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2010-7, Print
Portrait of Peter Collinson
2010-7, Print

Portrait of Peter Collinson

Date1783
Engraver (ca. 1750-1803)
OriginEngland, London
MediumLine engraving on laid paper
DimensionsOverall: 8 5/8 × 5 1/2 in (21.91 × 13.97cm)
Credit LineGift of George H. Yetter
Object number2010-7
DescriptionThe upper margin reads, "Plate IV. Vol. II./ Page 33."
The inscription around the portrait reads, "PETER COLLINSON. F.R.S: SAS: ACAD. REG. BEROL: et SVEC. SOC."
The lower margin reads, "Engraved by Troller."Label TextPeter Collinson of London was a Fellow of the Royal Society, an avid gardener, and an influential component of the 18th-century seed trade between America and England. Collinson, a cloth merchant by trade, used his business contacts to send seeds to—and receive them from— collectors on both sides of the Atlantic. He was especially active in assisting vine cultivation in Virginia. He supplied John Custis with seeds of European grapes for his garden in Williamsburg.ProvenanceBefore 2010, George H. Yetter (Williamsburg, VA); 2010-present, given to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA).