Samuel Redgrave

Samuel Redgrave (London 3 October 1802 – 20 March 1876 London) was an English civil servant and writer on art.

He was eldest son of William Redgrave, and brother of Richard Redgrave, and was born at 9 Upper Eaton Street, Pimlico, London. When about 14 years old he obtained a clerkship at the Home Office, and in his leisure time studied French, German, and Spanish, and practised watercolour painting and architectural drawing. He was admitted in 1833 as an architectural student of the Royal Academy.

He subsequently received a permanent appointment at the Home Office, and worked on the registration of criminal offences. In 1836 he acted as secretary to the constabulary force commission, and in May 1839 became assistant private secretary to Lord John Russell, and then to Fox Maule, until September 1841. Later, from December 1852 to February 1856, he was private secretary to Henry Fitzroy.

He retired from public service in 1860, and devoted the rest of his life to art. He had been secretary to the Etching Club since 1842, and knew leading artists. At the International Exhibition of 1862 the watercolour gallery was arranged by him, and the loan collection of miniatures exhibited at the South Kensington Museum in 1865 was under his management. His efforts contributed to the National Portrait exhibitions of 1866, 1867, and 1868, and the gallery of British art in the Paris International Exhibition of 1867 was under his direction. He also acted as secretary to the committee which carried out the exhibitions of the works of old masters and deceased British artists held at the Royal Academy from 1870, but then retired on the appointment of a lay secretary to the Academy in 1873.

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