

Printmaker: Howison, William, ARSA · 1798-1850Primary artist: Harvey, George, Sir, PPRSA RSA · 1806-1876Publisher: Hill, Alexander · 1800-1866

The Curlers

Harvey's original oil of 1835, titled Curlers, was exhibited that year at the RSA (cat.50) to which show it was lent by Sir Gilbert Stirling bart.,…

Harvey's original oil of 1835, titled Curlers, was exhibited that year at the RSA (cat.50) to which show it was lent by Sir Gilbert Stirling bart., Larbert House, Stirlingshire, and in 1873 at the Royal Academy (cat.200). It was shown again at the RSA in 1918 (cat 154) when lent by Lord Glenconner, and purchased by the NGS in 1923 (NG1579)

On the back of the success of the engraving Howison was nominated by Harvey as an Associate (ARSA) in April 1838 and was duly accorded the honour in November of that year, becoming the first engraver to attain full Associate membership, unlike previous engravers (John Horsburgh, William Miller and W H Lizars) who had been elected as Associate Engravers, which gave them none of the privileges other Associates enjoyed, not least the inability to ever be elected to full Academiican rank.

RSA General Meetings Minute Book 1830-57
Minutes of a General Meeting, Scottish Academy 28 April 1838 (pp.156-159)
Sederunt: John William Thomson (Chair in absence of Pres and Deputy Pres); John Syme; William Nicholson; John James Francis Williams (Treas), Thos Hamilton; Samuel MacKenzie; George Simson; William Smellie Watson; Daniel Macnee; Thomas Duncan; Charles Lees and David Octavius Hill (Secy), Mr Elder (Academy’s Law Agent)
“The Secretary reported that in consequence of the law Art 6 Sect IV, which provided that candidates for the degree of Associate shall sign their names on a paper left for that purpose in the Academy, during the month of April, and as April was not yet elapsed, he had, in order to include as nearly as possible the names of all candidates who might come forward, deferred having the list printed until this morning, and that such printed list had been delivered by the printer at the members houses at about 1 o’clock pm. While the Secretary was intimating the above to the meeting, an academician went to the Exhibition Rooms to examine the List and having brought it with him, it was found, that since the list was presented another candidate had entered his name. The Secretary now read the list of the candidates which was as follows; Montague Stanley; J L Stewart; William Calder Marshall (per Chas Lees SA); Arthur Perigal; William Howison (Engraver); David Maitland MacKenzie; D Alexander and William Crabb.
Mr Harvey laid upon the table an engraving by Mr Howison after Mr Harvey’s picture of the Curlers, and a letter from Mr Howison of this date, intimating that he had put down his name as an Associate engraver and had sent the print as a specimen of his abilities. His name was accordingly considered by the meeting not to belong to the list of Associate Engravers candidates for the degree of Associate, but as for that of Associate Engraver see Art 8,9,10 of Sect IV.
Mr Duncan moved and was seconded by Mr Lees, that it be now recommended that not more than two of the candidates be elected to the Degree of Associate at the Annual General Meeting in November next – which motion was carried unanimously.”
(the meeting then discussed and agreed to delete the name of Mr Ewbank for the membership in light of his having failed to fulfil the rules of his election)
“The Secretary stated that he had received instructions from the Council to communicate to this General Meeting that the Council had resolved to apply for a Royal Warrant of Incorporation, and that consequently they were desirous of revising the laws, and that if any Academician had anything to suggest by which any of the laws might be improved, he be requested to send without delay, such suggestions for the consideration of the Council. The Secretary also stated that the Council had it under their serious consideration to bring before the Academy certain new laws, to provide, that the number of Academicians be not at any time reduced below thirty; that four associate engravers might be admitted to the rank of Associates, and that it might be legal for the Academy to elect two Associate Engravers to the rank of Academicians.”
Minutes of General Meeting of the Scottish Academy, 1 August 1838 (pp.160-162)
Sederunt: William Allan (Pres); John Syme; William Nicholson; John James Francis Williams (Treas), John Watson Gordon; Horatio McCulloch; William Bonnar; George Simson; George Harvey; Thomas Duncan; John Steell and David Octavius Hill (Secy), Mr Elder (Academy’s Law Agent)
The Minutes of 28 April were read and approved.
“The President stated that he had called this General Meeting by and with the advice of the Council, in consequence of a letter from Mr Richardson, Solicitor, London, to Mr Elder, dated 25 July in which he writes; “The Lord Advocate has been written to by some of the subscribers for the Petition for the Charter to the Royal Academy stating objections to the admission of the two engravers to the Academicians and his Lordship seems anxious to know by what majority it was carried that such should be the arrangement and whether you are satisfied that it was decided by the wish of the majority.”
The President expressed his regret that any Member should have written on the subject to the Lord Advocate without having previously communicated with him or the Secretary on the subject.
The President in order to put the meeting in possession of all the information connected with the changes of the Laws, and the Charter, directed the Secretary to read the Minutes of Council Meetings of 24 and 30 April and 6 and 9 June last which detail the steps taken by them preparatory to presenting a Petition for a Royal Charter, and the Minutes of a general Meeting of the 28th April at which the Secretary by Order of the Council, intimated that the Council had it under their serious consideration , to propose a law by which two Engravers may be admitted to the rank of Academicians, and that four engravers may be admitted to the rank of Associates; and requested that the members would, in order to assist their deliberations, furnish them without delay, with their suggestions on this point and the laws in general.
On those Minutes having been read, Mr Elder stated that the Secretary and he had, under the remit from the Council, prepared drafts of New laws to be submitted for the consideration of the Council but that when matters had proceeded thus far they were abandoned, in consequence of the advice mentioned in the Minutes. That the necessity of great dispatch had had been waged, and the Council having been unanimous on the point relative to Engravers, and having received from the members no objections or suggestions of any kind, believed that they were acting agreeably to the unanimous wish of the body in presenting a Draft Warrant for a Royal Charter, containing the clauses in regard to the Engravers which he now read to the meeting. – That those clauses and every clause in the Draft Warrant had, as the Minutes showed, been twice under the consideration of the Council, and had twice received their approbation, and that if the Council, trusting to the silence of the members upon the subject had erred in not obtaining a more formal confirmation of them by the general Body, that Body had now power of ratifying what the Council had done, and of declaring the clause to be a law of the Academy.
After the members had delivered their opinions on the subject, Mr Harvey moved, and was seconded by Mr Nicholson, that the clause of the Draft Warrant respecting the admission of Engravers to the respective ranks of Academicians and Associates be approved of, and the motion having been put to the vote, was carried with only one dissenting voice.
Mr Elder with the leave of the President having requested the meeting to hear him read the Draft Warrant, as it contained, besides the clauses as to Engravers some other clauses which although carrying out the spirit of the existing laws, in some instances introduced some alteration or modification of them.”
Minutes of General Meeting of the Scottish Academy, 14 November 1838 (pp.163-167)
Sederunt: William Allan (Pres); John Syme; William Nicholson; John James Francis Williams (Treas), John Watson Gordon; Horatio McCulloch; William Bonnar; George Simson; David Scott, [?Kenneth] Macleay, George Harvey; Thomas Duncan; James Stevenson; John William Thomson; Colbvin Smith; John Steell and David Octavius Hill (Secy), Mr Elder (Academy’s Law Agent)
[the Royal Charter was laid on the table]
“From the alteration of the law provided by the Charter in regard to the admission of Engravers to the rank of Associates and Academicians, Mr Howison was declared to belong to the list of candidates for the degree of Associate, and the meeting thereafter resolved that not more than two of the Candidates for that degree be now elected – being in terms of the recommendation of the meeting of 28th April.
The Academicians having sent or given to the president their marked lists, the same were scrutinised, and it was declared that the three candidates who had the greatest number of suffrages were Montague Stanley, William Howison and Arthur Perigal.
A ballot was now taken between the two highest, viz Mr Stanley and Mr Howison, and Mr Stanley was declared duly elected.
A ballot was also taken between Mr Howison and Mr Perigal and Mr Howison was declared duly elected.”

Transcribed by R H Rodger
RSA Documentation Officer
2017-01-26