Specialist Talk - Apprentice, Collector, Connoisseur

Have you ever wondered what stories hide on the shelves of the Tatton Park Library – and how all those remarkable books came to be there? PhD researcher Rachel Daley reveals the fascinating continental roots of the Tatton Park library, exploring the (often overlooked) influence of collector Samuel Hill on his nephew Samuel Egerton, who began his career as an apprentice in Venice.

Immersed in trade and culture, Samuel Egerton worked alongside eminent collector Consul Joseph Smith, acquiring books and artworks for wealthy Grand Tourists – including his Uncle Hill. This talk reveals how the eighteenth-century Grand Tour – a journey across Europe – shaped taste, status, and the art of collecting. Showcasing items in the collection bought by Samuel Hill and Samuel Egerton, demonstrates the family appetite for continental books, particularly those from specific publishers or with an element of rarity.