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University of Texas at Austin

Arthur Rackham:

An Inventory of His Art Collection at the Harry Ransom Center

Creator: Rackham, Arthur, 1867-1939
Title: Arthur Rackham Art Collection
Dates: 1890s-1930s
Extent: 213 items
Abstract: The collection includes original drawings by Arthur Rackham (British, 1867-1939), print proofs, book jackets, and reproduction plates largely published in deluxe, limited edition copies for which Rackham was the sole illustrator.
Call Number: Art Collection AR-00215
Language: English
Access: Open for research. Please note that a minimum of 24 hours notice is required to pull Art Collection materials to the Ransom Center's Reading and Viewing Room. Some materials may be restricted from viewing. To make an appointment or to reserve Art Collection materials, please contact the Center's staff at art@hrc.utexas.edu. Researchers must create an online Research Account and agree to the Materials Use Policy before using archival materials.
Use Policies: Ransom Center collections may contain material with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in the collections without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the Ransom Center and The University of Texas at Austin assume no responsibility.
Restrictions on Use: Authorization for publication is given on behalf of the University of Texas as the owner of the collection and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder which must be obtained by the researcher. For more information please see the Ransom Centers' Open Access and Use Policies.


Administrative Information


Preferred Citation Arthur Rackham Art Collection (AR-00215). Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin.
Acquisition: Internal transfers, 1965-1969, 1970, 1976, and 1978
Processed by: Ransom Center Staff; Jill Morena, 2018
Repository:

Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin

Biographical Sketch


Arthur Rackham, one of the most imaginative and beloved literary illustrators of the twentieth century, rose to prominence during what is often referred to as a "golden age" in deluxe limited editions that were lavishly printed, bound, and illustrated with color plates. Arthur Rackham was born in London on September 19, 1867. His siblings described his habit of absconding with pencil and paper into his bed each evening, drawing until he could see no more in the evening light. He attended the City of London School in 1879, where he was known as a gifted caricaturist of teachers and students. He continued to hone his drawing skills during a voyage to Australia in early 1884, recommended by the family doctor for young Arthur's ill health. He produced many watercolors throughout his journey, and he returned to London in July of that year. He enrolled in the Lambeth School of Art in the Fall of 1884, and later that year he began work as an insurance clerk at the Westminster Fire Office. He remained an art student until 1890, all the while continuing to work and sending drawings to papers such as Scraps and Illustrated Bits. He married fellow artist Edyth Starkie in 1903, who would remain a constant critic and source of encouragement for his work. Rackham would become the sole illustrator for a handful of books in the 1890s, but after his success with Fairy Tales by The Brothers Grimm (London: Freemantle & Co., 1900) and Rip Van Winkle (London: William Heinemann, 1905) he would go on to become a sought-after illustrator of historical and contemporary children's and fantasy stories that continue to hold a strong appeal, such as Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1906); Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (London: William Heinemann, 1907); A Midsummer Night's Dream (London: William Heinemann, 1908) and A Christmas Carol (London: William Heinemann, 1915). While often fairly restrained and muted in color, a palette that lent itself well to the three and four-color printing processes of the early twentieth century, Rackham's fantastical, playful, and highly imaginative designs brought the stories he illustrated vividly alive. Even in poor health during the last few years of his life, Rackham continued to work and was able to complete all the illustrations for his final project, The Wind in the Willows (New York: The Limited Editions Club, 1940), which was published posthumously. Arthur Rackham died on September 6, 1939, at his home, Stilegate, in Limpsfield Common, Surrey.

Sources:


Hamilton, James. Arthur Rackham: A Biography. New York: Arcade Publishing, 1990.
Hudson, Derek. Arthur Rackham: His Life and Work. London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1960.
Philips, Jennifer. "The Arthur Rackham Collection." The Library Chronicle, New Series Number 3 (May 1971): 19-28.

Scope and Contents


The collection is divided into four series: Series I. Drawings for Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe, 1935; Series II. Drawings for Other Works, 1900-1930s; Series III. Bookplates, circa 1930s; and Series IV. Reproductions, 1898-1935. Series I. Drawings for Tales of Mystery and Imagination includes original watercolor, charcoal, and pen and ink drawings for most of the line and color drawings reproduced in the 1935 edition of Poe's stories, published by George G. Harrap & Co. The drawings are listed by story and in order of appearance in the published work, and are titled from the edition's list of illustrations. Of particular interest are two drawings that were not published in the final volume (66.39.27.44; 66.39.27.45.1), and one drawing for the endpaper design that is annotated by Rackham (66.39.27.2).
Series II. Drawings for Other Works includes what appears to be an original drawing for a bookplate designed for George L. Lazarus, an avid collector of Rackham's work. A drawing for an unidentified story is also present, as well as an ink and watercolor drawing for Where the Blue Begins (1922) by Christopher Morley (American, 1890-1957). The drawing is inscribed to Morley.
Several printer's proofs of Rackham's design for George L. Lazarus' personal bookplate comprise Series III. Bookplates. Each bookplate illustrates the same scene--a child reading under Rackham's characteristic anthropomorphic and gnarled trees while gnomes and animals observe from the branches. Rackham accepted private commissions for at least twelve bookplates throughout his career. Series IV. Reproductions consists largely of letterpress halftone prints and lithographs from three publications: Tales of Mystery and Imagination, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Ingoldsby Legends. The reproductions for Tales of Mystery and Imagination are accompanied by the title overlays and, in some cases, the pages of text represented by the illustrations. The illustrations for The Ingoldsby Legends are dated twice, as Rackham reworked designs from the first edition, translating line to colour drawings or adding illustrations to the second edition, and dated them accordingly. There are also seven identified and one unidentified reproduction color plates in this series, and five book jackets from George G. Harrap & Co. editions.

Related Material


In the Ransom Center Book Collection, unique drawings by Rackham can be found on the pages preceding the text, often on the front flyleaves, in limited edition copies of 44 different publications. The majority of these drawings can be found in George G. Harrap & Co. or William Heinemann editions. The titles can be searched using the following terms in combination through a keyword search in the University of Texas Libraries online catalog: "Arthur Rackham", "original", and "drawing" or "sketch".
Also present in the Book Collection is a bound scrapbook of Christmas cards, greeting cards, caricatures, and other ephemera by Rackham, from the collection of George L. Lazarus.

Index Terms


People

Lazarus, George L.
Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849.
Rackham, Arthur, 1867-1939.

Subjects

Advertising--1900-1940.
Ingoldsby, Thomas, 1788-1845. Ingoldsby legends.
Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849. Tales of mystery and imagination.
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Midsummer night's dream.

Document Types

Book jackets.
Bookplates.
Letterpress works.
Lithographs.
Pen and ink drawings.
Watercolors.

Corporate Names

Heinemann (Firm).
Harrap (George G.) and Company, ltd.
J.M. Dent & Co.

Container List