Harriet Carr – Artist & Traveller

Thanks to funding from the Trust a new on-line module has been developed by the Archives Service that presents a range of material from the letters and documents of this late 18th to early 19th century adventurous woman.

Harriet and brother John set off on their trip from London in 1791 and travelled to Italy. Harriet was an accomplished artist and spent much of her time in Italy studying and practicing art. John and Harriet intended to return home in 1792 but the outbreak of the Franco-Austrian War in 1792 delayed this. The siblings left Rome for Florence where they stayed until November 1793 eventually returning home in summer 1794.

The new module presents information about The Grand Tour of that period along with biographies of Harriet and John. There are also scans of documents and letters along with transcripts to make the content more easily read. It provides a fascinating insight of the life and times of Harriet.

The module is available on the Archives Service website at

Art, Culture, Politics and Conflict during the Grand Tour