“Ages Ago.” Daily Telegraph, no. 4507, Nov. 25, 1869, p. 3

TO THE EDITOR OF “THE DAILY TELEGRAPH.”

SIR – Your musical critic, in his very kind notice of “Ages Ago,” at the Gallery of Illustration, very properly draws attention to the fact that a portrait of “Dame Cherry Maybud,” painted in 1785, is described in the book of the entertainment as the work of Godfrey Kneller, who died in 1723. This mistake is the effect of a clerical error. Sir Godfrey Kneller is supposed, for the purposes of the drama, to have painted the portrait of “Lord Carnaby Poppytop” in 1713, and the artist’s name was accidentally repeated in the description of Dame Cherry’s portrait. Dame Cherry’s portrait should have been described as having been painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds, who, indeed, is frequently alluded to in the dialogue as having produced that masterpiece.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

W.S. GILBERT.

Junior Carlton Club, Nov. 24.

Contributed to the Archive by Arthur Robinson

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