Royal Saloon of Arts

Introduction:

With the advent of London paddle-steamers and their 'day trippers', more than one developer had the notion that money could be made from the first land east of Greenwich high enough to offer elevated views of the Thames and its environs. Only 20 miles from the Capital, two of the most popular 'pleasure grounds' - as they became by the late 1830s - were Windmill Hill and Rosherville Gardens at Gravesend, Kent.

PIGOTS 1840 directory for Kent lists 2 taverns, 1 confectioner and, perhaps unsurprisingly, 2 working and one disused mill on Windmill Hill. The redundant mill, girded round with 3 walkways and topped off with a camera obscura, became a multi-storey platform for viewing the river and landscape. A guide of 1843 stated the building's '...ground floor...is called the 'Saloon of Arts' where likenesses are admirably executed by one of the most skilful artists of the Age'. However, a print of the period shows the named 'Atkinson's Royal Saloon of Arts' as a substantial stand-alone wooden octagonal pavilion with striped tented roof, striped pillared awning and a window displaying multiple silhouettes.

As evidenced by a stencil trade-label, the 'Royal Saloon of Arts' was established by 'Mr. Atkinson' on Windmill Hill in 1839. It also stated it had '...no connection with any other establishment' which suggests competition,though none is recorded. That 'Mr. Atkinson' was either a son of the well known prolific profilist George Atkinson (ca.1785-1851), or possibly Atkinson himself, is now certain, while current research found at least 2 of Atkinson's sons working at the 'studio'.

The Hill's 'Season' appears to have run from May to late autumn and, with the addition of a shooting gallery, archery grounds, tea garden, coffee room and bandstand, visitor numbers were high, and probably more than one 'Mr.Atkinson' was needed to accommodate customer demand.

Recently sourced, George Atkinson's family was located in the (March) 1841 Census in London St., off the Hackney Rd., Middlesex. George, 56, was listed 'Artist', wife Ellen was 51, William, 24, was a 'Painter', Caroline, 20, was 'Independent', Frederick, 18, and John, 14, were both 'Artists', while Robert, 12, and Mary Ann, 8, were without occupation.

Seemingly, Atkinson was striving to give his offspring an artistic grounding. Of William Atkinson (born ca.1817) nothing is known and only Frederick (ca.1825-1905) is recorded earning a sustained living as an artist, first at Windmill Hill, then for more than 20 years at Rosherville Gardens. John (born ca.1827) is known solely from the SOUTHEASTERN GAZETTE 8th July 1845 as a '...portrait painter charged with following his worldly calling on Windmill Hill...[on the Sabbath]. Pleading guilty '...with a good deal of assurance  and nonchalance...[he stated without Sunday employment, he]...might as well give up all together'. He was fined 5 shillings with costs.

The output of the ' Royal Saloon...' was likely prodigious, but surprisingly few trade labelled works are extant. All are crisply cut from black paper, all are bust-sized with long, sloping, slightly convex, sharply pointed terminations. Barring one plain black profile, all are skilfully highlighted in gold. Likely they were executed either by Frederick or John, since George Atkinson, as far as known, never produced cut-work. However, if any painted trade labelled profiles ever come to light they would suggest the hand of George Atkinson was also engaged at the " Royal Saloon...".

Another hand though was certainly evident in the summer of 1842, as between June and August  the SOUTH EASTERN GAZETTE records 'The Salon D' Arts superintended by Messrs Atkinson and Turner the celebrated profilists, whose talents in taking correct likenesses in one minute is unrivalled'. Eluding research, Turner's celebrity is questionable, though he may be the 'Mr Turner' recorded producing gold highlighted cut-work in London's Camden Town in the mid-1830s. However, after mentioning ' a great influx of visitors' , the SOUTH EASTERN GAZETTE 30th August 1842 stated 'Messrs Atkinson and Turner...have had their hands full; their large picture of a conversational group of George the Third and his Queen, with the whole of the Royal Family, from the correctness of the likeness is attracting universal attention; it is a picture we recommend all to see'.

If the reporting was accurate, and the above work indeed represented 'the whole' of George lll's family including his daughters, then 12 years later in the Rosherville Gardens, Frederick Atkinson produced a similar conversation piece. According to the KENTISH INDEPENDENT 10th June 1854 'Mr. [Frederick] Atkinson...is now exhibiting a ROYAL FAMILY GROUP, being full-length profiles of all the male members of the late Royal Family. They are copies of the original profiles taken by the father of Mr. Atkinson, who had the honour of taking them at Brighton some years hence...'.

Signed and impressive, the latter work is reproduced in full in 'One Hundred Silhouettes...from the collection of Francis Wellesley' (1912) and in part by McKechnie. Arguably, the figures may have been utilised and cut from a stock of embellished Royal profiles previously painted by Frederick's, by then deceased, father. The figures were placed on a painted, tolerably accurate representation of the vestibule of Carlton House, the sometime London residence of George lV, and was, much later, said to have hung there. However, the building was demolished in 1829, when Frederick Atkinson was an infant, making the assertion untenable.

REVISED: 11 February 2026 (Brian Wellings)