Queen Victoria’s appreciation of German artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873) began after she saw portraits by him of other European monarchs. Accordingly, between 1842 and 1861 he made fifteen visits to England and painted over 100 portraits of Her Majesty, the royal family and other friends and dignitaries. In 1843 Winterhalter was commissioned to paint matching portraits of Queen Victoria and Albert, the Prince Consort. These originals hang in the Garter Throne Room at Windsor Castle and are part of the UK Royal Collection. Many legitimate copies of Winterhalter’s portrait were produced and presented to the Parliaments of the British Empire, including the Parliament of Victoria. Such copies are referred to as “After F. X. Winterhalter” and artists responsible include William Corden and John Prescott Knight. When creating copies, artists were not restricted by the size of the original portrait. Walterhalter’s original is 2.7m x 1.7m whereas copies can reach an impressive 4.5 metres in height. The portrait that hangs in Queens Hall at the Parliament of Victoria is not signed. Comparison with other copies of the work suggest that the Parliament’s painting may have been completed by William Corden. The Government Art Collection (United Kingdom), has a Queen Victoria copy in their collection and Parliament’s portrait has similar traits. A copy by John Prescott Knight which hangs in the Legislative Council in the Parliament of Tasmania is quite different, particularly with reference to the shape of the young Queen’s face, which is rounder in the Corden portraits.This portrait of Queen Victoria was presented as a gift by the British Government to the Parliament of Victoria in April 1860. Painted on fine linen supplied under Royal Warrant by the workshop Winsor and Newton, London, the frame has been embellished with elaborate wooden carvings. Framed portrait, oil on linen, of Queen Victoria. Victoria is posed in front of a curtain partially obscuring a building (possibly Buckingham Palace) in the background. Timber frame with a layer of gesso and decorative composition ornaments. There are rose, scotch thistle, clover leaf and Acanthus ornaments. A carved wood and composition element crown, resting on a tassled pillow sits on top of the frame.Canvas unsigned. Verso printed: ‘WINSOR AND NEWTON / Rathbone Place, London’. Embossed stamp into stretcher wood, stamped ‘Winsor and Newton’ in black ink.victoria queen of great britain, 1819-1901, winterhalter, franz xaver, 1805-1873, corden, william, queens hall, parliament of victoria

London : Proprietors of the Illustrated London News, [1897] 54 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 41 cm. non-fictionPart of rare book collection.victoria queen of great britain 1819-1901, great britain -- history -- victoria 1837-1901.

This book is a black and white facsimile of the coloured, commemorate album presented to Queen Victoria on her Diamond Jubilee in June, 1897, celebrating the 60th Anniversary of her reign on the British throne. The Municipalities also received original copies, each numbered as limited editions. The first two pages of the album are an address to Queen Victoria from the Municipalities of the Colony of Victoria, Australia, written in fancy Old English calligraphy. The remaining twenty-three pages display images representing each of the 208 municipalities as in 1897 and include a medallion of their Coat of Arms and statistics such as population, size and valuation, signatures of the Shire Presidents and Secretaries. The album’s publisher, Sands & Mc Dougall Limited, was first established in Sydney. This book was published by the Melbourne Branch. Local areas mentioned in the album include – Town of Warrnambool, page 5, Borough of Portland, page 7 Borough of Port Fairy, page 9 Borough of Koroit, page 9 Shire of Belfast, page 10 Shire of Portland, page 10 Shire of Warrnambool, page 10 Shire of Mortlake, page 12 TRANSCRIPTION OF THE ADDRESS TO QUEEN VICTORIA – “May it please Your Majesty, We Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the representatives of the Municipal Government of the entire Colony of Victoria, humbly approach Your Majesty with earnest assurances of our attachment and devotion to Your Majesty’s Throne and person. We beg to offer to Your Majesty respectful and heartfelt congratulations on completion of the 60th Year of Your Majesty’s reign and to express our grateful recognition of the beneficent influence exercised by You as our Queen during that long period. We are proud of the honour that united, we form the Colony which bears Your Majesty’s name and the unity of this, our expression of congratulation and thankfulness, is truly typical of the united love of the people of this Colony for You as our Queen and for our Nation. With devout thankfulness to our Almighty God for wisdom, guidance and strength vouchsafed in You as our Sovereign, and for unexampled blessings bestowed upon us Your people, we offer earnest prayer that the continuance of Your Majesty’s reign may be a season of peace amongst the Nations of the World and of closer and still happier kinship between the many and wide unretruding sections of our Empire. As witness, the Corporate Seals of the 208 Municipalities of the Colony of Victoria. This 21st day of June 1897.”This facsimile album is significant for its association with early Australian history, the influence of the British Monarch over its Colony, and the establishment, growth and extent of the Colony of Victoria. The album gives a summary of a set year and the statistics of each Municipality. This gives added significance to the history of South-West Victoria, including Warrnambool, allowing a comparison of then and now. The album's inclusion of the Address to Your Majesty shows the respect of the people of Victoria towards the British Monarchy.Book, hard cover, bound in black leather with gold embossed title and border on the front cover, gold lines top and bottom of spine and gilt edged pages. Inside covers are lined in white embossed fabric. Twenty-five pages are all thick, cream coloured card with a rectangular border in the centre of each page. Attached inside the boarders are black and white copies of illustrations and text. A green printed label is attached inside the back cover.“SANDS & Mc DOUGALL LIMITEDN/Manufacturers/MELBOURNE”flagstaff hil, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, queen victoria, diamond jubilee, 60th anniversary, album, municipalities of victoria, colony of victoria, 1897 statistics of victoria, sands & mcdougal, facsimile album, australian history, victorian history, historical document, address to your majesty, address to queen victoria, victoria queen of britain, queen of the united kingdom, 60th anniversary of reign, 1819-1901, jubilee 1897, 208 municipalities, seals of victoria, statistics in victoria 1897, presentation album, british monarchy