Sous-série L - Loose Prints

561 Prints

From 1613 to 1617 Nicholas Ferrar was travelling and studying in Europe, and while he was abroad he bought many religious prints which make up this collection. At Little Gidding in the 1630s his nieces used them to illustrate 'Harmonies of the Gospels', the blending together of the four gospels into a single narrative illustrated with a collage of prints. Many of the prints reveal the excisions made by razor or scissors, a few are annotated by Nicholas, and more by his brother John. John Ferrar's annotations consist chiefly of numerical annotations, referring to the print's corresponding chapter in the Harmony of the Gospels, or alternatively if the print was one of a series. Information provided by Dr David Ransome.

Some of the prints post-date this period of collection by Nicholas and John Ferrar, and must have been acquired by more junior members of the Ferrar family.

In the 1970s the loose prints were put into the present order and catalogued by Arthur W. Aspital. Even though the prints are not part of Samuel Pepys's collection, the catalogue was published as an appendix entitled 'Loose Prints' in the Catalogue of the Pepys Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge. Vol.3, Prints and drawings. Pt.1, General, Woodbridge: Brewer, 1980. The Ferrar connection to the prints is not discussed in the catalogue.

Measurements are given to the plate-mark, or the widest margins if cut.

The loose prints were conserved and rehoused in 2014-2015.