Australian sketches of Richard Read

Thrity-five sketches of birds and other images, two photographs and correspondence regarding Richard Read, including biographical information.

The artist Richard Read, who was born around 1765, was sent to Australia as a convict. He was probably the father of a second Richard Read, a free settler who worked on the same street in Sydney. The Reads are known to art historians as Richard Read Senior and Richard Read Junior.

Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

The pictures in the collection were discovered by Mr C.E. Greening, a descendant of Richard Read, while turning out his parents' home in 1962. He deposited them in the R.C.S. Library in January 1963. After his retirement Mr Greening began researching his family history, and in September 1978 allowed the R.C.S. Librarian to photocopy his correspondence regarding Read. The two photographs in the collection were also presented by Mr Greening.

Includes index.

MSS 8c99R

MSS Addenda, vol. III.

A catalogue of the collection can be found on ArchiveSearch.

Photocopies of the pictures were made by the London representative of the Public Library of New South Wales, 1977.

This collection level description was created by RAS using information from the original typescript catalogue.

Read, Richard, b c 1765, artist in Australia