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Earliest colour picture of King Edward VII found lying in cupboard

The earliest known colour picture of King Edward VII is to go on display after it was discovered lying in a cupboard.

The informal portrait of the king was taken by Lionel de Rothschild, the banker and Conservative MP, in September 1909.

He is shown in Highland costume enjoying the autumn grouse season at Tulchan in Strathspey, about 15 miles from Balmoral. He died eight months after the photograph was taken.

It lay in a collection of 700 autochromes that was wrapped in newspaper and left in a dark cupboard in Exbury House, Hampshire, which Mr de Rothschild bought in 1919.

It was recently discovered by Lionel de Rothschild, his grandson, and now forms part of the Rothschild Archive, which is generating excitement in the photographic world.

Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)