Robert William Billings (British, 1813-1874) - Lumley Castle, Co. Durham, Pair of Steel Engravings, c.1846

Name: Robert William Billings (British, 1813-1874) - Lumley Castle, Co. Durham, Pair of Steel Engravings, c.1846
Brand: susannew
Availability: LimitedAvailability

Two Victorian steel engravings of Lumley Castle by R.W. Billings, framed with a Dutch gallery label on the back. - view 1

1/3

Estimated value

$80 - $180

Rarity

Average(4/10)

ROBERT WILLIAM BILLINGS (BRITISH, 1813-1874) - LUMLEY CASTLE, CO. DURHAM, PAIR OF STEEL ENGRAVINGS, C.1846: IDENTIFICATION

A pair of mid-19th-century steel engravings depicting Lumley Castle in County Durham. The first plate shows the 'East Front' and the second a detailed view of the courtyard featuring a rider on horseback. Both plates bear the credit 'Drawn by R.W. Billings' in the lower-left margin. One plate identifies the etcher as J.H. Le Keux. These architectural views are characterized by fine linear cross-hatching and stippled details typical of Victorian topographical illustration. The works are housed in mid-20th-century frames with a Dutch framer's label on the reverse.

Compare with other prints in the archive: Abstract Mixed Media Print ('Monoprint'), Abstract Chromatic Lithograph by A. Vrede, Luigi Leisner (1889-1970) - 'Fidelio', Etching of the Vienna State Opera, c. 1920-1940.

CROSS-CULTURAL PARALLELS

Where This Object Echoes

Victorian Britain1830-1880

The Gothic Revival movement fueled a massive market for topographical prints documenting 'ancient' Britain.

Ritual & Ceremonial Use

•Grand Tour collecting: travelers often purchased individual prints of local landmarks as souvenirs of their domestic travels.

Meaning Through Time

19th Century

Scholarly documentation of national architectural heritage.

21st Century

Interior decorative accents emphasizing heritage and traditional aesthetic.

PRINT LINEAGE

These engravings originated from Robert William Billings' seminal work, 'The Architectural Antiquities of the County of Durham', published in 1846. Billings was a prominent architect and author who documented the Gothic and medieval heritage of Northern England during the mid-Victorian era. The plates were etched by John Henry Le Keux, a member of a famous family of engravers specializing in architectural subjects. This publication provided one of the most comprehensive visual records of Durham's secular and ecclesiastical buildings before modern restoration efforts.

SCARCITY

Average55-70%

CommonLegendary

Typical antique shop fare. Requires some searching but regularly available. This is where most genuine antiques fall.

Rarity 4/10. Curiosa currently catalogues 18 prints items at rarity 4 or higher.

Typical Characteristics

Standard antique shop items
Regularly available
Moderate collector interest

Confidence Factors

Text credits 'Drawn by R.W. Billings' and 'Etched by J.H. Le Keux' match histological publication records for 1846.
Paper quality and plate marks are consistent with mid-19th-century steel engraving production.
Presence of a legitimate mid-20th-century Dutch framing label adds contextual history.

How does authenticity detection work?

PRINT SPECIALIST'S TAKE

Museum-Trained Art Historian

Connoisseur

High confidence due to the explicit textual evidence on the plates matching known 1846 publication series by Billings and Le Keux.

KEY EVIDENCE

1Attribution to Robert William Billings based on lower-left margin text.
2Identification of Lumley Castle, Durham, via title text in the lower center margin.
3Steel engraving technique confirmed by the density of fine lines and J.H. Le Keux attribution.
4Provenance indicated by the 'Ouderaal b.v.' framer's label from 's-Gravenhage (The Hague).

UNCERTAINTIES

•Prints are behind glass, preventing a direct examination of the plate mark depth.
•The hand-coloring, if present, appears to be a later 'wash' rather than original period tinting.

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

→Examine the prints outside of the frame to check for full margins and watermarks.
→Check for acidic matting which could cause 'mat burn' around the edges of the paper over time.

CONDITION & GRADE

Very Good (VG)

Grading breakdown

Clean plates with sharp impression lines; minor age-related foxing in margins which does not intrude on the central architectural image.

Condition

The paper shows mild uniform toning and minor foxing spots in the margins, consistent with 19th-century rag paper. One image shows circular reflections from the glass; the actual print surface appears stable. The Dutch framer's label indicates a modern archival or professional mounting.

PRINT MARKET VALUATION

$80 - $180

Updated: May 11, 2026

Who buys this

Local historians of Durham, collectors of Victorian architectural prints, and interior designers focusing on English country house style.

What increases value

•Subject matter (historic English castle)
•Well-known architectural artist (Billings)
•Pairing (matched sets usually command a 20% premium over single prints)

What lowers value

•Severe foxing or water damage
•Trimmed margins where the text is lost

What makes top-tier examples

•Hand-colored examples in period-correct rosewood or birds-eye maple frames
•Pristine margins with the original publisher's line intact

Grade & condition

Paper brightness, absence of foxing, and presence of original plate indentations.

Rarity & demand

AverageModerate demandModerate liquidity

Browse similar prints objects

For informational purposes only, not a formal appraisal.

FROM THE CABINET OF

susannew

Wonderseeker•4 items

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