In 1845, the Osborne estate was purchased by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with the intention of constructing a new mansion as a seaside retreat. The design itself incorporates a range of tastes, interests and insights into their personal lives seen through the Durbar room showing Queen Victoria's love of India. The following year, 1846, marked the completion of the first phase of construction which included the pavilion and royal nurseries. It was not until 1954 when Osborne house was opened to the public making this a key tool for highlighting the extravagance of the site and showing the estate to the public.
The artwork's caption reads: 'London, J. Harwood. 26 Fenchurch Street. No. 601 Oct 1st 1846. Osborne House, Isle of Wight'. The publishers John and Frederick Harwoods were a general and wholesale stationers who produced collections of prints such as 'Harwood's scenery of Great Britain'. In 1844, the partnership between John and Frederick ended, likely due to financial difficulties, with John Harwood continuing trade alone.
This object was audited and researched as part of the National Lottery Data Hunters and Story Gatherers project.
