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ELBERT HUBBARDRUSKIN AND TURNERRoycroft Printing Shop, East Aurora, 1896One of 473 CopiesSigned by Elbert HubbardHand-Illuminated Title Page and Initials12 Turner PhotogravuresOriginal Roycroft Binding
HUBBARD, Elbert. These Pages Recount Little Journeys Made to the Homes of Ruskin and Turner.
East Aurora, New York: The Roycroft Printing Shop, 1896.
Limited edition of 473 numbered copies, each signed by Elbert Hubbard. This is No. 424.
Quarto. Printed in red and black on handmade Whatman paper. Illustrated with 12 full-page photogravure reproductions of works by J. M. W. Turner, each with its captioned tissue guard, together with a tipped-in portrait of Elbert Hubbard. Numerous decorative initials are individually colored by hand, and the title page carries an original watercolor floral decoration.
An especially appealing example of one of the earliest substantial Roycroft productions, combining fine press typography, hand illumination, watercolor decoration, handmade paper, and photogravure illustration.
ONE OF ONLY 473 COPIES
The limitation states that only 473 copies were printed, after which the type was distributed.
Each copy was individually numbered and signed by Elbert Hubbard.
The scarcity of the edition was already emphasized in an important 1906 sale catalogue, which described the book as one of only 473 copies, signed by Hubbard, with ornamental initials illuminated by hand.
This copy is:
No. 424 of 473
and bears Hubbard’s signature on the limitation page.
EARLY ROYCROFT PRINTING
Published in 1896, Ruskin and Turner belongs to the formative period of the Roycroft Printing Shop at East Aurora.
The volume displays the characteristics that soon made Roycroft books immediately recognizable:
handmade paper
red-and-black printing
large decorative initials
hand-applied color
watercolor ornament
untrimmed deckled edges
Arts and Crafts binding
The book thus occupies an interesting place near the beginning of Hubbard’s development of the Roycroft aesthetic.
ORIGINAL HAND ILLUMINATION
The title page is embellished with an attractive original watercolor spray of daisies, violets, and other flowers, extending beside and beneath the printed title.
The decoration is signed with small initials that appear to read:
“A.V.M.” or possibly “A.V.H.”
and is dated:
10/23/97
The exact identity of the illuminator has not been established, so the initials are described conservatively rather than attributed to a specific Roycroft artist.
The volume also contains numerous decorative initials individually enhanced with color.
This handwork is an important part of the book’s appeal. Contemporary descriptions of the edition specifically note that the ornamental initials were illuminated by hand.
Other surviving copies likewise contain watercolor title-page decoration and hand-colored initials, though the precise ornament varies from copy to copy. Dealer descriptions of copies numbered 369 and 404 record original watercolor decoration and extensive hand illumination.
TURNER PHOTOGRAVURES
Complete with all 12 full-page photogravure reproductions of paintings by J. M. W. Turner.
These were made from negatives taken especially for the volume at the National Gallery in London, according to contemporary and dealer descriptions of the edition.
Each plate retains its original captioned tissue guard.
Also present is the tipped-in photogravure portrait of Elbert Hubbard.
JOHN RUSKIN AND J. M. W. TURNER
Hubbard’s essays combine travel narrative, biography, art criticism, anecdote, and social commentary centered on two of the defining figures of nineteenth-century British art:
John Ruskin, critic, writer, social thinker, and champion of Turner;
and
J. M. W. Turner, whose treatment of light, landscape, atmosphere, and color profoundly influenced later painting.
The subject was particularly well suited to Hubbard and the developing Roycroft movement, whose own ideas concerning craftsmanship, art, labor, and the decorative arts drew deeply from the broader Arts and Crafts tradition.
ORIGINAL ROYCROFT BINDING
Bound in the original Roycroft binding of:
cream cloth spine
brown paper-covered boards
with the upper cover stamped in gilt:
RUSKIN
AND
TURNER
Top edge gilt; other edges untrimmed and deckled.
The restrained binding provides an attractive contrast to the more elaborate handwork within.
CONDITION
Good overall, complete and internally attractive.
The original binding shows expected age and use.
Cream cloth spine with light soiling, discoloration, rubbing, and wear.
Brown paper-covered boards with surface rubbing, uneven toning, edge wear, worn corners, and scattered areas of abrasion.
Extremities show additional wear consistent with the fragile original paper-covered binding.
Text block remains firmly attached.
Internally generally well preserved. Handmade paper shows light age toning, occasional minor foxing, and scattered marginal marks.
All 12 Turner photogravures are present, with their captioned tissue guards.
Tissue guards and plate leaves show normal toning.
The original watercolor floral decoration on the title page remains bright and attractive.
Hand-colored decorative initials remain present throughout.
Signed limitation page present.
No missing plates observed.
Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the condition description.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
Author: Elbert Hubbard
Title: These Pages Recount Little Journeys Made to the Homes of Ruskin and Turner
Cover title: Ruskin and Turner
Publisher: Roycroft Printing Shop
Place: East Aurora, New York
Date: 1896
Edition: Limited to 473 copies
This copy: No. 424
Signed: Elbert Hubbard
Illustrations: 12 Turner photogravures with tissue guards
Additional illustration: Portrait of Elbert Hubbard
Paper: Handmade Whatman paper
Printing: Red and black
Decoration: Hand-colored initials and original watercolor title-page ornament
Binding: Original cream cloth and brown paper-covered boards
Edges: Top edge gilt; others untrimmed
A handsome and complete example of an early Roycroft limited edition, signed by Elbert Hubbard and combining hand illumination, watercolor decoration, handmade paper, and a complete suite of twelve Turner photogravures.
