L.G. Duke, CBE., a civil servant and colleague of A.P. Oppé at the Board of Education, was an avid collector of English drawings. He lent, sold and gave away drawings during his lifetime and his remaining collection was sold as 1351 lots in seven sales at Sotheby's on 5 March, 21 May, 16 July, 22 October 1970 and 11 February, 29 April and 24 June 1971, just before his death. The manuscript catalogue of his collection is in the Prints & Drawings Department at the British Museum.
Duke owned at least three drawings by or ascribed to Wilson, including:
D205 A View of the Colosseum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York;
D403 River Landscape with a Boat sailing beneath a Bridge, location unknown
See further: J. Egerton, 'L.G. Duke and his Collection of English Drawings', The Old Watercolour Society's Club, vol. 49, 1974, pp. 11-30.
