“This beau­ti­ful and roman­tic islet is sit­u­ated in the most pic­turesque part of the Thames, between the Wil­lows and Maid­en­head Bridge; it is the favored resort of aquatic par­ties in the vicin­ity of Wind­sor, and is a delight­ful rest­ing place for those bound to Clief­den, Hen­ley, or Mar­low — the wood­land beauty of the scenery being unri­valled on the banks of ‘Thames wind­ing stream’. The (third) Duke of Marl­bor­ough selected this sequestered spot for the enjoy­ment of Isaac Walton’s “gen­tle art”, and embell­ished it by the erec­tion of two ele­gant build­ings — a pavil­ion and a tem­ple. The for­mer is dec­o­rated by finely-executed paint­ings of mon­keys, in var­i­ous grotesque and humor­ous char­ac­ters (which, with the pavil­ion, are rep­re­sented by the draw­ings), and con­tinue to prove an attrac­tion to the curi­ous.… it is asserted that the whole cost the Duke of Marl­bor­ough £12,000. It was pur­chased by H. Townly Ward, Esq., and is now the prop­erty of P.C. Bruce, Esq., of Taplow. The tout ensem­ble presents an impos­ing idea of aris­to­cratic grandeur and magnificence.”

Pref­ace to Mon­key Island, Illus­trated, by a series of Humor­ous Fig­ures and a View of the Pavil­ion. From orig­i­nal sketched by M. Pen­ley, drawn on the new patent zinc plates by T. Fair­land. Ded­i­cated to the Young Gen­tle­men of Eton Col­lege. Wind­sor: pub­lished by J.B. Brown … ca. 1839. This copy inscribed on front wrap­per: “Robert H.J. Hey­gate from his broth­ers Fred­er­ick & William Hey­gate, March 28, 1839.” Call num­ber: (Ex) Item 6473315