‘Catalogue of Some of Blake’s Pictures at “The Salterns”’: Captain Butts as Exhibitor, Litigator, and Co-Heir (With His Sister Blanche)

Beginning in 1863, to a greater extent than has been recognized, Captain Frederick John Butts (1833–1905) controlled the lion’s share of the largest Blake collection ever assembled, works that his grandfather, Thomas Butts (1739–1845), had commissioned or purchased from Blake himself. A proposed redating of a visit from William Michael Rossetti, an examination of previously unreported court records, and an analysis of newly accessible papers of Mary Butts in the Beinecke Library – including a list of at least ‘some’ of Blake’s works in the Captain’s home – help clarify the division of property between the siblings and offer a fresh perspective on the Captain’s actions and likely motives as preserver, manager, and guardian of his and his sister’s heritage.