Letter from Ellen Heaton, Leeds, to William Angus Knight, 1878 March 11 : autograph manuscript signed.

Sending him a photograph of a portrait of Elizabeth Barrett Browning which Heaton had commissioned and then donated to the National Portrait Gallery; saying "Will you accept a Photograph form the original Portrait for which Mrs. Browning sat, for me - I hope from your admiration for her, that you will like to have it - The Number - 600 - on the label, refers to the Catalogue of the Third National Portrait Exhibition. Mr. Browning was asked by the Council for the best Portrait of his late Wife - & replied that the only good one was that in my possession. On an application being made to me, by the Council, I consented to lend it - Not long afterwards, I presented it to the National Portrait Gallery - The Trustees of it accepted the Portrait gratefully and unanimously, within the ten years of the decease of the original, - which is the customary limit of their acceptance of a Portrait. - It is not a perfect representation - yet, the best - It gives, I think, the impression of a somewhat larger head, than hers, - the mouth is certainly too thick, - or rather the lips are not formed with sufficient delicacy - but in the photo. a shadow from the curve of the lip is mixed with the lip itself - The grand form of the forehead could not be fairly shown, unless the long curls were completely swept aside - When it was exhibited, I was asked by the authorities at S. Kensington to allow it to be photographed; I hope it may interest those who revere her."