Title
To Sir Joseph Bankes, President of the Royal Society, London, This Plate, from Motives of Respect and Esteem, is inscrib'd by his most obet. humble serv.ts Thos & Paul Sandby : The Meteor of Aug. 18. 1783, as it appeared from the NE. Corner of the Terrace, at Windsor Castle, 18 Min. after 9 in the Evening: it's apparent Diameter was nearly equal to the Semidiameter of the Moon, but it's light much more vivid, it's greatest Attitude was 25 Deg. / T Sandby Delint ; P Sandby Sculpt.
Creator
Sandby, Paul, 1731-1809, printmaker, publisher.
Publication details
[London] : Publish'd according to Act of Parliament by P. Sandby St Georges Row, October 1783.
Physical details
1 print : Etching and aquatint with engraved lettering and hand-colouring ; sheet 35.5 x 53 cm
Description
Two women and four men stand on a terrace at Windsor Castle, which overlooks the Great Park, all watching a meteor as it flies across the sky at night; the progression of the meteor is marked by three different locations, marked A", "B", and "C". Lettered below the image with a dedication from Thomas and Paul Sandby to Joseph Banks, PRS, the title and the following key: 'A It's appearance soon after it emerged from a Cloud, in the N.W. by W. where it was first discovered. / B It's further Progress, when it grew more oblong. / C When it divided & formed a long train of small luminous bodies, each having a tail: in this form it continued till it disappeared from the interposition of a Cloud in E by S.'; also scratched with production details. Bears stamp 'IMG' belonging to John Macgowan (1726-1780) on verso."
Place
Windsor (England : Rural district)
Additional information
Two studies for this print are in the British Museum 1904,0819.427 and 1904,0819.34. According to the cataloguing for 1904,0819.427 the figures in the scene include Tiberius Cavallo, Dr James Lind, Dr Lockman and Thomas Sandby.
Other persons
Sandby, Thomas, 1723-1798, artist.
Shelfmark
Maps K.Top.7.40.ll.