Elihu Yale: Merchant, Collector & Patron

by Diana Scarisbrick, Benjamin Zucker

Overview

Original research sheds light on the fascinating biography of one of Yale University’s early supporters

Elihu Yale's name is famous for the great educational institution, Yale University, of which he was an early benefactor. He made his fortune in India, mostly through trading in diamonds. Arriving in Madras in 1672, through his outstanding abilities he rose through the hierarchy of the East India Company settlement from clerk to governor. When he returned to London in 1699 he brought with him Indian gems, furniture, and textiles, and proceeded to amass a collection of some ten thousand items, dispersed at seven auction sales after his death in 1721. The catalogs of these sales survive, providing information about the lively London art market. Hitherto neglected by historians, the Yale sales prove to be a landmark in the history both of collecting and of auctioning art in early 18th-century England.

The authors explore Elihu Yale’s life and interests, and then turn to a study of Yale as a dealer (particularly of gems) and a collector of diamonds and jewelry, works of art, furniture, books, and other objects—some of which are now at Yale University, and some in national collections around Britain.  

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780500517260
Publisher:	Thames & Hudson
Publication date:	05/27/2014
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Diana Scarisbrick is an art historian specializing in the history of engraved gems and jewelry. Her publications include Rings: Jewelry of Power, Love and Loyalty and Portrait Jewels: Opulence and Intimacy from the Medici to the Romanovs.

Benjamin Zucker, a graduate of Yale University, is one of the world’s leading gem dealers, based in New York.

Table of Contents

Part I Merchant, Gentleman, Philanthropist

1 Boston to Fort St George 8

2 London Life 40

3 At Home 56

4 Gentleman of Fashion 82

5 The Pleasures of Music, Books, and Science 98

6 Philanthropist 132

Part II Dealer & Collector in London

1 A Fortune from Jewels 148

2 The New Western Taste for the East 186

3 Yale and the Art World in England 222

Conclusion 270

Notes 274

Bibliography 278

List of Illustrations 279

Index 283

Acknowledgments 288

Editorial Reviews

"Scarisbrick and Zucker, who are both experts in gems and jewels . . . document the lively world of collecting and auctions in London during the English Enlightenment. . . . Recommended."

Choice

"Handsomely printed [and] richly illustrated."

Yale62

"Elihu Yale is a man worth remembering. . . . Succinctly but elegantly recounted. This book provides a vivid account of the diamond trade in all its aspects and demonstrates its subject’s prodigious, manifold skills."

The Washington Times

"Yale the collector and connoisseur is the main subject of this unusual book. . . . Scarisbrick and Zucker both specialize in gems and jewelry . . . and for the bulk of the book they draw on catalogues of the auctions held after Yale’s death, using them to describe the belongings and tastes of a man who loved to acquire the finest."

Yale Alumni Magazine

"Ms. Scarisbrick, an art historian specializing in jewelry and gems, and Mr. Zucker, a Yale alumnus and gem dealer, are well placed to focus on the ways Yale spent his vast riches."

The Wall Street Journal

07/01/2014
Yale University benefactor Elihu Yale (1649–1721) was a man of forceful character, a powerful leader with wide-ranging interests, and a consummate collector with exquisite taste and a passion for gems. This study of his life is also a look into the history of collecting and auctioneering in 18th-century England. From Madras, where Yale rose to be governor of the East India Company to London, where he returned with his already extensive collection of gems and other items, the man was part of the English Enlightenment, a member of the Royal Society, and a pillar of the established church. The extensive description of the outstanding artifacts in his collection, dispersed at auction after his death, provides readers with some idea of the breadth of his interests, the quality of his possessions, and the role he played in connoisseurship and philanthropy. Oxford historian Scarisbrick, who specializes in gems, and gem dealer Zucker address all aspects of their subject's existence but are, as one would imagine, interested particularly in his gems and jewelry. They have brought to life a man of varied talents and interests who has largely been overlooked by historians of the period. VERDICT A fine addition to the history of 18th-century cultural life across continents, as well as a welcome biography of a singularly interesting man.—Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York

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