Framed English Antique Pencil Drawing

This fascinating drawing from the 1870's depicts a view of the harbor town of Grimsby in Lincolnshire, England. It's reminiscent of the pencil sketches of Grimsby by the renowned artist George Skelton (1855-1932), whose works are a valuable record of early Grimsby. This drawing, however, is far more detailed. We have included a copy of the same view drawn by Skelton from a slightly different angle for comparison {that's our notation on the photo}.

This original pencil drawing is backed by a slab of wood, on which is handwritten in script:
'For Joshua Haskitt from his Aunt Eliza, drawn by Eliza Jane Brooks assisted by her Papa on leaving her dear old Dock house.'
We found Eliza Jane Brooks {also spelled Brooke} on Ancestry; she was born in 1857 in Stockport, Cheshire, England, about 100 miles from Grimsby. We have not located Joshua as yet.

The frame surrounding the drawing is beautifully grained birdseye maple in a lovely honey color. The inner liner is gold leaf and there is a brass hanging ring at the top. The dust paper on the back is new, cut to frame the writing. There are tears on the paper at the upper left and lower right corners; apparently a former owner wanted to see if there was more writing under it.

The framed size is 12 inches by 16 1/4 inches and is 1 1/2 inches deep. The sight size of the drawing is 8 inches by 12 inches; the artwork weighs about 3 1/4 pounds. The frame and its glass cover are in good condition, with a few nicks and dents in the frame and the inner gilding worn.

The drawing itself is in excellent condition, with no tears, stains or fading (Pencil drawings are wonderfully resistant to aging.) The color of the paper used for the drawing is not yellowed but is a mellow beige color. Not only is this a very decorative antique artwork, it's a valuable historical perspective of a vanished English scene.

❈The iron hook for hanging the picture is not included.

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