Lucrative requests : British authors and gift book editors

Author

Ledbetter, Kathryn

Document type

Article (journal)

Language

English

Source

Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America. 1994, Num. 2, Vol. 88, 207-216

ISSN

0006-128X

Abstract (en)

Gift books and annuals, elaborate publications which decorated the drawing room tables of fashionable homes, were a phenomenon in Britain during the 1820s and 1830s. They were anthologies of original poetry and prose illustrated with steel-plate engravings and bound in tooled leather, velvet, or shiny watered-silk. They were especially designed as holiday gifts for middle-class readers, meant to demonstrate gentility and appreciation for literature and art. Ledbetter looks at the relationships among authors, annual editors and their publishers, revealing an interesting portrait of bad business deals that often gave the books themselves undeserved criticism and eventually contributed to their decline.

Subject (en)

• General history of art -- 1800-1945 -- Pictorial arts -- Prints and illustration -- United Kingdom
• Books
• Great Britain
• 1800-1900
• Presents
• Middle classes
• Authors
• Commerce
• Publishing

Subject (fr)

• Histoire générale de l'art -- 1800-1945 -- Peinture et arts graphiques -- Estampe et illustration -- Royaume-Uni
• Livre
• Grande-Bretagne
• 1800-1900
• Cadeau
• Classe moyenne
• Auteurs
• Commerce
• Edition

Origin

DatabaseBHA (Inist-CNRS/GRI)

Identifier19960401-00284914

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