<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><ead xmlns="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="urn:isbn:1-931666-22-9 https://www.loc.gov/ead/ead.xsd"><eadheader countryencoding="iso3166-1" dateencoding="iso8601" findaidstatus="completed" langencoding="iso639-2b" repositoryencoding="iso15511"><eadid countrycode="US" mainagencycode="US-ViU" url="https://archives.lib.virginia.edu/ark:/59853/189518">MSS16787</eadid><filedesc><titlestmt><titleproper type="filing">The Devil's Steeplechase</titleproper><titleproper>The Devil's Steeplechase <num>MSS 16787</num></titleproper><author>Ellen Welch</author></titlestmt><publicationstmt><publisher>Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library</publisher><p id="logostmt"><extref xlink:actuate="onLoad" xlink:href="http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/logos/uva-sc.jpg" xlink:show="embed" xlink:type="simple"/></p><p><date>2023-06-02</date></p><address><addressline>Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library</addressline><addressline>P.O. Box 400110</addressline><addressline>University of Virginia</addressline><addressline>Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110</addressline><addressline>URL: <extptr xlink:href="https://small.library.virginia.edu/" xlink:show="new" xlink:title="https://small.library.virginia.edu/" xlink:type="simple"/></addressline></address></publicationstmt></filedesc><profiledesc><creation>This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on <date>2026-03-05 17:44:11 +0000</date>.</creation><langusage>Description is written in: <language langcode="eng" scriptcode="Latn">English, Latin script</language>.</langusage><descrules>Describing Archives: A Content Standard</descrules></profiledesc></eadheader><archdesc level="collection">
  <did>
    <repository>
      <corpname>Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library</corpname>
    </repository>
    <unittitle>The Devil's Steeplechase</unittitle>
    <unitid>MSS 16787</unitid>
    <unitid type="ark">
      <extref xlink:actuate="onLoad" xlink:href="https://archives.lib.virginia.edu/ark:/59853/189518" xlink:show="new">Archival Resource Key</extref>
    </unitid>
    <unitid type="aspace_uri">/repositories/3/resources/1530</unitid>
    <physdesc altrender="whole">
      <extent altrender="materialtype spaceoccupied">.03 Cubic Feet</extent>
      <extent altrender="carrier">one letter-sized folder</extent>
    </physdesc>
    <unitdate datechar="creation" normal="1830/1830">n.d, c.1830</unitdate>
    <langmaterial>
      <language langcode="eng">English</language>
    </langmaterial>
    <container altrender="Document Box (Letter) = 0.4 cf" id="aspace_1dae9c2bdffc80abf4d456230f1e3e3f" label="Mixed Materials" type="box">BW 54</container>
    <container id="aspace_b431329d771a41d587fad90ee8e60d79" parent="aspace_1dae9c2bdffc80abf4d456230f1e3e3f" type="folder">1</container>
  </did>
  <accessrestrict id="aspace_ee8e28711ce1f79b8fcd8854412b34d7">
    <head>Conditions Governing Access</head>
<p>The collection is open for research use.</p>  </accessrestrict>
  <acqinfo id="aspace_834da909bf634d859874c2c60be06e8b">
    <head>Immediate Source of Acquisition</head>
<p>This collection was purchased from White Fox Rare Books and Antiques by the Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia Library on 1 May 2022.</p>  </acqinfo>
  <prefercite id="aspace_d0d7b674077e75de8be14c877628a3c5">
    <head>Preferred Citation</head>
<p>MSS 16787, The Devil's Steeplechase, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia Library.</p>  </prefercite>
  <scopecontent id="aspace_03fe07dac1fb33e3eb10abb129975e93">
    <head>Content Description</head>
<p>This collection contains an anonymous sketchbook containing a highly illustrated handwritten gothic story, additional watercolor paintings, and numerous pen and ink sketches. The primary story pertains to a horse race between the devil and death that takes place on March 12, 1830.  It is likely a satire on the first English National Steeplechase, which was run in Bedfordshire on March 8, 1830, and was the precursor of the Grand National race at Aintree. Nine full-page watercolors are devoted to the primary gothic steeplechase story, each with a narrative on the facing page. The story is a morbid variant of the turtle and the hare fable, with the Devil taking an auspicious start but as the Devil relaxes, the Death recovers, catches up and wins, and celebrates his victory by throwing his head (which is a skull) in the air and catching it.  In addition to the steeplechase illustrated story, there are three other watercolors of riding, two of these in a steeplechase or a foxhunt. There are also eleven other pages with pen and ink drawings, in varying states of finish, plus three pages heavy with text, and the endpapers are filled with sketches. The other illustration includes a page of silhouettes, which are on military or equestrian themes. Also in the manuscript is a four-page rendering of the Tragedy" from the Ingoldsby Legends" which recounts the story of Catherine of Cleves.</p>  </scopecontent>
  <controlaccess>
    <genreform authfilenumber="300123430" source="aat">cartoons (humorous images)</genreform>
    <subject authfilenumber="https://lccn.loc.gov/gf2017027262" source="lcsh">Sketchbooks</subject>
    <subject authfilenumber="sh2008020084" source="lcsh">Gothic fiction (Literary genre)</subject>
    <subject authfilenumber="sh85062160" source="lcsh">Horses</subject>
  </controlaccess>
  <dsc/>
</archdesc>
</ead>