Two oval 18th century silk embroidered pictures depicting a Peacock and a Pheasant, from the short-lived print-sellers and framers Darling and Thompson. Presented in the original gilt frames

Print publishers, partnership between Mary, wife of William Darling and John Peter Thompson, who published alone from 1800. When the partnership began is not known but most likely in 1790 after the death of William.

Former print-seller William Darling had resided in an Islington madhouse from at least 31 May 1788, when he was described as ‘formerly engraver of Newport Street’ and was the subject of ‘a commission and inquisition into lunacy, into his state of mind and his property’. William Darling was probably suffering from dementia by this stage but he had been well enough to make a will dated 26 July 1787 in which he left virtually everything to his wife Mary. The will was proved 18 April 1789. Following William Darling’s relocation to Islington, the engraving business was carried on by his wife Mary and it was probably her decision to enter into partnership with the engraver John Peter Thompson since she may not have actually been a practicing engraver and there appear to have been no surviving children to inherit the business. The consequence of this is that all the prints marked ‘Darling and Thompson’ refer to Mary Darling and John Peter Thompson. The partnership between Mary Darling and John Peter Thompson was dissolved in 1797 according to the London Gazette, 23 March 1799.