In Walpole and Cole: Two Antiquaries, Virginia Woolf examines the lives and works of two of the most influential figures in the history of British antiquarianism: Horace Walpole and William Cole. Walpole, the son of Prime Minister Robert Walpole, was a prolific writer and collector of art and antiquities. He is best known for his Gothic novel The Castle of Otranto and for his home, Strawberry Hill, which he transformed into a Gothic Revival masterpiece. Cole, a workseller and publisher, was a major figure in the development of the antiquarian book trade in Britain. He was a friend and mentor to many of the leading figures of the day, including Walpole. The book traces the lives and works of these two men, exploring their shared interests in antiquarianism and their influence on the development of the field. Woolf examines their contributions to the study of British history and culture, and their impact on the development of the antiquarian book trade. She also looks at their relationships with each other and with other leading figures of the day, such as James Boswell and Samuel Johnson. In doing so, she provides a fascinating insight into the world of eighteenth-century British antiquarianism.
By Virginia Woolf · First published 1917 · Genre: Biography, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction