[M] A LOCK OF NELSON'S HAIR TAKEN FROM HIS PIGTAIL AND PRESENTED BY CAPTAIN HARDY, 1806

A LOCK OF NELSON'S HAIR TAKEN FROM HIS PIGTAIL AND PRESENTED BY CAPTAIN HARDY, 1806

a lock of Lord Nelson’s hair mounted on paper in glazed locket with an autograph letter of provenance from Nelson’s flag captain Captain Hardy and dated 17^th February 1806 to ‘Mrs Hyde’ with ‘Captain Hardy presents his most respectful compliments to M^rs Hyde and begs her acceptance of the inclosed Hair from his late Dear Friend – 16 Buckingham Street, Feb^ry 17^th 1806’, locket approx. 3 x 2½in. (8 x 6cm.) mounted in an (incomplete) leather album titled ‘Lord Nelson’s Letters’ with portrait prints of Nelson after Henry Edridge, William Beechey, Simon de Koster and Charles Grignion; an engraving of ‘Lord Nelson’s Coffin with a description of the Ornaments and Devices’ and a print of Nelson’s sarcophagus in St. Paul’s Cathedral Crypt; and an autograph fragment of a letter from Nelson to George III signed ‘Horatio Nelson’ and dated 3 October 1797 -- album 17 x 14in. (43 x 36cm.)

The earliest known and best provenanced lock of Nelson’s hair taken then presented by his flag captain in H.M.S. Victory.

After Nelson died, his pigtail was cut off before the body was placed in a large barrel of brandy for preservation. After the Victory's arrival in England, Hardy delivered the hair to Emma Hamilton as Nelson had requested.