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University of Texas at Austin

Cuala Press Art Collection

An Inventory of Its Art Collection at the Harry Ransom Center

Creator: Cuala Press
Title: Cuala Press Art Collection
Dates: circa 1930s
Extent: 2 items
Abstract: Two hand-colored woodcuts, one of which is initialled by Irish artist Elizabeth Corbet Yeats, printed by Cuala Press.
Call Number: AR-00365
Language: English
Access: Open for research. Please note that a minimum of 24 hours notice is required to pull art 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 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. 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


Acquisition: Gift of Donald G. Davis, Jr., 2017 (17-07-006-G).
Processed by: Mary Alice Harper, 2017
Repository:

Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin

Biographical Sketch


Cuala Press was founded in 1908 by Elizabeth Corbet "Lollie" Yeats and Susan Mary "Lily" Yeats, sisters of poet William Butler Yeats and painter and illustrator Jack Butler Yeats. Both Elizabeth and Susan had a firm foundation in the practices and beliefs of the Arts and Crafts movement, evident in their establishment of Cuala Industries which consisted of Cuala Press and an embroidery workshop. Elizabeth was an accomplished watercolorist and educator in freehand brushwork technique. Having previously studied with with the influential printer Emery Walkera, it was she who ran the printing press. Elizabeth handprinted for the press a variety of items, including books, hand-colored prints, and calendars. Susan, who worked for six years at the embroidery workshop at Kelmscott House in London, oversaw the embroidery workshop. She executed or oversaw the making of embroidery designs by various artists, including Elizabeth and her brother, Jack, until her health forced her to retire from large scale projects in 1931. Cuala Press published its last book in 1946. Elizabeth died on January 16, 1940, in Dublin, and Susan died on January 5, 1949, in Churchtown.

Sources:


NBowe, Nicola Gordon. “Yeats, Susan Mary [Lily] (1866–1949).” Nicola Gordon Bowe In Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, online ed., edited by David Cannadine. Oxford: OUP, 2004. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/61425 (accessed August 29, 2017).

Scope and Contents


The collection consists of two hand-colored woodcuts printed by Cuala Press. One of the pieces is completely pictorial. The other piece is a poem, entitled Joy Be With Us, by Irish novelist and poet James Stephens, with an historiated initial featuring a ship.

Related Material


Other material printed by Cuala Press can be found in the Jack Butler Yeats Art Collection (AR-00307) and in the Ransom Center's book collection. Additional works by poet James Stephens can be found in the James Stephens Collection (MS-04014).

Index Terms


People

Glenavy, Beatrice Moss Campbell, Baroness, 1883-1970.
Stephens, James, 1882-1950.
Yeats, Elizabeth Corbet, 1868-1940.
Yeats, Lily, 1866-1949.

Organizations

Cuala Press.

Subjects

Children--Pictorial works--1920-1940.
Fairies--Pictorial works--1920-1940.
Landscapes--Pictorial works--1920-1940.
Sailing ships--Pictorial works--1920-1940.

Document Types

Woodcuts--1920-1940.

Item List

Accession Number: 2017.5.1 Glenavy, Beatrice Moss Campbell, Baroness (British, 1883-1970). The Fairy Hill, circa 1930. Woodcut with hand coloring, 24.1 x 18.1 cm (image); 30.5 x 22.9 cm (sheet). Location Cuala Press, Box 1   
Accession Number: 2017.5.2 Yeats, Elizabeth Corbet (Irish, 1868-1940). Joy Be With Us by James Stephens, circa 1930. Woodcut with hand coloring, 18.5 x 15.3 cm (image area); 29.2 x 22.9 cm (sheet). Location Cuala Press, Box 1