Littlecroft, Emery Down, home of Morton Kelsall Peto, 1886-1913 (watercolour)

Signed Inscribed 'Littlecroft, Lyndhurst', 'built by Ernest George for Mr Morton Peto' and 'E 113' on reverse Watercolour on board 9 x 7 inches (22.75 x 17.75 cm) Illustrated H G Hutchinson, The New Forest, London: Methuen, 1904 (new ed), 'Littlecroft, Emery Down, home of Morton Kelsall Peto, 1886-1913' Additional Notes Morton Kelsall Peto was the son of Sir Morton Peto the renowned 19th century civil engineer. Sir Ernest George RA an architect of equivalent repute (Sir Edwin Lutyens was one of his pupils) also worked in partnership with Harold Peto, Kelsall Peto's younger brother. The Building News of 1 November 1884 states: 'Littlecroft is a house and studio now building in the New Forest for Mr. Morton K. Peto. The external quarterings is of oak with parquet filling-in. The slope of the ground is take advantage of so that an extra room is obtained in the height of the main gable, a boudoir being arranged on the first landing and above the porch. The oak staircase is worked in a square space behind posts and arches and can be screened by curtains from the hall, which latter is arranged to form an additional room to the house. The studio has an open roof and gallery and one end. The dining-room has an ingle behind an oak arch; overhead the beans are shown and a ceiling of wood panell with mitred mouldings.'