Little Journeys to the Homes of English Authors, Alfred Tennyson

Hubbard, Elbert

Published by Roycrofters, East Aurora, New York, 1901

About this Item

Soft cover, 12mo, in suede wraps, blind stamped with two labels to front, the titles gilt within the frames. Printed on handmade watermarked Roycrofter paper, frontispiece portrait of Tennyson from an etching by Rajon. Letter press printed at the Roycroft Workshop in East Aurora. features maroon silk doublures inside wraps, the limitation page printed in red and signed in old fountain pen by Hubbard, the hand-colored title page withwood carved Arts and Crafts printed border, and matching decorative, hand-colored initial caps through out the text, also side notes and other small typographic decoration as footers and the like. Top edge trimmed, others untrimmed. [14], 53- 74 [5], pp. Printer's copyright statement (1900) and the colophon,are printed in red ink. Samuel Warner listed as typeographer and designer. Pagination suggests this was abstracted as an offprint from a larger version; there were a number of English Authors in the series. **Subject, the English poet Baron Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) **CONDITION: Near Fine. Generally clean and sound, bright color and pages. There is a "stub" at the front which looks intentional. This series by Hubbard and the Roycrofters has been called an important American re-interpretation of the work of British designer William Morris, and indeed like Morris, the workshop produced an extensive line of hancrafted homewares in addition to books. Susan Otis Thompson says that Hubbard employed up to four hundred people at a time, and illuminating the books was part of the work of that group. "Books in limited editions were issued steadily, and sold well, thanks to both the public's recognition that these were "artistic " books for the common man and to the enormous impact of Hubbard's controversial personality. He traveled over the country, delivering public lectures, dressed in a picturesque costume probably based, at least in part, on Morris' habitual attire." S.O. Thompson, American Book Design and William Morris, (New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 1996.) p. 171. Really quite beautiful hand coloring on this one.

Seller Inventory # 9391

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Little Journeys to the Homes of English Authors, Alfred Tennyson
• Publisher: Roycrofters, East Aurora, New York
• Publication Date: 1901
• Binding: Hard Cover
• Illustrator: Samuel Warner, typographer designer
• Edition: Limited Edition No. 445 of 940 copies.
• Condition: Near Fine
• Signed: Signed by Author
• Seller catalogs:
  • Biography & Letters
  • Fine Press
  • Art - American Arts and Crafts Movement