SAMUEL COOK, ARTIST. 413 
with an excellent sketch made at Wistman’s Wood on our first 
visit to Dartmoor. 
Amongst work of a decorative character Cook painted a veran- 
dah and landscape on the wall of a small room in the house of 
Colonel H. Smith, in Park Street, giving an idea of considerable 
size and space in quite a small compass. I believe this painting 
is still in existence, the house belonging now to Mr. Charles 
Skardon. 
Reference has already been made to Cook having painted signs 
for inns when quite a young man. He also painted the sign of the 
* White Horse,” that stood at the corner of Westwell Street, since 
removed for the new Guildhall, and next door to where Cook him- 
self lived for some years, and painted many of his best drawings. 
The chief purchasers of his works when residing in Westwell Street 
were Mr. Bryant, of the Sugar Refinery ; Mr. Mark Grigg; Mr. 
Teed, Q.c., of London; and Mr. Skirving, of Plymouth. 
Cook’s favourite haunts for sketching were in Cornwall, at 
Polperro, Looe, Kynance Cove, Tintagel and Trebarwith Sands, 
and Boscastle. 
The late Mr. Skirving, of Plymouth, ected three of Cook’s 
very finest works. They are now in the possession of his widow at 
Bath. One represents a storm at Tintagel, and the other two are 
scenes near the Lizard. 
On three separate and distinct occasions I have got together for 
public exhibition a series of Cook’s best drawings. Firstly, at a 
conversazione at the Devonport Mechanics’ Institute ; next, in the 
year 1873, on a much larger scale, on the occasion of the visit 
of the Bath and West of England Agricultural Show, held at 
Pennycomequick, I collected fifty of Cook’s finest productions; and 
lastly, at St. Andrew’s Hall, Westwell Street, in the year 1877, 
when the British Association held their meeting at Plymouth. 
On each of the two latter occasions all Cook’s most important 
works were got together. Catalogues of both exhibitions are still 
in existence, showing the names of the possessors who kindly lent 
them for exhibition, and the names of the subjects. I knew 
where all these drawings could be got at, asked for them, and 
had them; not one was refused. One of the finest works Cook 
painted was lent by Lord Selborne, who purchased it when he 
was Sir Roundell Palmer. His appreciation of it, and of the 
moderate sum he paid for it, are well expressed in a note he 
