Joseph Grego

Joseph Grego. ( September 23, 1843 – January 24, 1908) was an art collector and exhibitor, author and journalist, inventor and graphics expert.

Family origins and Company Directorships

Joseph Grego was born in 1843, at 23 Granville Square, Clerkenwell, London, was elder son of Joseph Grego (1817-1881) and his wife Louisa Emelia Dawley. Joseph Grego died unmarried 24 January 1908; at the address where he was born and spent most of his life.His grandfather Antonio Grego, a native of Como, settled in London before 1821 as a looking-glass manufacturer, the firm becoming Susan Grego and Sons in 1839, and Charles & Joseph Grego in 1845. Joseph Grego invented [the Colour Photo-Copier] , a system of reproducing C18th colour prints in such exact facsimile that they have often been mistaken for originals. He was also Director of photo-engravers; Carl Hentschel Ltd, 1899-1908. [1896 Patent: No 2013: “Improvements in the Production of Zink or other Metal Blocks for Printing Purposes.”] Grego was also a Director and substantial shareholder of Kegan Paul & Co from 1903 and the ‘Graphic’ Company, until his death. [The Times, Obituaries. 28 January 1908] .

Writer and Editor

After a private education, Grego worked briefly at Lloyds the underwriters. As an Art Journalist and Author; He specialised as a writer and collector in the works of Gillray, Rowlandson, Morland, Dickens and Cruickshank, and was an acknowledged authority on all of them. Chiefly responsible for the edition of James Gillray’s ‘works’ (1873), and editing ‘Rowlandson the Caricaturist’ (1880); both cited as standard books of reference. He collected much material for a life of Morland, which did not complete. In 1904, he published ‘Cruickshank’s Water Colours’ with reproductions in colour. In 1874, he compiled a volume of ‘Thackerayana;’ (600 sketches) (1875 suppressed – reissued 1898.) Grego also edited ‘Pears Pictorial’ (1893-06), wrote ‘History of Parliamentary Elections in the Old days, from the time of the Stuarts to Victoria’ (1886 & 1892) and edited Gronows Reminiscences with repro-prints (1889); Vuilliers ‘History of Dancing’ (1898) ‘Pictorial Pickwickiana: Charles Dickens and his illustrators’ (1899) and Goldsmith’s ‘Vicar of Wakefield’, including Forster’s essay on the story (1903.) [The Times, Obituaries. 28 January 1908] .

Collector and Exhibitor

Inheriting the spirit of collecting from his father, as an Art dealer, Grego always lent his prints and drawings for public exhibitions, occupying most of his time organising such, chiefly of ‘English Humorists in Art.’ English Humourists in Art Exhibition; Royal Institute; Piccadilly; 1889. Nottingham Castle Exhibition; also publishing an illustrated souvenir with historical notes for the Royal Naval Exhibition in 1891. From 1897 to 1899 Joseph Grego was secretary of the 'Kernoozer's Club'; (motto: "Nostrum tie armis quaerere",) a close and select little body of connoisseurs in Arms and Armour (“"the armour-club par excellence in the world"”) formed to promote ‘friendly intercourse between Gentlemen who study or collect Ancient Armour and Arms.’ Grego was also a named member of the Honorary Sub-Committee, as an organiser and contributor to; the Historical and Commemorative Section; Charles Dickens Memorials; Art and Letters; for the Victorian Era Exhibition. Earls Court 1897. [1897; Victoria Era Exhibition Catalogue.]

Reviews

1897: VEE: “The history of Pickwick – The section undertaken by Mr. Joseph Grego is the fullest collection of Dickensiana ever gathered into one focus. There are illustrations of his works by his contemporaries, some unique and even unpublished*.” [1897; Victoria Era Exhibition Catalogue]

1899: “Pictorial Pickwickiana:” Unique. Being literary and artistic treasures unlikely to come onto the market – their value… inestimable – examples beyond price – unequalled in interest from a literary/historical point of view – scarce, costly and difficult to procure and impossible for an individual to secure a collection of... [Dickens Museum (1988)]

British Museum Library and Estate Auctions

His vast accumulations of prints, drawings, and books &c, were dispersed on his death at ‘Christies’ (April to June 1908) and ‘Puttick and Simpson’s’ (April, June, July 1908.) [Phillips Auction-house]

There are 28 indexed files of Grego’s submissions in the British Museum – British Library. Although Grego was involved with photographic techniques throughout his life, with the exception of 87 C19th glass-negatives of Pickwickiana* in his estate, withheld from the 1897 VEE, there are no other surviving Grego-photographic records. Albeit there are receipts for ‘Photogravure plates produced by Joseph Grego for use by ‘Chapman and Hall’- Dickens publishers, and a rare life-photograph* of Hablot Knight Brown (Phiz). Jules Bastien-Lepage drew a small head of Grego in pen and ink on a visit to London, circa 1880-81. [The Times, Obituaries. 28 January 1908] .

Obituaries

The Times, 28 Jan; Athenaeum, 2 Feb; Graphic 1 Feb 1908; (With portrait from a photo.)

References

Research notes

Robert Seymour (illustrator)