Hertfordshire Prints

9x7 cm

Belmont, Herts. the seat of Tho.^s Harvey Esq.^r
Drawn & Engraved by I Hassell.
London: Pub. 1. April 1817. by I Hassell.

Belmont was a house in Cockfosters dating from the 16th century. Originally known as Mount Pleasant, by the 19th century had become Heddon Court, a preparatory school for boys. The school was closed in 1933 and the house demolished. 

Aquatint in original hand colour by John Hassell published in a two volume work: Picturesque Rides and Walks, with Excursions by Water, Thirty miles round the Metropolis...London, John Hassell 1817-1818.
John Hassell (1767?-1825) was an English landscape painter, engraver, illustrator writer, publisher, drawing master, friend and biographer of fellow artist George Morland.
The work included 120 aquatint engravings. Aquatint is an etching process using powdered rosin to create tones on the copperplate which, when hand coloured with watercolour washes after printing, gave the effect of a watercolour painting. The small two volume work was expensive to produce and sales were limited, the work and surviving plates are scarce today.
Some fingermarking to bottom margin.