Artworks featuring portraits of Benjamin Disraeli and the figurehead of the campaign to end the slave trade are absent from the Houses of Parliament, as disclosed.
The photograph of Queen VictoriaThe prime minister they admire is among over 65 items that House of Commons officials are seeking, alongside a 19th-century image of William Wilberforce.
A picture of Britain’s first womanforeign secretary, LabourMargaret Beckett is also included in the list, along with a satirical cartoon that portrays Barbara Castle, Harold Wilson’s effective deputy, as Florence Nightingale.
The Parliament stated that the items, which have been missing since 2024, might have been misplaced during the relocation process on the estate, and none of the listed items have been ‘written off’. Five more have been ‘discovered’ since the beginning of this year.
Among the works lost by living artists is a cartoon created by satirist Martin Rowson in 1995.Tory leadership election, showing John Majorattempting to address the ‘boil’ of the leadership race as his deputy Michael Heseltine and potential rival Michael Portillo watch.
Mr. Rowson mentioned that the problem of cartoons disappearing was not rare, noting that a Times cartoon of the Foreign OfficeChristmasparty in 2004, delivered to then-junior minister Denis MacShane at his office ‘never progressed past the reception desk’.
He stated: ‘It’s unfortunate, but it’s not really the crown jewels – and the key aspect of cartoon originals is that they have already been published: The artifact is likely the impression in the newspaper, as that is its path to lasting recognition. The original is similar to a modern-day equivalent of Hogarth or Gillray’s copper plates used to produce the reproduced satirical print.’
The image of Disraeli was captured by John Jabez Edwin Mayall, who also took photographs of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Charles Dickens, and Karl Marx.
Meanwhile, the lost print of Wilberforce, who passed away shortly after the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire, was created by William Holl.
The quantity of artworks made public following a Freedom of Information request is significantly lower than the 220 that were stated to be missing in 2018 – such as portraits of William Pitt the Younger, and an oil painting by William John MacLeod depicting the aftermath of the 1941 bombing of Parliament.
A government representative stated, “As a working collection, art pieces are regularly relocated between their designated spots and are often discovered again, indicating that none of the items currently listed as missing have been officially written off or regarded as a financial loss.”
Parliament keeps decreasing the number of artworks listed as missing by conducting continuous reviews.
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