The Layton Collection

THE THOMAS LAYTON TRUST & LAYTON'S COLLECTION

Picturesque views on the River Thames

Ireland, himself an avid collector of books, pictures, and curiosities, tapped into the contemporary fashion for the sublime and picturesque, by producing a popular series of ‘Picturesque’ tours and views during the 1790s. Here, with the aid of a series of beautiful prints, he fashions a lively and engaging account of the historical and cultural stories behind some of the river’s most iconic scenes; including amongst others, the ‘handsome’ stone bridge at Kew.

Samuel Ireland, 1792. Layton Collection 4330

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The Collection

Thomas Layton collected books, coins, and archaeological items (usually described as ‘antiquities’) for 70 years. In that time he had accumulated what has been described as “probably the largest collection of London antiquities ever amassed by a single individual”.

The vast majority of items are believed to have been bought at auctions. Some came to him from his men working on the river. His businesses provided opportunities for finds from dredging, building of bridges and embankments along the banks of the Thames, for which Layton paid good money. Even by the standards of the day Layton kept poor records of where items were found. Despite this, the collection is considered highly important particularly to archaeologists and pre-historians.