US scholars of literature explore how illustrated books became a cultural form of great importance in England and Scotland from the 1830s and 1840s to the end of the century. Some of them consider particular authors or editions, but others look at general themes such as illustrations of time, maps and metaphors, literal illustration, and city scenes. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
The Victorian ages saw an unprecedented increase in the production of illustrated books of all kinds, from cheap, part-published novels to sumptuously colour-printed and finely bound gift books. This selection from the British Library's extensive holdings shows the enormous range of styles and influences characteristic of the period, in the work of Pre-Raphaelite artists and such renowned figures as Aubrey Beardsley and William Morris, as well as that of less well known illustrators, engravers and printers.
The Victorian illustrated book came into being, flourished, and evolved during the long nineteenth century. While existing scholarship on Victorian illustrators largely centers on the realist artists of the "Sixties," this volume examines the entire lifetime of the Victorian illustrated book. Catherine Golden offers a new framework for viewing the arc of this vibrant genre, arguing that it arose from and continually built on the creative vision of the caricature-style illustrators of the 1830s. She surveys the fluidity of illustration styles across serial installments, British and American periodicals, adult and children’s literature, and--more recently--graphic novels. Serials to Graphic Novels examines widely recognized illustrated texts, such as The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Rabbit, and Trilby. Golden explores factors that contributed to the early popularity of the illustrated book—the growth of commodity culture, a rise in literacy, new printing technologies—and that ultimately created a mass market for illustrated fiction. Golden identifies present-day visual adaptations of the works of Austen, Dickens, and Trollope as well as original Neo-Victorian graphic novels like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Victorian-themed novels like Batman: Noël as the heirs to the Victorian illustrated book. With these adaptations and additions, the Victorian canon has been refashioned and repurposed visually for new generations of readers.
For many book collectors, the Victorian period has always held a special fascination. These books were frequently illustrated by artists of immense talent, cased in exquisite bindings, and printed directly from wood blocks engraved by master craftsmen. One of this century's greatest collection of such books, formed by Robin de Beaumont, was recently donated to the British Museum. Victorian Illustrated Books is one of the few volumes devoted exclusively to this fascinating period. Containing a checklist of all 366 books and one hundred illustrations, drawings, and preliminary sketches, it presents a fully illustrated commentary on a collection of books that is outstanding for both its condition and the range of materials it holds. Here are children's books, secular and religious texts, novels, and gift books. The list of artists whose work is represented reads like a "Who's Who" of Victorian art: Edward Burne-Jones, Frederic Leighton, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and Arthur Boyd Houghton, as well as some of the finer later artists, such as Whistler, Sandys, and Shields. In addition, eight splendid bindings have been reproduced in full color. As the book demonstrates, the de Beaumont is arguably the most distinguished collection of such books ever assembled. And in this comprehensive and beautifully designed catalogue, collectors and institutions will finally have a reference work that is equal to the indisputable quality of the materials it so authoritatively discusses.
DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Magic, Stage Illusions and Scientific Diversions, Including Trick Photography" by Albert A. Hopkins. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.
"Poetry, Picture, and Popular Publishing demonstrates the cultural centrality of a neglected artifact: the Victorian Illustrated gift book. Kooistra reveals how the gift book's visual/verbal form mediated "high" and popular art as well as book and periodical publication. A composite text produced by many makers, the poetic gift book was designed for domestic space and a female audience. With rigorous attention to the gift book's aesthetic and ideological features, Kooistra analyzes the contributions of poets, artists, engravers, publishers, and readers and shows how its material form moved poetry into popular culture. Drawing on archival and periodical research, she offers new readings of Eliza Cook, Adelaide Procter, and Jean Ingelow and shows the transatlantic reach of their verses. Boldly resituating Tennyson's works within the gift-book economy he dominated, Kooistra demonstrates how the conditions of corporate authorship shaped the production and reception of the laureate's verses at the peak of his popularity"--
The author examines book illustration of the Romantic period. He focuses on the decorative wood - and steel-engravings, which were used as embellishments with the purpose of appealing to the sophisticated book buyer. He also describes how the values of the time are reflected in the illustrations.
Victorian Paintingis a comprehensive survey of one of the most fertile and varied eras in the history of painting. It embraces not just the United Kingdom, but also English-speaking countries linked to Britain by cultural ties of empire and emigration, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Africa. Long regarded as a backwater of sentiment and outmoded academic convention that was bypassed by the mainstream of development in Western art, Victorian painting is now wholeheartedly enjoyed in its own right. Unfettered by old prejudices, Lionel Lambourne presents a vivid panorama of an age of unparalleled energy and creativity. Wealth, optimism, education and self-confidence created a huge demand for art, and a remarkable array of talent emerged to meet it. Producing works in a wide variety of styles, subjects and media, many artists became rich celebrities, while the profession as a whole enjoyed unprecedented public esteem. The author tackles this protean subject by dividing it into themes that reflect its richness and variety. Chapters are devoted to such topics as Mural/ History Painting, the Nude, the Portrait, Sporting Painting, Genre Scenes and Women Painters; and social themes such as the Fallen Woman, Social Realism, Travel and Emigration; as well as movements such as the Pre-Raphaelites. Written with a light touch, full of illuminating anecdotes, and with 600 color illustrations, Victorian Paintingis beautiful, highly entertaining and informative. It is also an invaluable reference work since, in addition to many famous and well-loved images, it presents a wealth of fine work by lesser-known artists, and explores the byways as well as highways of Victorian art, demonstrating the astounding range and depth of talent of the age.
