Biography:

Trade engraver based in Exchange Court in the City. Primarily worked on financial documents. Trade card in Heal Collection (Heal,100.17a) advertises "Blake, Engraver & Printer, No.16, Exchange Alley, London. Seals Neatly Engrav'd." Heal's annotations on mount: "The London Directory 1795 gives W.S. Blake, engraver, 16 Exchange Alley. Mr. Ruthven Tood in a letter to the 'Times Lit: Supp:' 10 Feb. '45 refers to the probable connection between W.S. Blake & William Blake the famous artist & quotes a document dated 1797 in which both names appear. See Keynes 'Life of Wm. Blake' p:318. In a personal letter to me (correspondence arising from above) 15:ii:'45 Mr. Ruthven Todd regards it as 'certain' that W.S. Blake, the writing engraver was the issuer of the trade cards of 'Blake, engraver, No.16 Exchange Alley.' There are 2 cards of Blake, 16 Exchange Alley in the Banks' Collection in B.M. In A.H. collection is a card of John Rowe 'apprentice & successor to Mr. Blake', 16, Change Alley."