THE NATIONAL SPORTING LIBRARY NEWSLETTER,
Spring 2000

PORTRAITS OF THE WINNING HORSES OF THE GREAT ST. LEDGER STAKES
BY JOHN FREDERICK HERRING

Portraits of the Winning Horses of the Great St. Leger Stakes - believed to be the greatest color-plate racing book of the 19th century - was purchased at auction in New York for the National Sporting Library in May. The winning bid was $35,000.

"The work is extremely rare; no one has seen a copy on the market in 25 years," explained New York rare book dealer James Cummins who was the buyer of record of the sales-topping book at the William Doyle Galleries sale.

The volume includes 10 hand-colored aquatint plates by artist John Frederick Herring of winners of the St. Leger Stakes at Doncaster from 1815 to 1824. "The coloring is unbelievable," Cummins declared. "I've never seen anything like it."

Cummins purchased the book on behalf of Jacqueline B. Mars, who will donate it to the National Sporting Library. Mars is vice chair of the library's board.

The Doncaster Gazette commissioned Herring to sketch annually the winner of the St. Leger to be published as engravings.

The folio contains the original marble boards with paper title label on the front cover with printed publisher's notice on front paste-down and printed "Errata in Plates" notice on the back of end paper. The plates were described by Doyle as "unusually clean with brilliant coloring and laid in a cloth box."

John Frederick Herring was a widely acclaimed painter of horses and hunting scenes in early 19th century England.