Ruskin and Turner
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Pictures and description courtesy of Paul Jackson.
Ruskin and Turner
by Elbert Hubbard, 1896
#98 of 473
This book measures 10 1/2" x 7 5/8" and has
53 pages. The text body is set in Old Style Antiqua and 473 copies were printed
on Whatman handmade paper and bound in paper over boards with a white buckram
spine or bound in suede with cloth ties. Twenty six copies were printed on Japan
Vellum, hand illuminated by Bertha Hubbard, and bound in a crushed Levant
binding. Both editions illustrated with photogravures of Turner's work on vellum
and numbered and signed in Hubbard's name. The book above is
unique in that it was a presentation copy for William B. Faville. Faville was
originally from New South Wales which is a village near East Aurora and had been
a roommate of Hubbard's in Cambridge Mass. Faville was studying at MIT to be an
architect. Hubbard published one of Faville's poems "Life's Voyage: A Mood" in
the May 1896 Philistine. Faville was in turn the illuminator for a special
edition of 10 copies of Art and Life.
Considering Hubbard's close relationship with Faville, haunting pubs and
eateries in Massachusetts, I think it odd that this presentation copy was not
illustrated. Perhaps he thought Faville might illustrate and or illuminate it as
he desired.
The first mention that I have found of
this book other than the prospectus, was is the October 1896 Philistine
which states, "We are printing four hundred copies on Japan Vellum of Mr.
Hubbard's Essay on the artist, Turner. The book will contain 12 full page
photogravures from negatives taken especially for us from the National Gallery
at London. Bound in classic limp vellum, tied with tapes; price, Five dollar per
copy, Ready November 1st." The November 1896 Philistine ad is very similar with
the exception that we have once again backed off the Japan Vellum and are now
stating it will be printed on hand made paper, and it is the Ruskin-Turner Essay
vice the Turner essay. It further states that 20 copies will specially illumined
by Bertha C Hubbard and the cost for those will be $10.00. In the February 1897
Philistine it states that 26 copies were specially illumined by Bertha
Hubbard and that all were sold at $10.00 and the paper is finally specified as
Whatman. The regular edition of this book was
also listed in the 1899 catalog and sold for $5.00