Millionaire Shopping: The collections of Alfred Morrison, 1821-1897

Morrison collected Old Masters and contemporary art, thousands of engraved portraits, autograph manuscripts, coins, medals and Imperial Chinese porcelain. His manuscript collection, the largest in private hands, included letters from Leonardo da Vinci and Jane Austen. He commissioned exquisite pieces from artists such as Charles Lepec and Plácido Zuloaga. He also commissioned furniture from Owen Jones, including the unique 'Alhambra' ceilings in his London house. On his Wiltshire estate, he bred prize-winning sheep and commissioned cottages from George Devey. Morrison’s collections were dispersed worldwide and the recent re-appraisal of his taste means that many of his prized objects are now worth millions of pounds.