Three years ago today, I was sitting in a pleasant apartment on Goodramgate in York, England, just down the street from the Old White Swan.

My plan had been to go watch the thoroughbreds run that afternoon at York Racecourse. But I awoke in the morning with severe back pain, so my best intentions went by the wayside. 

I shuffled off to the nearby variety store to buy some muscle ointment, before stopping at the corner bakery for a pastie. After that, I shut myself in for the day to edit my manuscript. At least my living room had an exquisitely comfortable leather recliner sofa.

The truth was, the thought of going to the races alone made me nervous. The only time I had been to a racetrack was about 20 years earlier, when I spent an enjoyable afternoon at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley with my sales team. With beginners luck, I wagered on the winning horse in the first matchup. However, I managed to lose all of my $20 mad money in the next two races. 

Although I wasn’t keen on spending the whole day confined to the sofa, I wasn’t entirely disappointed. Fortunately, the ointment did the trick, and I was fit enough the next day to get back to my routine of writing and editing, then going out for a long walk through the ancient streets of York and on the banks of its meandering rivers.

Since I have not been back to England for a while, I have found a measure of contentment by discovering old engravings of London, York, and other cities in the UK.

Had I seen these prints sooner, I would have viewed the some of the landmarks in a different light. Certainly, I would have tried a few different angles in my photography!

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About the Artist: Wenceslaus Hollar

Wenceslaus Hollar was born on July 23, 1607, in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, Holy Roman Empire.

In 1636, art collector Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel (1585-1646), was on a diplomatic assignment to the Court of the Holy Roman Emperor. 

Impressed by the work of the young Bohemian printmaker, the Earl invited Mr. Hollar to join him on his travels in Europe. In 1637, the artist accompanied Lord Arundel back to England and moved into his household, where he became an artist in service to the nobleman.

Lord Arundel went to the Netherlands in 1642 for the wedding of William II of Orange to a British Princess. Civil War was brewing back home, so he decided to remain away from England. 

Mr. Hollar had married an Englishwoman and begun a family. With Lord Arundel gone, he went into service with James, Duke of York (1633-1701), the second son of King Charles I.

As the Civil War intensified, Mr. Hollar joined the Royalist Regiment. After escaping the Parliamentary forces in 1645, he fled to Antwerp, where he met up with Lord Arundel. After the Earl’s death in 1646, Mr. Hollar remained in Antwerp for several years, finally returning to England in 1652.

Although he continued to be prolific, Mr. Hollar died impoverished on March 25, 1677, in London. He was 69.