Laurence W. Hodson

Identity:

Laurence W. Hodson (fl. 1890-1913) of Compton Hall, near Wolverhampton, was a brewer and collector.

Life:

Hodson's father, William Hodson, a partner in the Springfield Brewery of Butlers, died in 1890, leaving Compton Hall and his part in the brewery business to his son, Laurence. L. W. Hodson became a well known collector and patron of the arts. He formed an impressive collection of prints and drawings, largely modern, including the works of Charles Meryon, Samuel Palmer, Paul Helleu, Cameron, Whistler, Alphonse Legros, Seymour Haden and Mortimer Menpes. He also had some old master prints by Dürer and Rembrandt. Among his Whistler etchings were Nocturne (K184), The Palaces (K187), The Doorway (K188), Nocturne Palaces (K202), K2071003 and Chancellerie, Loches (K383). He lent the latter to the Memorial Exhibition of the Works of the late James McNeill Whistler held at the New Gallery in Regent Street, London, in 1905 (no. 334).

Hodson was also a well known collector of Pre-Raphaelite paintings and was an acquaintance of William Morris. He commissioned Morris to redesign his interior in 1895-96, and it was for him that Morris designed his last wallpaper, known as the Compton pattern. In 1902 Hodson became Chairman of the Fine Art Committee for the Wolverhampton Art and Industrial Exhibition.

However, Hodson experienced financial problems and was forced to sell parts of his collection in two major sales in 1906. The first, a sale of contemporary and old master prints at Christie's in London on 1 May 1906, contained 53 Whistler prints, including Nocturne (184), The Palaces (187), The Doorway (188) and Nocturne Palaces (202). On 25 June 1906 there was a sale of his paintings and drawings, including four Whistler lots. The contents of his library was sold on 3-5 December 1906. In the same year Compton Hall was sold to Thomas Adams, a Wolverhampton industrialist. Hodson sold the remaining part of his print collection to Richard Gutekunst in 1913.

Bibliography:

Lugt, Frits, Les marques de collections de dessins et d'estampes: marques estampillèes et écrites de collections particulières et publiques; marques de marchands, de monteurs et d'imprimeurs; etc..., Amsterdam, 1921 (1774a); http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/listed/comptonhall.htm (accessed August 2009); The Private Library: The Quarterly Journal of the Private Libraries Association, vol. 5, no. 3, July 1964.