Phoebe Anna Traquair — muralist, bookbinder, artist, and designer

http://collections-01.oit.duke.edu/digitalcollections/exhibits/baskin/bookbindings/1892_tennyson_baxst001178007_plXXIII.jpg
 
Creator(s):
Tennyson, Alfred
Title:
In Memoriam
Publication/Origin:
Edinburgh: 1892
Description:
Irish-born artist, muralist, bookbinder, embroiderer, enamelist, and designer Phoebe Anna Traquair was a stellar figure of the Arts and Crafts movement in Scotland. In the 1880s, Traquair developed an interest in medieval book illumination and corresponded with John Ruskin, who loaned her manuscripts from his personal library. In her illuminated In Memoriam, Traquair marries the influences of William Blake and medieval illumination. This manuscript provides evidence of the connections between the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the Arts and Crafts movement. Henry Cunynghame, who commissioned the manuscript, inscribed its story on one of the front end-leaves of the book, noting that he met Traquair through the artist William Holman Hunt, a prominent member of the Pre-Raphaelites. Cunynghame also recounts the history of Tennyson’s signature, noting that Tennyson was initially reluctant to sign, but after some time with the manuscript, he returned it with his name on the title page. Although Traquair previously completed other works of illumination, art historian Elizabeth Cumming describes In Memoriam as “[her] first true test of dedication to this craft.”
Citation:
Tennyson, Alfred, In Memoriam, Edinburgh: 1892, Lisa Unger Baskin Collection, Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University. Accessed March 29, 2024, https://exhibits.library.duke.edu/exhibits/show/baskin/item/4297