1967 Christmas card of William Shipley, the Society's founder, selling winter fuel at summer prices to the poor in Northampton so as to defeat profiteers (c. 1751) by Anna Zinkeisen
William Shipley is shown selling winter fuel to the poor at summer prices in a street called the Drapery, in the centre of the town, where he had lodgings and a studio for his professional work as an artist and drawing master from 1747 until 1753. He is being assisted in his calculations by some of the richer Northampton residents who had, after some years' canvass, agreed to subscribe to his fund. The success of his scheme to defeat the Northampton fuel profiteers made Shipley persevere with his plan to raise a national fund for rewarding useful inventions and artistic excellence and in 1753 he came to London with the express purpose of founding a Society of Arts. 28,200 copies sold.
1999
Colour transparency
35 mm slide
https://rsa-dryad.maxarchiveservices.co.uk/rsa-pr-ge-109-19-06
06
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