Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, Second Duchess of Portland (1714-1785) is a well known figure in the history of shell collecting. Peter Dance in his “Shell Collecting: An Illustrated History” states that “She became the unchallenged leader of British dilettanti and her collection of shells was considered the finest in England and rivaled the best in Europe.” The dispersal of her collection after her death is still regretted, yet the catalogue for the sale introduced many new scientific names, and remains an important reference.
Recently an exhibition has opened at Welbeck, one of the Portland family estates, focusing principally on the life of the Duchess, and featuring many portraits of her and members of her family, but also including the reconstruction of an eighteenth century cabinet of curiosities. The exhibition is at The Harley Gallery, Mansfield Road (A60), Welbeck, Worksop, Nottingham S80 3LW. Telephone: 01909 501 700. 1OAM to 5PM Tuesday to Sunday, and runs until March 2008.
Produced to complement the exhibition is a 44 page booklet titled, like the exhibition, ‘Duchess of Curiosities: The life of Margaret, Duchess of Portland” written by Rebecca Stott - well known to naturalists for her recent books Darwin and the Barnacle” and “Oyster”. Again the emphasis is on the Duchess’ life, but there is much on her collecting. Her relationship with her contemporaries — from George III and Queen Charlotte, Horace Walpole, Jean-Jacques Rouseau, David Garrick, Dr Johnson and Joshua Reynolds to impoverished scholars and sea captains becomes clear, as does her own attitude to collecting, not just in the pleasure of ownership but in the philosophical project of studying the natural world.
It is interesting to read that the Duchess employed people to collect shells for her, and sponsored scientists to collect material -- she helped fund Cook’s voyages and gave Dr. Thomas Shaw some £600 “to fund his travels and to find shells and curiosities for her as he travelled”. She also employed artists to record specimens for her, for example commissioning some 800 botanical drawings from Georg Dionysus Ehret. The book has numerous quotations from contemporaries, from the Duchess herself - and it is tantalising to read that many of the people she employed to collect shells are mentioned in her letters, and. particularly from her close friend Mrs Mary Delaney. It is illustrated in colour with numerous family portraits, natural history illustrations and. objects associated with the Duchess, from the eponymous Portland Vase and carved gems to a pair of silver-gilt candelabra by John or William Cafe, London 1757, modelled after tree-branches and decorated with insects and snails which she commissioned.
Available from The Harley Gallery – address as above - for £3.95 + £1.50 p&p. This is a fascinating insight into one of conchology’s great characters. My only criticism would he the lack of a bibliography, and in particular, details of primary sources, as the Duchess letters could throw an interesting light on the sources of some of her shells, especially those species first named in the Portland sale catalogue.