Do we have an exciting auction!
Many of the lots showcase a big change in history – The Victorian era. A time of thought and innovation; from problem solving and inventions; to democracy and feminism, socialism and unionism. It was also a time of flux in book binding and printing and art – and what these craft people, writers and artists produced in delightful!
Binding – In the1820s and 1830s cloth was seen an inexpensive and durable alternative to leather bindings but these lesser books were not really “finished” (decorated) until the end of the 1830s early 1840s. From the 1840s until the 1880s most bindings were decorated and many were ornately embellished. There were approximately 1,200 art books created between 1850 and 1900. Some were made in large binding firms with cover designers. Some as you will see in this auction would initial or sign their bindings. John Leighton (lots146, &five more) was perhaps the most prolific, but Albert Warren (lot 166) deserve a mention in this auction.
Gift books became popular in the 1860s with special bindings and beautiful and elaborate decoration published in time for Christmas to help shape domestic rituals. (See lot 177)
Printing – Engraved boxwood block printing and the copper plates used in late 18th and early 19th century. Steel-plate production (invented 1810) to the photographic processes (invented 1826) soon making appearance. Hand-coloured plates more than doubled the cost of printing. During the 1860s innovations in coloured lithography and colour-printing from woodblocks, brought the costs down.
Children’s books of the 1880s and 1890s with glazed pictorial boards were based on yellow back printing technology with lovely examples in this auction are of Kate Greenaway and Walter Crane. See lots 60-64 & 10 more lots.
Artists
JMW Turner embraced steel engraving using small line-engravings and vignettes. See lots 1 and 145.
Birket Foster was one of the most prolific illustrators of the 19th century he mostly represented rural life using steel engraving. See lot 139 but we have at least another 10.
Owen Jones pushed the boundaries of colour printing and often illuminated works and marketed his books to the higher echelons with his neoclassical style drawing on Orientalism, Gothic and Renaissance art. See lots 2, 130
Aubrey Beardsley was only active between 1893-1898 when he died of tuberculosis. He was influenced by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Japanese prints and is known for his Art Nouveau style. He was one of the co-founders of The Savoy magazine.(lots 159)
If you found any of this interesting www.victorianweb.org is a wonderful resource.
Sunday 5th July Timed auction 12 midday
Online bidding on Invaluable or our website.
Viewing is encouraged & Questions welcomed
Before 3pm Sydney Time Friday 3th July
Where: Dalgety Square
C11/372-428 Wattle Street, Ultimo.
(Corner of MacArthur with the entrance on Wattle Street.)
We are opened between 10am and 4:30pm week days.
