Thomas Todd was a London druggist and tea dealer who established long lasting drug, tea and confectionary businesses in Fleet Street in the latter part of the 18th century.
Todd is a figure of particular interest to the history of London. He was one of the many successful tradesmen who migrated to London from northern England and epitomised the kind of business acumen which ensured the growth of BritainÂ’s industrial, mercantile and commercial empire in the eighteenth century. Chitqua was a Chinese modeller or face maker who was in London for a short period. The face would have been modelled by Chitqua from memory and the features achieve a startling photographic realism. Few such figures appear to have survived due to the fragility of the media.
Provenance
Thomas Todd, circa 1770; by descent to Richard Todd in 1962. Sold through Robert Holden Ltd.